More iPhone apps you can't have: Newber and iCall

SAN FRANCISCO--At the MacWorld ShowStoppers event Monday night, I got a quick look at Newber, an iPhone app from Freedom Voice Systems that lets you redirect calls made to a new number you give out ("newber," get it?) to alternate numbers depending on your location. If you're in the office at your desk, the app can send calls to your work phone. At home? It rings the house phone. Neither? The call will ring on your iPhone. (See also: Grand Central.) The app uses GPS to suggest call routing, but ultimately you make the routing decision. Sounds like a cool idea, but if you want to try it, you can't.

Although Freedom Voice submitted Newber to Apple for approval to sell it in the iTunes store in October, Apple has not approved the app for distribution. It hasn't denied it, either. In fact, Apple will not tell Freedom Voice anything about the disposition of its review except that it's "taking longer than expected" to review the app. Freedom Voice marketing strategist Nick Goudy told me he gets e-mails to that effect about every two weeks. He talks to Apple once a day. He says he uses different phone numbers to prevent them from screening his calls.

When Steve Jobs announced the App Store in October, he said all apps would be approved (or denied) within three weeks.

What's most infuriating, Goudy told me, is that activity logs for the Newber platform indicate that Apple has not yet started or tested the app at all.

iCall, which makes a VoIP app similar in many ways to the approved TruPhone product, is in a similar spot. This app allows users to make VoIP calls from Wi-Fi-equipped iPhones and iPod Touches. CEO Arlo Gilbert told me that his company communicated carefully with Apple regarding not just approved use of the iPhone SDK and communications channels, but also got marketing advice from Apple on how to sell the app. Yet, once the app was submitted for approval (in early October), Apple clammed up, and won't tell the company whether the app is going to be approved or not. E-mail queries are not responded to and phone calls get "ticket numbers" but no resolution.

Gilbert can understand why iPhone network provider AT&T might not like the app, and that's why, he says, he was sure to talk to Apple during development of the product. iCall allows incoming calls to iCall numbers to route around the AT&T cellular network and run over WiFi and VoIP. As Gilbert knows from his experience running a telco, incoming mobile calls are very lucrative for carriers.

Unlike Newber, iCall has been tested by Apple, Gilbert says his logs show. He just wishes he could get an answer--either yea or nay--from Apple.

Newber and iCall want your support.

(Credit: Rafe Needleman / CBS Interactive)

Both Freedom Voice and iCall say they've invested about $500,000 each in developing their apps, and are wondering what to do next. The companies together have started a petition, titled "Support developers with faster app store response and approval," and the companies are working on alternative versions of their products. Newber is beta testing a Blackberry version and has an Android app in development. iCall has various PC- and Web-based VoIP apps.

Certainly, it would be more fair for Apple to simply say no to Newber and iCall than to leave these products in limbo. I expect the reality is that Apple/AT&&T politics are behind the confusion. Either that, or Apple is developing its own suite of enhanced telephony services, and--as was the case with the over-the-air podcast downloader Podcaster, which offered a service that Apple later released in iTunes--it doesn't want competitive products in its store in advance of the release of its own updates.

Update: 2:35 p.m. PST: I'm waiting to hear back from Apple after a request for a comment.

Click here for more Macworld Expo coverage from CNET News.

Previously:
Apple to Podcaster: No App Store for you
Google admits breaking App Store rules
Apple kills iPhone app, claiming API violation

[davidsmi]

Maybe Apple wants us to all JAILBREAK!

[SeizeCTRL]

I was thinking the same thing... how long before we all jailbreak our iPod Touch's / iPhones to install apps that Apple keeps denying. Can you picture a competing App store for tons of unsigned apps.

Granted, there's probably a reason why some apps don't get approved... but if the app is stable and causes no problems, then approve the sucker... else you force us to go down dark alleys for alternatives.

[myles taylor]

If Apple is developing a competing App, they still need to say no and not just leave them sitting and I think they would.

The problem when talking about Apple is that we can't treat them like an individual. They're a corporation which involves a lot of people and politics.

[Goodbye Helicopter]

Maybe they're being real careful not to **** off the mobile phone carriers...?
... as well as not to violate any telecomm laws & regulations in various locations.

[SeizeCTRL]

yeah but what about the people who own the iPod Touch?

[sanjayb]

We iTouch owners are 2nd class citizens compared to the iPhone owners.

[linuxgeek90]

But apple knows whats best. Steve Jobs has a reason!

Maybe they are going to release some awesome new product that will forever change the way we interact with our phones, and this app will no longer be useful. They have a reason!

(Utter sarcasm)

[cctvgeek]

I don't wish this on anyone. Truth be told though the ICALL staff is horrible. They are known for kicking people off there facebook site for questioning them or their service at all. They are not open to any criticism or remarks. These are potential customers mind you. By the time they release this app via Cydia which is going to be their only route Apple/ATT will already have a solution at hand or a jailbroken app will have this covered. Apple is getting very big headed and they should be upfront with these companies but as far as im concerned i would stay away from ICALL they don't deserve us as customers.

[SeizeCTRL]

Sounds like they would fit right in with Mac users ;) heck, sounds like they ARE Mac users!

i kid i kid

[TravisOwens]

Actually, marketing genius Seth Godin has mentioned this subject many times. It's actually smart business to boot off your fringe customers (or non-customers) and focus on the people who actually want your service.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/07/treating-differ.html

Obviously he's not implying to use this method as some form of punishment, merely as a way to weed out your customer base and get rid of the people who use your service but shouldn't. If you sit and think about it, you'll realize this is a good move, albeit controversial.

[cctvgeek]

The truth is its a viscous cycle. ICALL complains about Apple and their policies. They are mad because Apple does not give them information on their application. They claim apple deletes comments on their forums regarding any comments of negativity or complaints. ICALL in turn says they are restricted from giving information while their app is being approved and they cannot comment and therefore also do not allow people from commenting anything negative or questioning their application. So basically no one gets any information or cannot comment on the subject. Seth Godins is an idiot. In a perfect world I to would like to weed out all my negative customers and only keep the quite, service needing customers but this is not the case. The customer that is complaining and giving you a hard time could also be that potential customer that could make your year. Obviously it depends on your business model and the amount of business that customer can potentially bring in but you get the point. You cant please everyone but you can certainly try. As a business you should let people question your products and allow them to give you their opinions. It will only make your products better and allow you to see things from an outside prospective. I am not talking about blatant remarks of stupidity and foul language remarks. I am talking about legit questions or statements made by customers that are being deleted and blocked from the public's view. In the end they can choose to run their business as they please. I for one have the ability to choose whether I want to business with them or not and I guess this is what it boils down to. In my opinion, ICALL thinks its product is the end all and therefor does not need to listen to the little guy because they feel they have a plethora of customers waiting in the fold. This is amazing to me considering their product is not even released. I for one hope this teaches them a lesson and humbles them. Customers are your business and you should treat them with respect and value their opinions whether you agree with them or not.

[TravisOwens]

>> I'm waiting to hear back from Apple after a request for a comment.

Sorry but according to Apple policy we need 3 weeks to reply to your request :P

[rafe]

*1 travis!

[svk1069]

Having worked for a telco myself, I doubt very much the delay is Apple. My guess is Apple is waiting to hear back from AT&T as to whether or not these would be considered competing products. It's probably being passed from department head to department head without anyone really know what to do or make a decision at AT&T. That's just how telcos work.

[FireyIce01]

This should not be the case. Another thing that greatly bothers me about the Apple/ATT love affair. ATT has no business telling people what apps they can and cannot run on their devices, or att's networks. ATT's only concern should be whether or not you are paying for your minutes and bandwidth. If they believe you're using excessive bandwidth, then they shouldn't be selling you an 'unlimited' plan. This goes for every phone and broadband provider.

We have such profit motive (not that making money is a bad thing, it's just not the only thing) mentality in this country, that nothing can be done if it's not profitable. It's ruining our society (as wall street has clearly illustrated) and we need to address it. A good example would be text messages (how much do they cost you?) which are sent on the same channels that are used to communicate with the towers (that means it costs the telco absolutely NOTHING in terms of bandwidth). So, if they're raping us there, how much do you think the bandwidth really costs them?

[FireyIce01]

Apple needs to just allow third party apps to be downloaded through alternate channels and installed through iTunes with a huge "THIS APP IS UNSUPPORTED AND COULD RUIN YOUR PHONE, BUT DON'T BLAME US, WE DIDN'T APPROVE IT" disclaimer.

Apple CLEARLY doesn't have the resources to properly review all the apps that are being submitted, nor should they be trying to. When was the last time you had to have an app approved to install it on OSX? Apple just needs to loosen their crushing grip on the iPhone a little, or they will crush it. There's already people porting Android. Can you just imagine people buying an iPhone and immediately installing Android on it, completely bypassing the app store, and all those potential profits, just because an app they wanted was still waiting for approval. Apple needs to realize they're hanging themselves here.

[MafiaPenguin]

Here, Here!

[NUTTBALL763]

Apple needs to wake up and see that they are losing money. There are so many apps out there that you can get by Jailbreaking the phone. Apple could make a killing off these apps if they would just get their own version out there. I mean who doesn't want to change the theme of their phone to fit the individual. How about the app on Cydia that turns your phone into a video recording device. I would gladly pay apple for these apps. But like davidsmi stated, we are forced into dark alley's.

[stogdilla]

I'm not going to ever buy an iPhone now. I'll wait until someone comes along and decides to profit from the ability to allow third party apps to flurish rather than stunt their growth. Grow with the community or you'll soon be left by the community.

[samuelv0304]

I have the same problem with Apple, I'm the developer of the first solution for ipod touch 1 and iPhone in January-march 2008. My calls Siphon.

Because Apple didn't give no news since December 7th, I decided to release my app Siphon on Cydia. In this version (specific for Cydia) users can choice VoIP on 3G/EDGE (http://thebigboss.org/2009/01/04/siphon-20-is-out-for-cydia/)

[SteveLV702]

Its probably cause AT&T is currently testing femtocell so in short yes iCall would be a competing product/app so thats probably why its still on hold..

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Looking-For-Femtocell-Testers-100100

[cctvgeek]

The sad thing about femtocell is you need to have the femtocell router. With Icall you can be on any wifi. They should just offer this via Jailbreak. If they wait much longer they are going to lose out big time.

[zzmd]

My comment was removed from apple, when simply posing the question why icall approval is taking so long. This is insane. Figure out a response apple,att. Either develop your own app or let free enterprise reign.