For those of us that rely on being but a series of digits away at all times, Google Voice is a godsend. Regardless of which phone I’m closest to, be it the home line, my iPhone, or any of the phones we’ve got out on review, I’m reachable. As helpful as it may be, it’s not perfect – at least, not right out of the box. Google provides a fantastic backbone, but some of the solutions they provide for basic functionality (such as making a call or sending an SMS from your Google Voice number) aren’t reasonable replacements for what we’ve all grown accustomed to. Dialing another number before dialing the one I actually want? Pft. Loading up my browser and waiting for the web interface to load to send a new SMS? No thanks. I’m a whiny iPhone user, and thus expect every product to have a companion App that caters to my every need.
Back when Google Voice was still Grand Central and lacked all of the features that the new name carried in tow (SMS, Voicemail transcription, etc), an application called GrandDialer was released which allowed iPhone users to dial out from their Google Voice number through an interface nearly identical to that of the default Phone application. Unfortunately, enough changed when a user would migrate from GrandCentral to Google Voice that GrandDialer no longer functioned properly. This, of course, resulted in deafening cries for an update from a userbase now once again stuck with the more tedious dialing process. Alas, there would be no such update – the day after Google Voice went live, GrandDialer was pulled from the app store, with its developer announcing that the project had been retired.
It wouldn’t be long before we started hearing about an app in the works, ready to step up and fill the shoes left empty by GrandDialer’s demise. In fact, there are now two applications (that we’re aware of) sitting in Apple’s moderation queue: RiverTurn’s VoiceCentral, and GV Mobile by Sean Kovacs. Both are ready to hit the App Store at any moment, and both are going for the exact same price. We’ve obtained pre-release copies of both and pitted them head-to-head – so which one should get your hard earned $2.99?
Note: It’s worth reiterating here that both of these applications were tested in their pre-release, freshly submitted forms. The versions we used for testing are very close to what we’ll see when they hit the App Store, though bug fixes and new features could have slipped in by the time they get approved.
Cost:
Whether by pure coincidence or not, both of the applications are set to sell for $2.99 when they make their way to the App Store.
Important to note here, however, is that GrandDialer was free – but lacked much of the functionality found in either of these new applications. This is the App Store, where every third review on any given 99 cent application is complaining that said app isn’t free. GV Mobile will be releasing a gratis feature-for-feature GrandDialer replacement, called GV Mobile Free. It lacks the voicemail, history, and SMS of the premium version.
SMS:
If any one thing kept people from GrandCentral, it was the absence of SMS – what good is having one unified number if text messages sent to it disappear into the oblivion?
At the time of testing, only GV Mobile had support for text messaging. VoiceCentral’s developers tell me they are hard at work on SMS functionality, expecting to have it implemented within the next few days. Depending on when Apple gets around to giving it the green light, it may well have SMS support at launch.
Contacts:
Both applications allow you to dig through your iPhone’s contact list. VoiceCentral places a Contacts key in the static bottom navigation bar, while GV Mobile places a Contacts icon in the dialer and SMS screens. Of the two design methods, we prefer the latter; with the contacts icon off of the bottom bar, more space is available for other icons.
The contact screens of both apps are identical to that of the default Phone app’s screen, as it’s simply being pulled up through the API.
History:
Both applications will show recent incoming/outgoing Google Voice calls. The build of VoiceCentral we used for testing does not currently have it built in, but the developers have shown us that it is ready to go in the next build.
Visual Voicemail:
Both GV Mobile and VoiceCentral support playback of voicemail messages left on your Google Voice account, and both feature easy to use Visual Voicemail interfaces.
In our test builds, however, VoiceCentral’s voicemail interface was much better than GV Mobiles. Both support playback (through the ear piece or the speakerphone), and message deletion. However, only VoiceCentral allows you to scrub to any point in a message, manually refresh the voicemail list, or create new contacts from the voicemail caller’s number. Voicemail is one place where VoiceCentral really shines.
Startup Time:
In our completely unscientific testing of start-up times (recording each app starting up 3 times, timing how long it took for them to fully load after the icon was tapped, then calculating the average), GV Mobile started up nearly a whole second faster than VoiceCentral, coming in at 3.7 seconds and 4.6 seconds respectively. It may seem trivial – but when you’re constantly clicking into an application to make calls, each second of load time feels like an eternity.
One thing involving startup struck us as a fairly notable difference: when GV Mobile starts up, it launches into the dialing keypad. When VoiceCentral starts up, it launches into the voicemail screen. Which is better is a matter of personal preference, though we’d imagine that most users would prefer the quick keypad access.
GrandCentral Support:
For whatever reason, a number of people plan on stickin’ with GrandCentral until Google makes the jump to Voice mandatory. Of the two, VoiceCentral is the only one to support this legacy option. GV Mobile only plans on supporting Google Voice.
Conclusion:
It’s a bit tough to recommend one application over the other when what we’re seeing isn’t the absolute final release. However – judging solely on what we have in front of us, we’d recommend GV Mobile.
While VoiceCentral’s Voicemail screen is quite superior to GV Mobile, that seems to be its only real advantage. As mentioned above, it also has GrandCentral support going for it – but how many legacy users are only hanging on until applications like these make Google Voice as iPhone-friendly as GrandDialer made GrandCentral? VoiceCentral plans on implementing a number of features that would balance things out significantly – but GV Mobile has a drastic lead. We prefer a number of GV Mobile’s user experience choices, and the overall design of the application – so in the end, that’s where we’d spend our 3 bucks.
Whichever application you go for, look for it to hit the App Store within the next few days.
While these look nice, I would expect Google to come out with either their own Google Voice App or put the features into it’s current Google Mobile App. I would also expect the app to be free. I feel like, these apps are great if you need it now, but eventually, Google will do something. Even if it does cost some money.
Absolutely agree. Meant to squeeze something about that into the end. Consider the above comment an unofficial appendage.
Thanks for the write-up, Greg. We are currently beta testing a VoiceCentral build that addresses pretty much every negative point the app in the build you reviewed. We’ll send it your way as soon as we finish testing!
Well done Greg – I’m already adding more features…more than before.
Good job Chris and gang.
:)
Chris, I hope that you are rethinking voicemail as the default screen. Right now, that would make me pick GV Mobile.
Why not a settings toggle for default screen for both of the apps, guys?
The current VoiceCentral beta has this feature.
Also, another feature that would be great is if it can notify of voicemail or SMS using the new features in iPhone 3.0. Is this what you are shooting for?
This is something Google would do in their app if made. In order for us to provide instant notification via push technology, we would need access to your account and query it to see if new calls/SMS came in. Hardly a feasible solution…
The reason why their app launches to the voice mail screen is clear – their app was only intended as a voice mail app. This of course, was until they saw my app…
Until 3.0 is publicly available, you can have GC/GV e-mail you when you have a new message and then launch VoiceCentral to check it out.
Sean or Chris, do either of your apps put a 1 on the icon when you have an unread voicemail or SMS?
Also while the application is open, does it poll Google Voice at any interval to check for new sms or voicemail?
If it does, then jailbreakers can just use backgrounder to run it in the background and receive notices of the new messages.
Hey Jim,
Chris’s app puts a # in the tab bar indicating unread voicemails – I show unread voicemails via a different icon next to the actual voicemail…
Chris’s app allows you to refresh the list while it’s open…my app will add this functionality in the next upgrade…
Sean,
I am referring to the icon of the application on the dashboard.
For instance, I play chess for friends. If I go into the Chess app and some of the games are waiting on my move but I don’t have a chance to do anything, I can exit the application and the icon will have a number on it showing how many games are waiting on me.
Another example is the email application. You go in and check you email but don’t read the emails. When you exit to the dashboard it will say how many unread emails you have on the actual icon.
Do either of the apps have that capability?
Ahh – not currently. I’m sure we’ll both add that. : )
Actually, VoiceCentral does put a badge on the Springboard icon as well as the Voicemail icon within our app.
Very good! for information!
Seeing this is only intensifying my hunger for Google Voice! Doggonit!
The fact that the iPhone has exhumed business models from circa-1997 shareware.com still cracks me up.
I was hoping our creative developers would get this !! The race is on but I’m watching. Keep it coming…..keep them coming !!
the keypad looks very much like iSmart Dialer.
look at: http://iSmartDialerApp.com or http://iSmartDialer.com
Thank”s “Greg” !
IMO – Competition is the name of productivity.
Someone send me a google voice invite. My grandcentral account never transferred and they don’t have record of it :(
Go to Phone.com. They just soft launched Virtual Number that competes with Google Voice except no adds and you can port over your existing number.
Google Voice does not have any advertising at this point. It looks like it is being used to help train their voice recognition engine and will eventually be made a freemium product with support.
coldbrew, this is true, though the idea of messages left for me being mined by Google to eventually generate ads that are targeted for me is something I am not comfortable with yet. I prefer to pay a few dollars and know that my private data is private. With regard to the “fremium product with support” assertion, I cannot think of any Google products that have ads when free, but by paying a service fee you eliminate the ads. I can only think of services that they have with ads and ones that do not yet have ads on. Re support, I continue to find that Google does not find support to be a scalable offering and that it is not part of their DNA for most offerings. Perhaps this will be different this time, but I doubt it. Google Voice is strategic for them, and the offering will grow over time, but it will come with a price. The Phone.com offering is here now, has the capabilities of Google Voice and a few more, and comes from a company that seems to actually provide customer service today.
@Ryan Allen I don’t think GV users have invites to share yet. At least, I don’t have any and I’ve been in GV for several weeks.
Google REALLY needs to make their own native app so we can get push notifications w/ 3.0. I’m moving to London in the fall, and a GV app with this feature would give me real-time U.S.-based SMS functionality while I’m there.
I agree…
Chris & Sean, you both have done a great job. I’m looking forward to testing them both. I will buy both and keep on top of the upgrades. After all it’s only $3. I’d like to humbly put in a request for Chris to rethink his icon. For two reasons:
First, if the icon is in fact the icon at the top of this page… I understand you are using an irregular shaped icon to be distinctive. The problem is most people want a uniform look to their screens. We don’t want 143 app icons to look one way and 1 to look different. While I’m on the subject of uniformity.. why Chris is the blue color at the top of the dial pad different from the blue at the bottom of the dial pad? I would prefer the bottom color at the top as well. Second, a baby blue background with an orange phone and a big VC? I feel it falls short of this great app you have developed. I once heard someone say design is best when it adheres to the principles of The Elegance of Simplicity.
Thanks for listening, Jasmer
Why can’t I find either of these applications in iTunes???
Because they have not been released. GV Mobile has been rejected for obscure and vague reasons. But something similar will pop up on Cydia in a day or so. Look for the title GV Central..
VoiceCentral is available in the App Store here:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310081988&mt=8
GV Mobile is available on the iTunes Store
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=309836317&mt=8
And here is the free version
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310315035&mt=8