Apple approves official Google Voice app?

Taking a quick trip down memory lane, one may recall the fuss Apple caused last July when they rejected Google's official Google Voice app because it "duplicated existing [iPhone] functionality." This left Googlers distraught. There seemed to be nothing but darkness ahead.

Fast-forward a little over a year where Apple begins changing some of its rules. As part of their new app submission guidelines, they made it very clear that they'd no longer approve apps made with tools like Adobe Air. This rule was later repealed. The overhaul of the the App Store submission bible, however, seemed to change the game for Google, as the new guidelines no longer seemed to be an issue for a Google Voice app. Since then, many third-party Google Voice apps have been accepted into the market. However, nothing official came from Mountain View.

According to TechCrunch, all of that's about to change. It has been reported that within the next few weeks, an official Google Voice app will be made available in the App Store. Having already been approved, TechCrunch claims that all Google has to do is adjust the app for iOS's new multitasking capabilities and it will be good to go. This is very exciting news for the iPhone community, as Google Voice empowers users with near-complete control over their phone numbers.

It's unclear which functionality will be baked into Google's official app. The Android version of Google Voice allows users to manage their voicemail through an inbox, send and receive text messages, automatically use it to place various types of calls (international only, for example), and much more. Should the iOS version contain similar functionality, rest assured, iPhone users will be ecstatic.

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