Why We Need the iPhone Jailbreak Community

In the past week, the nerds on the Internet were up in arms about Apple blocking Google Voice from it’s app store and for good reason. This is not the first time that Apple has blocked an application for asinine reasons. Their reason for blocking Google Voice? It “duplicates iPhone features.” I’m sorry, but NO it does NOT. Show me how and iPhone allows you to have multiple phone numbers forwarded to a single number. And even if it did reproduce existing functionality, then let the consumer choose. If you make a shit app, then we, as consumers, should have a right to replace that app with something better.

I understand that Apple wants to maintain a certain quality in the applications in their store but they have taken it too far. At this rate, developers might as well abandon the iPhone because Apple’s bullshit application approval process is less reliable than a 1960s Alfa Romeo.

Even if an application does duplicate iPhone features, would that be so bad? I would LOVE to put a version of Firefox or Chrome on my iPod Touch. If Google Voice reproduces existing functionality on the iPhone, then why wasn’t Skype blocked? This makes even less sense when you think about it because Google is a partner with Apple, licensing their Google Maps and YouTube technologies to Apple.

As long as Apple decides it wants to slow or even stop innovation, the iPhone Jailbreaking community will flourish. Apple has recently stated publicly that jailbreaking an iPhone is illegal and even going as far to say it is dangerous.

Bullshit.

I understand that jailbreaking and unlocking modifies the baseband of the phone but how does it make it less vulnerable than an un-jailbroken iPhone? How about fixing that texting vulerablity that leaves EVERY iPhone open for attack?

I have nothing but admiration and respect for the folks over at the iPhone Dev-Team. They are lightening quick with their jailbreaks and are the ones encouraging innovation.

To be honest, I am not surprised the Apple blocked Google Voice. They have had a long history of blocking applications that claimed duplicated iPhone features and has also been known to block applications just because they felt like it. Apple could only get so far before there is a large enough outcry from the iPhone community. Even Cali Lewis, self-proclaimed Apple fan girl, has blogged about how upset she is about Apple blocking Google Voice and is now looking at other phones to replace her iPhone. As of today, Apple has yet to publicly respond to this uproar in the tech community.

Your move, Apple. Make it count.

You can read Gizmodo’s article about Apple blocking Google Voice here. It is aptly titled, “Apple’s Chickenshit Approval Process Has Gone Too Far.”

UPDATE: Michael Arrington of TechCrunch just publicly ditches his iPhone because of the Google Voice debacle.