Part 2 - Google Voice: How was it for you?

Google Voice is just great but there are a few drawbacks. More importantly there will some profound long term implications for incumbent mobile telcos (see Part 3).

The general configuration UI is very similar to that of Gmail (Inbox, Starred, History, Spam etc) with “labels” immediately below (Voicemail, SMS, Recorded, Placed etc) – maybe one day Google will be brave enough to integrate both.

Voicemails are transcribed with varying success – I assume they are using the same technology as their 411 and voice search service. This makes both voicemails and SMSs searchable using the standard Google search box. Contacts are integrated with your Gmail/Google Contacts. Local (US) calls and SMSs are free – all other calls can be paid for using Google Checkout.

Calls can be made by dialling your Google Voice number and following the series of instructions. Alternatively, you can place your call from the web app (desktop or mobile). This prompts you for a name/number and the “Phone to Ring” – which is one of your registered phones. It rings you phone initially, tells you the cost of the call and then connects you to the number requested.

This can be initiated by the desktop or through the mobile browser. (I was unable to use the Google Voice client for the G1). UK landline calls are 2 cents a minute, whilst UK mobile calls are 20 cents per minute (cheaper than my UK mobile provider). You can send an SMS message in a similar manner.

Calls received are diverted to the phone of your choice – in my instance, this is to my newly acquired $25 prepaid phone. If a call is missed it diverts to voicemail which is then transcribed and added to the Google Voice inbox. In addition, it sends the transcribed message as an SMS to your mobile.

Over the week I was in the US it was invaluable allowing me to make calls to the UK for less than my mobile telco in the UK.The only downside I see is that it is not integrated with Gmail and so voicemails are kept within the Google Voice system and are not downloadable as an MP3 – unlike Hullomail. I do forsee the ability to search the transcribed messages as being invaluable – but I cannot edit mistakes made by Google in this process.