Apple killing the iPhone

Well, they don’t think they are, but they are. As I’ve complained before, Apple just cannot effectively police iPhone apps. And yet they keep trying. I think their actions this week will be the beginning of the end for Apple policing iPhone apps, either that, or the beginning of the end for the iPhone itself.

Last week Google released Blackberry and Android apps for Google Voice. It felt bad enough that the iPhone was not on the list, but Google at least hinted an iPhone app was coming. This week we learn that Apple has rejected the GV app for the iPhone. Not only that, Apple has rescinded the acceptances of other GV enabling apps in the iPhone app store and kicked at least three apps out of the store.

Apple has to get out of the way of developers. Smaller developers have been complaining for many months about the arbitrary ways that Apple enforces its app store rules. Now major developers like Google are being caught in the net. This is music to the ears of competitors like RIM, Palm, and even Google. Apple must let the app store go free or it will kill its own platform, sending users off to jailbreak their phones. Even political activists are starting to take notice: free my phone!