Google Voice for BlackBerry

The brand new--and free--Google Voice app for BlackBerry just hit the Web yesterday, but CIO.com's Al Sacco stayed up way past his bedtime last night tinkering with the software and associated service. Sacco's conclusion: The app's still rough around the edges but it adds invaluable functionality: the ability to "dial-out" and send text from your Google Voice number.

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Google Voice for BlackBerry: Conclusion

Google's really onto something with Google Voice, and it's slowly putting the pieces in place to make the service a viable calling option for everyone from world-travelling business people to consumers with home, office and mobile phone lines. However, the process isn't yet complete, and Google Voice still isn't quite ready for widespread use--especially for less-than-tech-savvy folks.

That said, the service isn't too far from being ready for the masses. By resolving some caller identity confusion and adding support for a few more native BlackBerry services, the company could vastly improve the Google Voice on BlackBerry experience.

Google Voice for BlackBerry v0.1.415

Google

Price:

Free (Note: Google Voice account required.)

Pros:

Free app mostly works as advertised; lets you place and receive phone calls and text messages via your Google Voice phone number; could save on international calling fees; easy to employ.

Cons:

Frustrating process for determining who's calling and whether or not they're dialing your Google Voice number; can't dial from native BlackBerry Phone app; minor connectivity issues; memory hog.

Bottom line:

If you haven't already applied for a Google Voice account, you'll want to do so now--at least if you employ multiple phone lines. The service is promising and though the current associated mobile applications aren't quite up to snuff just yet, you can expect Google to "polish" a variety of related features in the near future. Until then, the Google Voice for BlackBerry app at least lets you place calls and send texts from your Google Voice number, which greatly enhances the overall service.