Google continues to improve its Google Voice app for Android and BlackBerry and the latest update now makes it quicker to dial your contacts.
According to Google:
Until today, the Google Voice app had to make a request to the Google Voice server every time you wanted to make a call to send us the phone number you wanted to dial. Then the call would be connected via a Google Voice access number. With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call. This means that we no longer need to use your data network to access the server each time you make a call, so calls will be placed much faster.
If you’ve never used this service, feel free to give it a try because it’s now open to all U.S. residents. At its core, Google Voice is a call-routing service that allows you to keep one phone number no matter what phone you’re using.
This is incredibly useful for me because I’m always using a new phone for review purposes (look for the Samsung Captivate review shortly) but it could also be useful for you. You can set it up with your cell phone, home phone and work phone and you’ll always be available. You can also set up guidelines so that business calls can go directly to voicemail and it also offers voicemail transcriptions.
I’ve become somewhat dependent on this service because of all the different phones I use and I am extremely happy to see improvements to the apps, particularly with the dialing functionality. In fact, one of the major reasons I don’t pick up an Apple iPhone 4 is that it doesn’t have a good Google Voice app. Sure, there’s a web-app version, but it pales in comparison to a native experience with good dialer integration.
The updated app is available in the Android Market today and BlackBerry users can download it with this link.
[Via Google Voice Blog]