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Today Sprint and Google have made a huge move for the future of Google Voice: direct carrier integration. The two companies have struck up a deal where in current Sprint users can now assign their existing mobile number as their Google Voice number, having it work exactly how you’d expect. You can se the number to ring other phones, filter calls, and dish out caller-specific voice mails. Speaking of voice mails, Google Voice will replace Sprint’s existing voice message system.
If a user holds an existing Google Voice number, they can easily replace their current Sprint number with the GV digits. Either way, with Google Voice, Sprint is content in opening up low-cost international calls and all the other bells and whistles you expect. See the video below for a cutesy overview.
[via Google]
This could be the smartest move Sprint could possibly make. Just keep those data plans unlimited please.
Please install disqus as your comment system. Leaving comments on your site is a crappy experience. No replies to people, no likes ect. Please install. That is the single reason I rarely ever comment here. Thank you.
It would be nice if some of the other carriers got on board with this. It’s starting to look like Sprint is going to be the new Android friendly phone company now that AT&T is buying T-Mobile.
http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=164819
i’m guessing none of this stuff applies to these new Sprint Nexus S phones?
Looks like Sprint is Google’s new go to provider, now that T-mobile is going to At&T. I wonder if they will emulate some of T-mobiles other Google friendly strategies like unsubsidized plans.
I’m using Google voice, mainly as voicemail with my Verizon Android phone. If only they would offer MMS I might switch over completely. It would save me the $5 a month I pay for 200 txt messages.
Well played Sprint, well played. Thank you for finally listening to your customers and giving us some goods!
Not really a deal breaker for me, but nonetheless, a nice option in case I need to forward my cell phone somewhere.
just went to my google voice number and i dont have this option
Wait you pay $5 a month for only 200 text messages how much do you pay total with Verizon?
Go to http://www.google.com/voice/sprint and sign up … they’ll send you an email when it’s ready (it’s not yet, at least I dont think so).
So with Sprint getting a Nexus S 4G (also officially blogged today) and full GVM integration … seems like Google has decided to help the only wireless carrier left that believes in a fair internet system that doesn’t micro-transaction you to death. Nearly a year after i decide to try out Sprint because of the EVO and they continue to win me over.
So glad I’m on Sprint!
what about picture messaging, would it be enable?
Ugh oh, those tech savy ex girlfriends will get ahold of this…
Lmao @ the “tech savvy ex girlfriends” comment. Seriously though, with vzw always bootlocking their phones, and at&t planning on buying out tmo and loading all their stuff up with their massive bloatware non side app loading crap, it makes sense that google put their time and effort into the unlimited lil engine phone company that could. We get the nexus s 4g, and we get google voice to become intergrated in our network. Sprint, please don’t mess this up!
#2 John, disqus sucks, so stfu. we dont need your input anyways, was doing fine without it
Wow,
Now this is change I can believe in!
How will mobile to mobile work with GV?
Thanks Sprint, I now fully regret going with Verizon about 6 months ago.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but google voice doesn’t handle mms messages. So what’s gonna happen when I send a picture to someone on sprint? Maybe this will light a fire under the google devs to add support?
$5 gets you 200 txt on verizon. It’s $20 gets you unlimited on all phones, but we only have 2 phones so this is cheaper. To me any amount is too much, but unfortunately getting people to send text messages to a different number and not getting picture messages is not worth it.
Wow, this is actually really cool of Sprint.
Too bad they are CDMA…
Wow, this is actually really cool of Sprint.
Too bad they are CDMA…
This is the first thing Sprint has done that has excited me since they approved me for a cellphone despite my credit in 2003. LOL I can’t wait to be able to reliably receive cellphone calls to my home from now on (thanks to a landline here)! LOL Sprint rules (for 5 minutes)!
Wish Google would go the whole 9 yrds and purchase Sprint. I bet they would be amazed at the people that would flock over to them.
@Jake. Amen Brutha. Google please buy sprint.
I think this is just the first of many google/voice strategy. There’s more to come.
Google Voice already gives me full control of what I want on my android phone and I am not on Sprint. How is this exciting? The only benefit would be eliminating the VM system from the carrier, but then again I have it set up to use the VM from Google so no one hears my carriers vm… Great move by Sprint, but I see no real benefit as I can already do and control everything I want. Now if they could add mms ability to Google Voice, (which ATT on iPhone begged for years and finally got it) and a little video calling love via Google Talk..then I’m sold. Hey…when is Google taking over the world?
With T-Mo going to AT&T someone has to pick up the slack when it comes to the Nexus line.
Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for the next version of this device.
P.S. I will never purchase another Samsung device (currently have the Epic) that is not Googles’ device.
The wait for the 2.2 update was crazy.