Also texting in the Google Voice app is painfully slow and laggy.
Sincerely don't mean offense, but this is not true. It pains me to see someone claim something like this and then have others shy away from it without seeing for themselves.
I have been using Google Voice for over two years back when it was Grandcentral, and since the day the Droid came out (and I got one) I switched it to my one and only number. That is, I have been using Google voice as my ONLY form of communication since I got my Droid.
You make some good points, there is no MMS. Which wasn't at all a big deal for me as I text constantly and still got/sent maybe 2 MMS a month, and if you add the number to your friends and Family plan you get free calling.
The part about the GV app being slow and laggy is completely wrong though. It's exactly the same thing as the default messaging app. You type a reply (using the exact same keyboards you choose to in every other app) and you hit send, and it sends instantly. Also, since a month or two back, all Google Voice Text messages are now near instant. There is no five minute delay anymore.
There is absolutely nothing laggy or buggy in any way about the GV app. it's identical to the stock app (except 100 times better IMO as it also includes your transcribed voicemails right in the same panel) it has never force closed on me.. ever.
The latest GV app update also sends the incoming text right to your status bar up top so you can read the message without even opening the app if you like. Then to respond, you just click the app, type your reply and hit send.. it literally takes seconds.
Also, By using the app you don't have to do any of the 416 stuff anymore, like saving your contacts numbers that google assigns to them. When you place a call, it uses 3g (or wifi) to instantly route the call to the proper numbers all behind the scenes in seconds. It also integrates with your contacts seamlessly and you can set it to handle all incoming and outgoing calls. I literally never even think about being on Google Voice, all my incoming calls come through it by default and every call I make (just go to my contacts and hit the call button) goes out through my GV number perfectly and seamlessly.
I can't imagine that pepole are still paying a monthly text plan. It's all totally free, and seamlessly integrated. I especially can't believe people who say, "I would switch but I don't want to have to give my friends my new number" What you are really saying is "It's worth me paying $120-$200 a year for me not to take the 20 minutes and notify my contact list that I have a new phone number" I have over 200 contacts who had my old number and one mass text/email notifying them of my new number is all it took. really, it's that easy.
I have had about 4 stragglers to date who had to take one extra step to contact me and change my number in their books. It's not rocket science as people seem to think it is.
just my 2 cents.
