FYI, from http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197188

Google Blog post and Engadget post both discuss how Google Voice (sign up here; the new requests are happening more quickly these days!) can take over for the voicemail on your cell phone. (current google voice folks : hit this, then choose “Activate Google voicemail on this phone” by your cell number listed there; follow instructions carefully)

Extremely handy, since you can now check those voicemails over the phone (@ your GV number), or via email as a clickable audio link. In addition, if you need to keep a copy of the message, you can download it from GB as an .mp3 file.

https://www.google.com/voice/voice/sprint and http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1347107&highlight= also highlight how Google Voice / Voice Mail (GV / VM) will work with the Sprint network.

Another snippet basically says :

Application Development Addresses Voice Services and Data

Voice services continue to play a central role in mobile communications, even as data grows. Application developers have created a number of voicemail and messaging services that take advantage of call forwarding capabilities. Sprint announced today that it will not charge customers for certain types of call forwarding. Conditional call forwarding for busy calls or calls not answered using the customer’s wireless phone will be free, beginning mid-November. (Standard charges will continue to apply for immediate call forwarding.)3 This change will give Sprint customers the opportunity to access third-party voice services, including the new voicemail feature in Google VoiceTM.

Google Voice lets users manage and control their voice communications and comes with a suite of voicemail and text messaging features. On Monday, Google announced it will offer a Google Voice feature that allows mobile phone users to take advantage of Google Voice without having to sign up for a Google Voice phone number. Further illustrating its open, collaborative approach, Sprint is working with Google to develop additional functionality to support services such as Google Voice that will deliver an even richer experience to Sprint customers.

“We’re excited Sprint customers will be able to take advantage of Google Voice voicemail with their mobile phones. We look forward to continuing this relationship and working closely with Sprint in the future,” said Bradley Horowitz, vice president of Product Management at Google. “Free call forwarding and Sprint’s Open approach create more opportunities for developers, large and small, to build innovative and useful applications.”

Here’s the small print:

3 Although no charges will be applied for conditional call forwarding (meaning busy calls or calls not answered), some Sprint customers may incur a $0.20 per-minute charge if they choose to forward calls directly into voicemail or to another number without first allowing the call to try to reach the number and getting a busy signal/no answer. This is called unconditional call forwarding (immediate).

Also :

“Looks like it will be free on 11/08/09! ”
“Google Voice™ – starting 11/8/09, all Sprint price plans will include free conditional (no answer/busy) call forwarding (*73,*74,*28). ”

http://insidesprintnow.wordpress.com…sprint-110809/ for more information on Google Voicemail, check http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10384414-1.html

Sprint folks : note the text warning GV displays; charges may be incurred for now, so safer to wait until after the 8th of November. Cool bits!

As always, you can send Google your continuing feedback about the Google Voice service. iPhones and many other cell carriers also supported :

“As of now we only officially support the following carriers listed on our site (Alltel, AT&T, Cricket Wireless, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon). We are working on extending the support to more carriers soon. Please note that Google voicemail for your existing number won’t work with phone plans that don’t support conditional call forwarding. Currently, T-mobile prepaid plans do not support this feature. Please contact your phone carrier for more information.”

Have a great day . . .