Yep, the title says it.  Apple did not invent the Visual Voicemail feature, which is a major selling point for the iPhone.  Keep on the lookout for the feature to appear for other devices.  SimulScribe is offering the feature for Blackberries and there is a BETA in production for Windows Mobile capable devices as well.  While I can’t go into specifics, keep your eyes and ears open for AT&T to offer the feature for your “Smart Phones” in the near future.

The main appeal of Visual Voicemail is it saves time by letting you skip to the voice mails that are important, rather than forcing you to go through each message before listening to the next.

Another feature to look for from AT&T is Voice to Text.  Voice-mails will be converted to text messages and sent to your phone through SMS or to your E-Mail address.  While the iPhone’s system only allows you to see who has called, this will allow you to get the entire message in text form.  One of the best things about this, it will be compatable for any phone that has SMS capability.