iPhone & Texting

[Amatatomba]

Ok, I've been contemplating getting an iPhone for a while. I'm already on AT&T (under my parents' plan) and my contact isn't up until August, but I think I might just break my contract under their plan and start paying for my own.

I know on my brother's Touch he has an App that supposedly lets him send free texts. Does that mean I could put that (or any texting app, I don't specifically remember which one he has) on my iPhone and use it to text, even when I'm not in a wireless hotspot? It seems like that would defeat the point of paying AT&T for messaging, which is why I'm asking.

And is it worth breaking my contract right now? I know the next iPhone is predicted to come out this summer, but there really aren't any features I can think of that they could add that I would want (that couldn't be accomplished via an update).

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

 

[theITGuy]

Sign up for Google Voice (it's free). Then use their web app on the iPhone to send free texts over the 3G network.

Cheers.

-J.-

 

[theITGuy]

Here's a link:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2...google-voices-improved-web-app-for-iphone.ars

-J.-

 

[Amatatomba]

Thanks, that looks perfect. Now I can knock $15 off my (hypothetical) bill.

By the way, I know you have to call a Google Voice number in order to connect calls through Google Voice and that calling Google Voice will cost you minutes. Once you've connected and are talking to the person, that doesn't cost you minutes right?

 

[theITGuy]

The whole call is a local call and uses your AT&T minutes...I do call Canada using my local minutes which is better than paying AT&Ts long distance

Cheers.

-J.-