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fredf

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 31, 2008
277
1
Is there a way to use wifi (when available) for voice instead or using my air time or this only possible for data?
Any recommendations for any reliable app that does this for free or cheap?
thanks
 
Is there a way to use wifi (when available) for voice instead or using my air time or this only possible for data?
Any recommendations for any reliable app that does this for free or cheap?
thanks

Skype is cheap I mean whenever I look at how much the call is costing me it is always like $0.00256 or something like that.
 
I've spent the last two days testing these apps. I've found a service that does what I like - vopium.com. I can use the voip via wifi when available, when it's not I can make international calls at local rates via my standard network. But the best thing for me is that I can send SMS over wifi - I have an intermittent network signal at home so I can still text people using wifi, but it looks like it's come from my normal mobile phone number (unlike skype). I don't think vopium are the cheapest, but functionality is important to me. The iPhone app is really easy to use to, and it just utilises your iPhone contacts.

My iPhone isn't mine - it's my work phone, and because I have wifi at home and work, I can make my personal calls via wifi meaning I don't have to spend hours trawling through my phone bills every month to highlight my personal calls which I have to pay for. Works for me.
 
To be more specific, what I want is an app that will allow me to use WiFi instead of my voice plan to talk to my contacts (texting would be nice as well but it's really voice I'm looking for) for free. And I don't want them to have to subscribe or have to load up a program. The people I will be calling don't have smartphones, just regular cells and landlines.

I don't mind paying for the app but I don't want to have a subscription or per call charge.

The purpose of this is that when I get to the limit of my monthly voice plan (which is 250 minutes) I can use a WiFi connection for free without incurring a per minute fee from my carrier.

Is there such a program at present?
 
To be more specific, what I want is an app that will allow me to use WiFi instead of my voice plan to talk to my contacts (texting would be nice as well but it's really voice I'm looking for) for free. And I don't want them to have to subscribe or have to load up a program. The people I will be calling don't have smartphones, just regular cells and landlines.

I don't mind paying for the app but I don't want to have a subscription or per call charge.

The purpose of this is that when I get to the limit of my monthly voice plan (which is 250 minutes) I can use a WiFi connection for free without incurring a per minute fee from my carrier.

Is there such a program at present?

Nope. The apps are usually free but you need to pay a subscription or pay as you go for your call charges. There's no such thing as a free ride.

Edited to add that you could get your mates to sign up to skype or similar too and then you can call them for free over wifi. Skype to skype or voip to voip calls are free. You only pay when you cross from skype to landline or mobile.
 
thanks.
one last dumb question: when I type in 'skype' in the iTunes store, I get various programs but none of which is 'skype'.
how do I download skype on my iPhone?

Allymac: Are you saying that Skype is only free from my computer (using a headset) to another computer loaded with Skype but it is not free from my cell to anyone else?
If indeed I do subsribe to Skype on my iPhone, does the person I'm calling have to have Skype on their phone? And, if so, I presume, therefore, that they have to have a smartphone and that a regular cell phone will not be adequate?
 
thanks.
one last dumb question: when I type in 'skype' in the iTunes store, I get various programs but none of which is 'skype'.
how do I download skype on my iPhone?

Allymac: Are you saying that Skype is only free from my computer (using a headset) to another computer loaded with Skype but it is not free from my cell to anyone else?
If indeed I do subsribe to Skype on my iPhone, does the person I'm calling have to have Skype on their phone? And, if so, I presume, therefore, that they have to have a smartphone and that a regular cell phone will not be adequate?

Yeah exactly that. The user will have to have a smart phone with a voip app - I think stuff like Nokia N series, Palm pre, xperia x1 etc. Or a pc/netbook with a headset.

You can get the native skype app in the iTunes app store as a free app. You will need to register for a skype account at skype.com. Registration and skype to skype calls are free. I think for about £3 a month in the UK you can get unlimited calls to UK landlines (similar arrangements for other countries too).
 
thanks.
one last dumb question: when I type in 'skype' in the iTunes store, I get various programs but none of which is 'skype'.
how do I download skype on my iPhone?

Allymac: Are you saying that Skype is only free from my computer (using a headset) to another computer loaded with Skype but it is not free from my cell to anyone else?
If indeed I do subsribe to Skype on my iPhone, does the person I'm calling have to have Skype on their phone? And, if so, I presume, therefore, that they have to have a smartphone and that a regular cell phone will not be adequate?

Hi, If you type skype into the search bar on the app store, skype is the first app on the list. It is by Skype Software. You can purchase a yearly subscription for under $30 which allows you to call anyone in the US or Canada on their cell phones, landlines, etc. Computer (iphone) to computer is always free without a paid subscription, but they must have skype accounts and be logged in to receive a call.

You can save a little (currently 12.5%) on the subscription by using a service like fatwallet.com to get cashback. Skype works great and the sound quality is excellent over wifi.

Hope this helps.
 
I tried Skype on the iPhone a little while ago and was extremely impressed with how well it worked! I was speaking to relatives in Canada while I was in Ireland, and the sound quality was great. I was using wifi and calling to their computers for free. Sounded much better than a landline, and cost nothing to boot!
 
I tried Skype on the iPhone a little while ago and was extremely impressed with how well it worked! I was speaking to relatives in Canada while I was in Ireland, and the sound quality was great. I was using wifi and calling to their computers for free. Sounded much better than a landline, and cost nothing to boot!

Yeah I was impressed with call quality. I rang a friend 300 miles away and it was like they were in the next room.

The only thing that put me off Skype was the SMS side - while I could send SMS, the messages appeared from a truncated version of my skype username, which meant that the person would have to know what my username was, and they couldn't reply to me direct. I'm sure they'll improve it eventually. The SMS functionality is important to me as I'm in a poor signal area, I can't make calls most of the time at home. Sometimes the signal drops out altogether so I can't even SMS. It's good to be able to SMS out then for me.
 
i haven't really been able to use skype.. however i have used TruPhone. and i have noticed a severe number of dropped calls (one every 20-30 minutes). i'm going to try a few others. still not sure if i can use skype (jailbreak)
 
Hi, If you type skype into the search bar on the app store, skype is the first app on the list. It is by Skype Software.

When I type in 'skype' (in the Canadian store) there isn't a single app from Skype Softward!



You can purchase a yearly subscription for under $30 which allows you to call anyone in the US or Canada on their cell phones, landlines, etc. Computer (iphone) to computer is always free without a paid subscription, but they must have skype accounts and be logged in to receive a call.

$30/yr is reasonable. Just who can I call from my iPhone? Can I call anyone on a landline and a non smart cellphone from my iPhone?

thanks
 
Just been reading up more on Skype and it would appear that I can change my settings so that my mobile number is sent with SMS instead of my skype username. Can't work out how to do it though - I assume in the account settings of desktop software.
 
Actually, there's a very easy way to do this.

Sign up for Google Voice. After you get in, make a Gizmo5 account and link it to your Google Voice account in each's settings. Then enter your Gizmo5 SIP number and info into one of a few iPhone apps, such as Fring or Siphon, or enable forwarding from Gizmo5 to your Truphone app. Now you can place and receive calls for free over IP. Give people your Google Voice number and it will ring both your cellphone and your VOIP service, so you can choose to answer using either.

Oh and if you run insomnia and Fring/Siphon/Truphone in the background, you can receive calls with your phone asleep.
 
To be more specific, what I want is an app that will allow me to use WiFi instead of my voice plan to talk to my contacts (texting would be nice as well but it's really voice I'm looking for) for free. And I don't want them to have to subscribe or have to load up a program. The people I will be calling don't have smartphones, just regular cells and landlines.

I don't mind paying for the app but I don't want to have a subscription or per call charge.

The purpose of this is that when I get to the limit of my monthly voice plan (which is 250 minutes) I can use a WiFi connection for free without incurring a per minute fee from my carrier.

Is there such a program at present?

yes. You can use icall to make free calls to anyone in the US. The catch is that the call will cut off after 5 minutes.
 
If only we had google voice in the UK.... Guess we'll have a bit of a wait on our hands.
 
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