iPhone Gets VoIP, Thanks to Fring
As of yesterday, the iPhone natively supports VoIP calls without jailbreaking thanks to fring, a multi-client instant messaging application with Skype, Skype-out, fring and other SIP support for voice calling.
Fring has previously been available on Symbian and WinMo phones, and for jailbroken iPhones. It supports IM through fring, AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Skype, Twitter, and ICQ over all connections (EDGE, 3G, GPRS and WiFi). In order to use the VoIP functions, however, you must have an active WiFi connection. This limitation is in keeping with Steve Jobs’ earlier statement that “We’ll limit [VOIP applications] over the cellular network”, made when the iPhone SDK was originally announced.
I took fring for a brief test drive shortly after it was announced (although I had a nail-biting wait for it to appear in my iPhone’s App Store since I feared another NetShare type disappearing act). Though it required a fring account sign-up (normally a pet peeve of mine when it comes to iPhone apps), the process was quick and painless and within seconds I was presented with an add-on selection screen with a list of supported IM and VoIP services.
At this point I was really only interested in Skype, so I selected that option and was prompted for my login information. Here, the application threatened to disappoint, since after entering my Skype username and password it seemed to hang. So much so that I restarted the process twice, but maybe I’m just impatient. On the third try I just left it for a while, and it eventually connected and recognized my contacts without any further problems.
After a brief test call with the British-accented fring demo-bot confirmed that we were firing on all cylinders, I picked a friend at random for a true trial. Despite sounding a little like I and my friend were on speakerphone (we weren’t) the app performed well. So well, in fact, that I’m considering finally ditching my barely used (but expensive) landline once and for all. The true test will come the next time I have to call home to bemoan life’s unfairness to my parents and try to cajole them into sending money so that the power company doesn’t shut off my electricity again.
Fring is available in the App Store now for the magical price of free.
#1 Jeff H. says:All I had to read was Fringe… downloaded, installed and running (somewhat-)beautifully. Many thanks to the programmers who made this happen =)
#2 Parvez says:OK why does everyone in the world think that the iPhone didn’t have a VOIP application till now? Hasn’t anyone heard of Truephone? That has been out for the iPhone since Day 1 (iPhone 3G launch day being day 1). Also Truephone has some good advantages over Fring like the ability to access your contacts from the application and also when you call someone they see your iPhone number and not some random number.
#3 Jeff H. says:It’s not that. I’m a Fring fan. I’m also a Fringe fan, if that wasn’t obvious :p
#4 MacRat says:Hopefully it works well on the iPhone.
I’ve had the java based version on my Sony Ericsson P990 and it crashes so often that it really isn’t usable. (Another reason why the iPhone not having java is a GOOD thing)
#5 Kathleen says:This is so cool. I saw truphone but I already had a gizmo account. I was able to use it with gizmo project, which is set to show my grand central number when I call. Woo Hoo!
#6 Kathleen says:p.s. It does connect to contacts. Even better! Thank you for reporting on this.
#7 Jalopy says:will it work on the touch?
#8 Darrell Etherington says:@Jalopy it is compatible with the iPod Touch, but to take advantage of the VoIP functionality you’ll need the iPod Touch 2G and the upcoming microphone headset: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770
#9 weisen says:Like @Parvez, I found it a little bizarre that Fring is being hailed as “finally, the iPhone has VOIP” when a commercial VOIP service has been around for the iPhone for a while: http://www.truphone.com/