While the emergence of VoIP, or voice-over-Internet protocol, technology has already helped push down the cost of making a phone call, now it’s starting to have a deflationary impact on the world of mobile, where call charges remain stubbornly high.
In the meantime, the ongoing adoption of 3G broadband and the inclusion of Wi-Fi in many high-end phones is drawing a growing amount of attention to mobile VoIP services. Indeed, research firm Disruptive Analysis predicts that the number of VoIP-over-3G users will top 250 million by the end of 2012 — from virtually zero in 2007.
We at GigaOM are constantly tinkering with these mobile services, so we’ve put together a list of seven mobile VoIP apps that we think you’ll find handy.
Skype Options
Service: Skype Mobile
Platform/Network: Java-based application that works on 50 popular phones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung. Can be used on numerous cellular data networks.
Cost: Free
Features: Chatting (including with a group), presence settings (offline, online, do not disturb), and Skype-to-Skype calls (including SkypeIn).
Our Opinion: If your phone is supported, Skype Mobile is a great way to add Skype chatting and calls to it. Though it would be nice if the Skype application weren’t written in Java, as these applications are often sluggish and unstable.
Service: 3 Skypephone
Platform/Network: Uses a specialized handset. Currently available in the UK, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.
Cost: The phone costs £49.99 (about $98) and can be used on a pre-paid basis. Calls cost nothing if they’re made from Skype.
Features: Free Skype-to-Skype mobile calls and the ability to conduct Skype IM conversations, all without touching your computer.
Our Opinion: The 3 Skypephone is best suited for those who need a few monthly mobile minutes and wish to talk/IM to their Skype friends along the way. The pre-paid feature makes it an attractive and inexpensive option for Skype chatters in the geographies it serves.
Service: iSkoot
Platform/Network: Mobile handsets such as BlackBerry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and Palm OS models. Also works on GSM networks.
Cost: Modest to expensive, based on usage. Because iSkoot is a hybrid VoIP/GSM service, it uses SMS and mobile minutes when making and receiving calls or Skype IM messages.
Features: SkypeIn and Skype-to-Skype calls, Skype IM messages.
Our Opinion: iSkoot is a good option for keeping in touch with your Skype contacts. However, I would look at other software applications that just use data to send Skype SMS and Skype voice traffic.
Mobile VoIP Players
Service: Truphone
Platform/Network: Nokia handsets
Cost: Incoming free calls while on the Truphone network, low per-minute rates while on a GSM network. Outgoing calls are billed at very low per minute rates.
Features: Truphone offers free calls, SMS and voice mail while logged into the Truphone network via Wi-Fi. Otherwise, Truphone forwards calls to your mobile handset and you pay a low per-minute charge.
Our Opinion: With its smart forwarding options, Truphone is particularly useful for international travelers. Whether you’re on Wi-Fi or just your normal GSM network, you can be reached via your Truphone number no matter where you are (charges apply in certain cases, see their site for details). For times when Wi-Fi is not available, Truphone just released Truphone Anywhere, which utilizes local gateways for outgoing calls at low per-minute charges. I have trialed the service by forwarding calls from my Truphone number to my cell phone and the call quality was fantastic; voices were indistinguishable from any other cell phone call. A Truphone-to-Truphone VoIP call yielded even higher voice quality.
Service: Fring
Platform/Network: Nokia/Symbian handsets, Widows Mobile, iPhone (pre-release beta)
Cost: Free
Features: Allows you to make VoIP calls on any SIP network, Skype or to other Fring users. Additionally, Fring is a multi-protocol IM client that will allow you to chat with your buddies on Skype, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, Twitter, AIM and Yahoo.
Our Opinion: I have used Fring to make SIP and Skype voice calls, and over EDGE the call is choppy and hard to understand. However, Wi-Fi provides enough bandwidth to make Fring calls clear and understandable. I wouldn’t say the quality is fantastic, but it is very comparable to a normal cell phone call.
Service: Talkonaut
Platform/Network: Available for Java-based phones, Symbian and Windows Mobile
Cost: Free
Features: Talkonaut offers free VoIP and IM chatting. For instant messaging, the application supports Google Talk, ICQ, AIM, and Yahoo. Talkonaut can also use SIP for VoIP calling.
Our Opinion: Talkonaut is a Russian offering and is still very new. The application was quite unstable on my Nokia N82 handset. With iffy performance and a very rusty user interface, I would recommend looking at other applications for this functionality, namely Fring.
Service: Nimbuzz
Platform/Network: Java program, Symbian; an iPhone version is coming soon.
Cost: Free
Features: Allows you to engage in IM conversations and conduct VoIP calls, as well as to share media such as photos and video. Nimbuzz also allows for client-to-client calls and has widgets enabling calls to originate from Facebok and MySpace. Compatible with Skype, Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook and Jabber IM networks.
Our Opinion: The Symbian application is very responsive and easy to use. A VoIP call originating from my Facebook page to Nimbuzz over a Wi-Fi connection sounded good — just as good as any call over a GSM network.
Service: Gizmo5 (formerly Gizmo Project)
Platform/Network: Nokia Symbian handsets, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Nokia Tablets
Cost: Free for VoIP calls, low per-minute charge to call landlines and to SMS to mobiles.
Features: Gizmo5 allows you to conduct voice calls to other Gizmo5 users and grants IM conversations with friends on Gizmo5, MSN, AIM, Yahoo and Jabber.
Our Opinion: Gizmo5 is a great competitor to Skype, just not as established or well-known. They have wisely developed their client software for many platforms including numerous mobile phones, and on both Mac and PC. VoIP call quality is stellar when calling between clients, as well as to landline/mobile phones.
Truphone is not “Free”; calls to landlines start at .06 a minutes and go up, calls to mobile are also standard pricing. When roaming, you can use Truphone anywhere to place a local call, but for Americans roaming minutes cost over $1 a minute anyway. If you get a local SIM, that cuts the price down.
Charlie,
I have edited the Truphone portion of post to clarify the language about outgoing minutes being charged at their low per minute rates.
Thanks for your comment!
You forgot Tringme mobile.
It might be a good occassion to question what a research firm with name Disruptive Analysis has in predicting that a nascent technology would become massively disruptive in such a short time. There are still various barriers in front of VoIP on mobile phones–handset capabilities, OS fragmentation, lack of strong platform development tools, barriers to user adoption such as locked down phones and data QoS. Granted, lots of things are changing in all of those areas, thanks in large part to the success fo RIM, MSFT, and now Apple in introducing more capable phones that beget more consumer demand for applications. But, given the issues in this market, it may take much longer than that analyst is predicting–the telcos around the world have learned a lot from the internet boom about effectively utilizing PHY scarcity, and they may not repeat some of those same missteps.
Skype Mobile is not VoIP, it is calling to local numbers using your operator’s GSM to do a “call-through”. IP is used there solely for presence and chat.
One thing to add to the last comment: When using SkypeIn or SkypeOut with Skype Mobile you usually pay both SkypeOut Credits and your regular phone carrier fee. So it actually can become quite costly.
No problem. Also, Skype Mobile and Truphone Anywhere share the same problem….they use your local minutes to make (discounted) international calls. So Truphone Anywhere is .06 cents a minute plus using your plan minutes, and Truphone on wifi is just .06 cents a minute.
Considering that AT&T offers international calling to europe at .09 cents a minute, Truphone is simply not competitive in the US Market. SkypeMobile did have bundle pricing ($5 a month) which works.
I’ve switched to VOIPBUSTER using the built-in SIP client on my Nokia. Shady, but it comes to 2.5 dollars a month for unlimited (well, 300 minutes a week) calling to Europe.
@gfsda
Thank you for your comment. In my section on Skype mobile, I didn’t assert that Skype Mobile uses pure data for Skype-to-Skype calls.
However, I (and the other readers) appreciate you clarifying that Skype-to-Skype calls do use GSM minutes. According to Skype’s web site, this is to ensure voice quality.
Fring and Talkonaut are not services, they are software. Voice quality depends on the service used.
Seems there is a lot of confusion as to what constitutes Mobile VoIP, and what the benefits are in terms of real saving to the end user. Great to see some knowledgeable contributions that can shed some light on the facts. Keep ‘em coming! What about the other “Mobile VoIP” services mentioned above.
Recently, I have been playing with tringme and was searching on the mobile voip topic when i ran into your blog entry.
I think you should include tringme mobilevoip in your comparision as well. I like their service since it allows me to call over my office Wifi.
Wow, interesting to see how many people use each of these players. Would be interesting to see how many downloads each of them get on Getjar, the download.com of the mobile world. ebuddy, mig33 lead the pack and I don’t see any of them here.
hi all,
I can think of a few companies delivering the utility of VOIP to the mobile phone (some technically elegantly and some not), including Jajah, EQO, mig33 (us), Morange and others.
We’ve got 13m registered users now, clocking nearly 4m sessions per day, 300m messages sent / received per day, and we have active users on over 2,200 handsets.
Steven Goh
mig33
all require wifi cell fons or paid internet access. If you connect your cell to the net to then skype to skype with a guy 13000 miles away, the sk2sk is free but the net connection is a KILLER. if you dind free wifi and your device has wifi youre ok. These plans work only if the net connect cost is zero.We need a local number to call from a cell fon that enters you into the cheap call nets be it skype gizmo etc. Mobivox offers this in spain….we pay the cost cell to local landline then its free to skype contacts . welcome to my world..its not starbucks free wifi everywhere or blackberry. Its high cost getonline.so be clever and offer us a way..
we are the jewish community in murcia spain
There is another company offering QT Mobile Viop service. It works like a calling card with out the card, pin less dialing. You can use it on any cell phone smart or GSM.You don’t even need your own internet connection the call are routed over there network no bandwidth issues. The only bad thing is that it is only good if you use it the US to call world wide.
Oh I almost forgot the company is called Myglobaltalk.Really good rates and good sound QT.
FYI: Gizmo5 software is also based on SIP. It can in theory also allow free mobile to PC calls. Has anyone tried that?
what about BT open Zone?
So will Voice become a Service independent from your connectivity provider?
Will Mobile Service Providers (MSPs) turn into Mobile Connectivity Service Providers (MCSPs)?
@ The Reviewr
I don’t think the carriers will ever become MSPs. It may mean a cut in their profits if people can use VOIP more easily.
The Android OS supposedly is going to have great data connections, so hopefully it will be able to run the VOIP better than my current phone.
This awesome video showcases the Android OS new features:
http://pixible.com/2008/06/does-the-google-android-dream-of-sheep/
I realize this is a list of only seven and there are probably countless other services to choose from, but I have used PhoneGnome Mobile on iPhone as well as Nokia and other cell phones and it works great. I really like checking voicemail with a “visual voicemail” capability regardless of carrier or mobile phone (i.e. a solution for “iPhone envy”): http://phonegnomecorner.blogspot.com/2007/10/phonegnome-introduces-new-mobile-web.html
I also saw an interesting hack here for unlimited free calls using a combination of VoIP and MyFaves: http://stealthisvoip.blogspot.com/2008/06/unlimited-mobile-calls-with-phonegnome.html
Hi Jason, nice brief review, thanks. Yet there are some more application available, like Octro, Symmy, etc.
Anyway, I would like to know why do you think Talkonaut’s GUI is rusty ? Yes, we are using our own GUI framework which is independent of underlying mobile OS, and is easily portable (currently working on iPhone version). Yes, it is very different from standard GUI, but why rusty ? People who tried using it at least for a week find it very convenient. Can you please provide bit more feedbacks to my email ?
And by the way Talkonauy is now one of the most feature-rich IM/mVoIP client available. Take a look on this comparison table: http://www.talkonaut.com/mvoip-comparison.shtml
Regarding stablity of Talkonaut, you are right it’s very new and bit rough, but we do release new builds daily with lots of bug fixes. What build number were you trying that behaved unstable on your Nokia ?
I’ve linked back to this nice article in my blog. Hopefully, my share of readers may know more about maximizing their own VoIP services.
I’m pretty surprised mig33 isn’t listed here, since it’s the largest. Was there a reason you left it off?
@Brian
no, no particular reason. I chose the 7 on the list based on my exposure to mobile VoIP options. I could have posted many more, but the post can’t be 5000 words long :)
Perhaps I’ll do a second go-round with Mobile VoIP options in the near future.
-Jason
You can also use http://www.voicestick.com and use their feature called the i2bridge. It saves me a ton on international calling.
Or by texting “comsnokia” to 64446 you are up and running with VoIP phone calls on your nokia.
Read more on: http://www.coms.com/wifi-mobiles.html
To me, VoIP users tend to think of their connection as being “free,” since they can call anywhere, for just pennies per minute. Actually, only VoIP to VoIP calls are completely free of charge. For that reason, VoIP is mostly used by the business sector. But applications for residential use will be more explored and developed in the near future.
I am waiting for a true Mobile Java based SIP solution. All the offerings leave that out. If it is a software (i.e. fring) it won’t work on a Java install.
hy, I would like to add skype on my iPhone , is posible?anibody can send me a site from where I can download skype 4 iPhone ? Thanks!
Look for an upcoming launch of DeFi Global Access from DeFi Mobile. For a flat monthly fee, use a Nokia Smartphone (E51, E66, E61i, E71 and more) to access DeFi Mobile’s proprietary network for excellent quality, unlimited calling and business appropriate features including simultaneous ring, voice-mail, call-forwarding and many more. If you’re interested in a VIP access code prior to the launch, drop me a line twarner@defimobile.com … Soon, DeFi will support iPhone, RIM (Bberry) and other operating systems.
Tim Warner
To me, VoIP users tend to think of their connection as being free since they can call anywhere, for just pennies per minute. Actually, only VoIP to VoIP calls are completely free of charge. For that reason, VoIP is mostly used by the business sector. But applications for residential use will be more explored and developed in the near future att will there for expand its towers and locations based on the geographical locations thattoare in the cell tower loctions. we will be waiting from att and its futrure compeditors to come out with a resolution on the unit involving missed calls or droped calls byt other att and none att customers.
I use the inbuilt Nokia SIP Client (with patch to allow STUN / Codecs to G729 / DTMF) and also Tpad as my global VoIP Provider (free unlimited SIP Numbers) and i route calls through my personal mini IP VoIP PBX and use Free DID Numbers routed to Tpad via Betamax Proxies (free minutes). So i get free incoming and outgoing calls… i dont think thats illegal just a small hack.
VoIP and SIP are beautiful to use when finding hacks and combining ITSP weak points against each other :)
Dear VOIPster,
I COULD REALLY USE SOME OF YOUR INTELLIGENT HELP,
I HAVE A NOKIA E63 AND CANNOT SEEM TO GET VOIP GOING
APPRECIATE A HELPING HAND,
THANKS
david
Fring is great but has 18 character limit on sip password setup, some of us have a 20 character password setup mandatory so i prefer nimbuzz
I am outraged to find out that all the uk providers are either blocking or charging an extortionate rate to use your mobile phone for Voip services.
3 are actively blocking it
Orange are removing software and will block it if you use Voip
T-Mobile charge and extra 15GBP on top of there supposed unlimited internet access for nothing as they do nothing other than NOT block it. Paying for nothing!!
Virgin are blocking it.
Vodaphone are actively blocking it
This has got to be illegal surely.
I paid for the phone outright. I pay a company for the Voip service. I am willing to pay a mobile operator for internet access on my phone and a contract pay monthly so they still get paid. Yet they have the right to block me using the service.
We have very little rights any more. I may as well move to China.
This seems to be the only site comprehensively list some of options on VoIP on mobile…so let me post a question even though it has been 4 month since the last post.
I am trying to understand the difference among Truphone, Gizmo, and Skype. Truphone and Gizmo seem to stand out from others in terms of comprehensive VoIP services on mobile. They not only provide some front-end function to hook to others like Skype but they have their own charge scheme if you are on your own or free “wifi” or 3G.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Can anyone give me guidance on how secure the systems are? could I just sniff the packets and steal the cinversation or are they encrypted?
Any guidance gratefully recieved
Steve
dear all,
kindly advice that how can i use freecall in nimbuzz
Hi everybody i used fring before but now its bloking by local provider in dubai , now i used talkonaut past 4 months now its also gone to license , and i got now nimbuzz new version but can’t abel to make sip settings any body have idea about that can share with me, and is there any voip application ( software ) for mobile .Thank You.
I use Nokia E61i. Can somebody gauide me set VOIP on my phone.
Hi Val
There is a solution. If youre already signed up for a voip service and need an voip application for your phone there is a free application where you can get and provision your symbian phone OTA and it will automatically choose the wifi network available.
Let me get back to you on this one, have to find it again cause i lost the name…
I am fm Sri Lanka and installed Skype & Nimbuzz but it says password error at LOG INs. Please clarify as the local (Sri Lankan) Networks supports Skype & Nibuzz
Best Regards
Greetings, bleeding edge! i am looking for some advice.
thanks so much to the creator of the original post, regarding those seven options. for myself, i’m on the rogers network, in canada and picked up a sweet deal( at least i think it is) from craig’s list
it was an ancient rogers contract which included a GSM SIM. the no longer available plan was called the rogers-40. it was a totally striped down plan with only 40 minutes a month(no free time), $.50 per minute when i go over. if i was to leave it like this, it would cost $8.36 a month.
i wanted to add callerID and tried to get something i heard about, and do have on another contract, which is 5MB of DATA for $5 additional a month. the roger’s rep said i could get the callerID for another $8 a month but the 5MB for $5 was no longer available. the rep suggested i add a bundle pack for 1000 send and receive txt, picture, or video messages, voicemail, callerID and unlimited browser DATA(no tethering) for $15 a month. so i went with that.
now the plan costs me about $25 canadian a month.
is it possible to use one of the mentioned VOIP services to go though the browser side of service so i don’t have to use the precious, and costly, cell minutes?
does anyone know if there is such a thing? where you can do voip over gprs / g3 data network?
now i’m think it would be so cool to get this working
from what i can tell, most would either be wifi based, or need the cell service provider to make a local call out to a voip dialer. i’m kind of okay to the wifi only but the call out way is surely not the way i want to go, due to the reasons already stated.
i can’t say i call internationally much, mostly just local calls.
and ideally i would have a local voip number that people could reach me for no cost to them
so that takes out the plethora of european services
i don’t think i can get a local canadian phone number with truphone or tringme. my tringme number is a Jamaician area code!
i believe, i could get a local canadian phone number though skype, but it’s just so darn expensive, and from what i understand, the skype togo for cellular requires the voice aspect of the cellular plan.
gizmo5 does have british columbia pstn and the price is okay. ranging from $63 $83 $85 and $111 a year depending on if you get a special sequence of digits i guess.
i might just have to wait for me invite, to google.com/voice to kick in
there are a few different MLM voip gsm companies out there, but from what i’ve seen it’s like a hundred a month(to pay the upline, i suppose) and it’s all inclusive. which is more than i’d want to pay.
if you know of service that might work for me, please reply, and sorry for rambling on
BMAX for Android just launched on SlideME.org Android Marketplace by http://iologue.com
http://slideme.org/application/bmax
BMAX leverages Finarea’s (Betamax) services for phone-to-phone call services with least-cost-routing based on the providers you add to BMAX. Also BMAX is NOT VoIP over mobile or phone and does not need Wifi since its a callback type of service.
Is there a way to set up a landline or voipline to a pc via modem, and have the pc pick up and connect (route) the call through a second modem to a voip modem allowing you to dial out as if you were there?
Example: I’m on my mobile w/ unlimited US calling. I call my voip line #1 which is connected to my pc via modem A. The pc picks up and routes the call to modem B, which is connected to my voip line #2, giving me another dial tone, which I can use to make cheap or free international calls. Thus allowing me to use my VOIP calling plan from a mobile phone.
Or maybe there’s a simple little box that’ll do this. I’d like to have a pin code required if possible.
Thanks in advance.
GOVERNMENT REFORM OF CELLULAR TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES
AT&T, VERIZON, T-MOBILE, SPRINT, ETC
We are tired of corporate America mobile cellular companies asking us to make a commitment to their company when they have no loyalty to, us, their customers. As American consumers we go to cell phone companies for service, not for equipment. Branding another manufacturer’s equipment is just another way for them to bind us into contractual agreements and, to charge us additional monies to use the full features of the equipment, as designed by the original cell phone manufacturer, in an “a la carte” manner.
We need better consumer protection against leveraging our credit rating and worthiness, if, we should become un-employed during the duration of such a commitment, on such a product.
Therefore, we are asking for legislation that allows us to:
• Purchase our own equipment directly from cell phone manufacturers or without making two year commitments or any.
• Allow us to switch telecommunication service providers without penalty or credit sacrifice.
• Make it easy for us to move our existing telephone numbers to whichever company we choose.
• Advertise which telecommunication companies provide the best coverage in our area, on a specified website.
• Prevent cell phone companies from “piece mealing” services by features that were part of the original cell phone design by the manufacturer.
• Stop cell phone providers from adding additional charges to our bills utilizing abstract names and means.
• Giving us a clear cut way to report cell phone providers who fleece their customers, for immediate remedy, and, for better consumer credit protection.
• Prevent telecommunication companies from designing specialized plans, specific, to certain cell phone manufacturers to abstract more monthly service fees.
Keep it circulating!
AMEN!!! I can’t understand why I pay $25 a month to be able to call anywhere for free, with caller ID, call forwarding, etc. and I pay $170 a month for cell phone usage? Why can’t I just use my VOIP to forward my calls to a cell phone that I own? Why the 2 year contract? Why all the extra charges?
It is irritating. Tech Talker, if you really want some impact, you could set up your letter as a petition and collect signatures and have people automatically sign it and send it to their congressperson. I don’t know how to do this, but I know it’s done, because I’ve signed many petitions. Please do so…..I will surely sign as I’m sure most cell phone users will as well!
Thanks!
The easiest solution is to have minimum plan with any of the freinds and family plans where you can list your favorites, plug in access number to 1ButtonToWiFi number and use COIP, similar to VOIP, but for mobile access only. Now you can call all over the world from all over the world for pennies.
VOIP-COIP.com
Please comment on FDI or Giconn and their voip phone.
Thanks
Philip
The easiest solution is to have minimum plan with any of the freinds and family plans where you can list your favorites, plug in access number to 1ButtonToWiFi number and use COIP, similar to VOIP, but for mobile access only.