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iPhone App Enables GSM To WiFi/VoIP Switching
alias420 writes "You can save on long distance and air time with the new 3G iPhone. iPhone Hacks has the scoop on an upcoming iPhone 2.0 App named 'iCall', that will let you switch between VoIP and normal GSM calls anywhere in North America. You can check out their recently released video proof of call switching in action . This software requires no hacks and will be completely official. Here is a little quote from the developer: 'We are part of the Apple iPhone developer program. This is not an application for you naughty jail breakers ;-)'"
... couldn't you do this anywhere in the world with a phone running Skype for Mobile or practically any VoIP provider of your choice using a PocketPC? Either that summary is way too summarized or there really isn't anything exciting here other than saying this is now possible on an iPhone too...
so in theory you could us an all data plan and use skype for your outgoing calls.
Provided you have a flat-rate data plan with a price tag small enough to actually make your scenario work. Which will not be all that common for the iPhone 2. Telcos are not stupid. They will identify the exact amount of data transfer which is precisely enough for "regular" customers to never actually reach it, but no where near enough to use the device for streaming, VoIP, or similar services/technologies.
A normal smartphone users spends around 100 megs a month. Including constant syncs with his company exchange server. An advanced smartphone user spends about the double of that. The iPhone 2 will be launched with a 300 meg data plan. Not flat-rate. Coincidence? I think not.
300 megs is more than enough for just about every "normal" smartphone user. But not enough to throw in VoIP, radio-streaming on the road, or mobile pr0n.
- Jesper
My security clearance is so high I have to kill myself if I remember I have it...
From what they showed, they are not actually switching the call, they are establishing a parallel voip call, then dropping the cellular call. This is unlikely to work seamlessly the other way around, since if you are on voip and walk out of wireless range it will take some time before a cellular call can be dialled to replace it.
There's an official VoIP SDK for the iPhone, so expect similar apps to follow from other providers. The only limitation is that you can't VoIP over the GPRS/Edge/3G data connection.
VoIP calling is only over Wifi, so the data tariff limitations are irrelevant - the SDK simply doesn't allow call switching over non-Wifi data connections.
i suppose this is actually only "really" useful for americans. in other gsm coutries (at least in europe) we don't pay for recieving incoming phones calls. of course, making outgoing calls over wifi is pretty useful (especially considering the rates we pay for making calls outside of our own countries).
This would need you to take a new phone number, much like Grand Central.
Then, when the call arrives, the SIP Invite is forwarded to the application (if running), and the user is prompted to decide on delivery mechanism.
If the app isn't running, the call is connected. If at a later point, the user starts the application, the app registers with the service, and, if desired, the call is dropped from the mobile connection and sent to the VoIP link using a reinvite (probably).
This can be probably be done using Asterisk on the server side. The nifty bit is the VoIP client on the iPhone. Other than that, the service looks pretty bulk standard.
This definitely wouldn't need anything other than the standard APIs.
What they aren't doing is using the built-in Mobile Phone Application and intelligently re-routing outgoing calls based on the presence of a WiFi connection, the way that TruPhone was going last September.
I think they would have some pretty extreme problems constructing a business case around selling this through the AppStore. Apple's current billing and charging limitations pretty much kill it instantly.
They have. I'm a yank living in Germany and I get Telekom's "country select" plan to call home for about 3.5 cents/minute. However, you can tell that the connection isn't over the wire, its voip.....however they are still charging me more than skype.
Monstar L
Not really, Fring is pretty cool I admit but it's not fully there yet.
Which is better than this App - which is not there at all.
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
What exactly is "naughty" about using hardware you paid for in the way you want?
Value judgements on behavior that harms no one. Delightful.
I'm sure someone who has some amount of respect for freedom will come up with an app that delivers similar functionality soon.
+++ATH0
i guess this is only news because its for the iphone, while other phones have done this for a long time. i have been able to use my n95 SIP client to make free calls over the 3G connection for a long time now. ATT doesnt seem to block that data traffic here in the states. unfortunately truphone promo finally ended so calling cell and landlines is no longer free. but for the last year i could do 100% of my calling totally free, as data, and not use 1 cell minute from my plan. rack up those roll over minutes:)
Your carrier may make VoIP over data connections against the ToS. I know O2 in the UK do.
As it is, I have an E51 and use WiFi for VoIP calling. I may drop the tarrif altogether and get a PAYG sim just to keep the phone active, and for when out of WiFi range.
If I can't use the data connection I pay for without limitations, they don't get my money. Simple as.
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
Actually, first hand experience of making calls over 3G (HSDPA) packet data connections using Fring on Three shows that call quality is terrible. Admittedly this was in central London, where cells may be quite heavily contended, but once people actually start using 3G you can quite regularly see bursts of latency - causing the throughput to go through the floor.
You get a guaranteed QoS with a proper voice call. You do not with packet data. In fact, Three's own "Skype" service is based on iSkoot, which does uses packet data for getting the contact list, setting up a call etc - but it actually carries calls over a proper voice channel.
I don't see why any of what you said is relevant as this software only works on WiFi and NOT on 3G connections??
Have you actually read the article?
From TFA:
"It promises seamless call switching between VoIP via WiFi and regular calls. "
and
"Apple has explicitly stated that VoIP is allowed, just not over Edge networks"
I'm not sure therefore, why you've been modded as insightful when your post is totally wrong - unless I'm missing something??
When I was at WWDC I didn't want to pay the $2.70 per minute(roaming) to call home so I tried fring with my skype account. It worked but the latency was terrible and the quality was only OK, not good. I was using the free public wifi at the conference and there were probably 2000 iPhones or more there so who knows, it could have been interference or something. I did however, try it at home and the call quality was still pretty bad. Latency was still kind of high as well but I was behind NAT in both situations.