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Turning an iPod Touch Into an iPhone

Posted by kdawson on from the at&t-not-best-pleased dept.

David Burnett recommends an eWeek article on the leading contenders to make an iPhone out of an iPod Touch. Of course your newly phone-capable iTouch needs no activation and no binding carrier contract, just Wi-Fi. One of the companies working in this space, JaJah, is bundling the software with back-end services such as billing, so that carriers — or anyone really — can offer free-calling iTouch phones.

8 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. "Just needs wifi" by nurb432 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ya thats nice, but haven't you noticed that open/free wifi is starting to become more and more scarce? If you cant just whip it out at anytime and make a call, its rather limited in its usefulness.

    It would be worse then it was when having a cell phone back in the old days when coverage was spotty at best and you were paying for that privilege.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:"Just needs wifi" by vitaflo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Really depends on what your definition of "limited". Of course you're not going to be able to use it everywhere, but if you want that, that's what cell phones are for.

      Not everyone wants (or needs) to be available to take a call all the time. The main times I want to be around a phone is at work (where there's wifi) and at home (where they're also wifi). Anywhere else that happens to have free wifi (like my local coffee shop) is a bonus. For me this would allow me to use the phone 90% of the time where I am normally. That would be enough for me and I wouldn't find it limiting at all.

  2. Re:an iphone that's missing 3g and edge by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    in other words, a defective phone, only useful in areas where you trust the wifi connection.

    Yeah, like the cordless phone you have sitting on the charger at home. Only it doesn't cost anything per month and doesn't necessarily need to be restricted to just working at home.

    It sucks that it wouldn't help you much if you travel through time and space, but it's not exactly a lump of nothing, either.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  3. Something is missing... by mouse_8b · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I looked all over my iPod Touch and didn't see a speaker or microphone. No bluetooth either (well, sort of). So you can make a call, but you can't talk to anyone? Am I missing something?

  4. Open high speed wireless networks by nine-times · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is why I really hope we get some actually *open* wireless Internet built as a result of the analog TV spectrum being reallocated. I was very disappointed that the government didn't adopt the openness rules recommended by Google in the auction.

    Imagine how great it would be to not be beholden to cell carriers, but to be able to buy any kind of Internet device you want, and use it as a phone if you want. It would open up competition between hardware manufacturers and service providers. Competition is good.

  5. Re:an iphone that's missing 3g and edge by nine-times · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's going to get shut down by Apple? VoIP on the iPhone and iPod touch? Didn't Apple already announce that they were going to allow VoIP apps in the iTMS so long as they only used VoIP on WiFi connections (not on the cell phone data network)?

  6. Re:an iphone that's missing 3g and edge by Thelasko · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Shut down by Apple lawsuit in 3...2...1...

    Lawsuit? There wont be any lawsuit... at least Apple wont be the one filing it. Apple has complete control of the iPod Touch through "The App Store". They simply wont allow these applications to be sold or downloaded.

    What's that? Your going to find a way to put it on there without Apple's permission? A simple firmware upgrade will take care of that.

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  7. Re:interesting concept but by nuttycom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's one application where VOIP is significantly preferable to the standard cellular network: international calling. I can use a VOIP app to talk to my cousins in Australia for free; being able to walk around my house or sit at the local coffeeshop while doing so would be nice.

    This isn't about style; it's about adding functionality to a nice little piece of hardware. My cell phone's practically an antique at this point, but I have no need to upgrade it because I don't talk on the phone much. My iPod is a great PDA; adding VOIP capability would just be icing on the cake.