Truphone Anywhere ‘VoIP’ app for Android launches

22 January 2009 by Chris Davies

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truphone_android_3 Truphone have announced a version of their Truphone Anywhere client for the T-Mobile G1. The app, a free download from the Android Market, is available in the US, UK and, in preparation for the G1’s release in Germany come March 2009, in German. As well as free VoIP calls over WiFi between Truphone users, the service claims to offer lower-cost international calls.

There’s also IM functionality, with support for MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk and Twitter, as well as the ability to make voice calls through Google Talk for the price of a local call. Next to be added, according to Truphone, will be Skype, with both voice calls and instant messaging supported.

However early testers of the software have been less than impressed, with particular complaint about the way VoIP calls are handled. Rather than being fully carried over the data connection, calls from Truphone to non-Truphone numbers involve dialling to a local number, at which point Truphone reroute over their servers:

“The Truephone portion of the app works the same way as the Skype client calling a Truephone Anywhere number and routing the call over the phone network then onto there severs and over the internet, so costs you minutes out of your contract. Uninstalled” liamw

We’d be interested to hear any more feedback users have about Truphone; let us know in the forums. The app is also available on the Apple iPhone, the Apple iPod touch, Blackberry and Nokia devices.

[Thanks Paul!]

Join the Discussion (10 comments)

LGSilva

01-22-2009 05:15 AM

I used it and yes, it dials a regular phone number (it wasn't local) to connect when you make international calls.
The call quality was good and clear.
I wish they didn't use my regular phone minutes for those calls... :/
jay_cee

01-22-2009 05:54 AM

I used to use TruPhone on S60 and being able to make a VOIP call over WiFi was a killer feature. Traveling in Europe or Australia, I would basically have a free line back to the US whenever I could find a hotspot.

This new TruPhone is nearly useless to me...I hope we get a real VOIP client soon.
ACTPOHABT

01-22-2009 07:02 AM

Coming from an S60 platform I'm not being able to sign into the service because my account is attached to my simcard and platform all together. Contacted the support team and they told me that in order to use it on G1 I will have to delete my current account and then open a new one. At least they will be able to transfer my current credit.
webrun

01-22-2009 09:06 AM

Has anyone tried this for overseas calls? I would put up with the use of cell minutes if the overseas rate is cheaper than the best prepaid online rates.

We currently pay 17.5 cents per minute to cell phones in the Philippines for a reliable quality prepaid online service we have been using for awhile. It uses a local access number.
webrun

01-22-2009 09:35 AM

In reading the reviews for Truphone (which weren't that great), I ran across mention of the Android ap, Voxofon. So I searched the Market and found it. Reviews for it generally seem to be much beter than Truphone.

From reading the reviews, Voxofon seems to be a real cost saver for International calls. I have downloaded it, and will report back here on AC about it once we have used it.
shoo

01-23-2009 07:01 AM

Had a bad experience with them on my iPhone.
Their system over billed my credit card for what I actually paid. It was 15 cents so I let it go but I wonder how many people they did that to.

Voxofon is way better for dialing on the G1 and very cheap. Even became cheap after Truphone was released. Go figure.
marstein

01-25-2009 07:05 AM

Funny that the press releases don't mention that VOIP is not implemented and we have to use minutes by dialing over a national phone number. I have Voxofon and it works great most of the time. I pay 1.3c to call Europe.
patientzero

02-08-2009 06:12 AM

Does it call a local number if you're only calling another Truphone user? Hell -- I'd be happy to use my regular minutes where I am, if I could -- tmobile service is spotty, at best -- if I could make regular calls over wifi using my minutes, I'd be happy!

jimm1909

08-03-2009 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marstein

Funny that the press releases don't mention that VOIP is not implemented and we have to use minutes by dialing over a national phone number. I have Voxofon and it works great most of the time. I pay 1.3c to call Europe.

I agree! There is always a catch it seems with using VoIP on mobile phones. The service providers just don't want to give up all their revenue just yet to cheaper VoIP services.

-jim

ericeric

08-12-2009 06:23 AM

[QUOTE=jimm1909;231477]I agree! There is always a catch it seems with using Cheap Voip on mobile phones. The service providers just don't want to give up all their revenue just yet to cheaper VoIP services.

-jim
Hosted Voip PBX[ /QUOTE]

I have to agree with you on that one!