iPhone App Enables GSM To WiFi/VoIP Switching 153
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 ;-)'"
Carefull now ... (Score:1, Interesting)
Especially the iPhone 2 will not be sold with flat-rate. Both Apple and the telcos have gained insight and experience in the customers actual use of the phone. Standard terms for an iPhone 2 will be around 300 megs a month - a number which is very high for browsing and the occasional iTunes purchase, but nowhere near enough to sustain heavy VoIP usage. Or constant radio-streaming. Or video conferences. Or porn-streaming.
- Jesper
Fringe (Score:2, Interesting)
Fringe is a similar app that lets you connect to skype and make voip calls. What would be great is if these kind of apps worked over G3. Here in Mexico incoming calls to cellphones are free, so in theory you could us an all data plan and use skype for your outgoing calls.
Providing you have a flatrate data plan (Score:5, Interesting)
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
Re:Carefull now ... (Score:3, Interesting)
the SDK simply doesn't allow call switching over non-Wifi data connections.
Interesting. I didn't know that.
;-)
But if all new iPhones were sold with true flat-rate data, your can be sure that someone would create an app for hacked iPhones doing exactly that: call switching over 3G/HSDPA connections...
For the telcos, the only way to fight the problem is to ensure that the dataflow is too expensive - making normal calls a more attractive choice.
- Jesper
Great for Developing countries (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Probably not seamless (Score:2, Interesting)
I think it depends on your definition of "seamless".
I don't think it requires carrier interaction.
When transferring to VoIP, it can be done seamlessly, the application is launched and the call handed off to VoIP. Transferring out will result in a ring (needing to be answered) on the device, but it can still be done without loss of packets in the call.
If the application is smart, it could possibly track the strength of the WiFi network and transfer the call pre-emptively.
I would expect that their application is using a VoIP server with an entirely different number from your mobile number. That way they are able to perform their own call control, complete with multiple B-legs without needing any carrier agreement.