Chicago (IL) - We almost had given up hope that iPhone will ever support voice calls over the Internet. The growing popularity of VoIP is a scary topic for traditional landline and cellular carriers and given AT&T’s interest in recovering its investment into the subsidy of each iPhone 3G, it is clear that any technology that would keep customers from purchasing more expensive voice plans would have a chance to be officially approved by Apple. However, Fring has made it and enables users to send can instant message or place voice calls to your contacts on major platforms such as Skype, MSN or ICQ free of charge.  But, as you might expect, there are footnotes that limit the service.

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When we wrote about Fring back in April, we had serious doubts that Apple would allow any VoIP-capable application to be sold through the App Store simply because of competitive reasons, as the company is allegedly developing its own iChat-based VoIP solution for future iPhones. So it came a bit as a surprise that Fring was released as a free download for the original iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod touch on the App Store. The Israeli developer touts Fring as a "mobile internet service and community that enables users to talk, chat and interact with other Fringsters and their online communities, from their mobile phone."

It works with both commercial Internet voice services (SIP) and major instant messaging (IM) platforms. Users can exchange instant messages or make free VoIP calls to IM contacts or place outgoing local and international calls to landline and regular cellular numbers that may cost less than a regular call made over cellular network.

All major instant messaging platforms are supported: Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk. If you provide Fring with the login credentials for these services, it will show your IM and Twitter contacts (in addition to other contacts on the handset) in a single searchable buddy list. The list shows a contact’s status (e.g. online, available, busy, offline, etc.) and enables users to initiate a voice call or start a chat with a contact.

In addition to free VoIP calls, you can make low-cost local and international outgoing calls to landline and regular cellular numbers. The cost varies from one SIP service to another, but most are significantly cheaper than cellular calls, especially if you place international calls. Fring supports almost any commercial internet voice service (SIP) such as SIPNET, Gizmo, EuteliaVoIP, VoIPVoIP, VoIPTalk and Skype.

Of course, there are limitations. If you are just getting excited that you can place Skype calls for free over a 3G connections, much like you would do over a broadband Internet connection from your PC, we have to disappoint you: While you can call for free over Wi-Fi, you can’t do it via the data portion of your cellular service plan. That makes sense when you think about a carrier’s strategy to limit the bandwidth usage of its network, but certainly raises some doubt if you think about the cost of those iPhone service plans. Limiting the usage of a service plan that costs at least $70 per month sounds strange in any way you look at it.

Here is a list of items you should be aware of when using Fring:

1. You can make free VoIP calls through Wi-Fi connection, but not over a 3G/GPRS cellular network.   
2. Voice calls are only available on the second-gen iPod touch that has a volume control on the side. Third-party headphones are not supported.
3. Outgoing calls to landline and cellular numbers through a SIP service can be made over both Wi-Fi and a cellular network.
4. If your data plan does not include unlimited data transfer, keep in mind that Fring consumes about 1 MB of data per 15 minutes of talk time.
5. Each handset is limited to a single user ID and a single Skype account.
6. Instant messaging contacts from Jabber are not supported at this time, but the company confirmed that the option will be available in a future version of the software.
7. Fring supports only instant messaging to Twitter, Yahoo and AIM contacts.
8. Since the iPhone firmware currently allows only one application at a time, you can't run Fring in the background while doing something else. If Fring is not active, your IM contacts will see you as offline and you will not be able to receive VoIP calls from them. If you want to stay connected while the iPhone is idle, lock the handset while Fring is running (pressing the home button will close Fring).
9. Chat messages can be received while you're offline and will appear as "GoTo" menu items when you open Fring.


There is no doubt that Fring is one of the most useful applications you can install on your handset. If you maintain a long list of friends on IM networks, Fring can actually save you money. Why call a friend on his mobile if he's currently reachable on Skype or Widows Live Messenger and you happen to be in the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot?  

Fring is now available for most popular mobile phone platforms, including Windows Mobile and Symbian.

Any Other Stipulations ?

Oct 06, 2008 12:04     

Basically the VOIP service is useless, because the monmopolies along with Apple have the networks and associated equipment locked down.
J. Doe report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

Am I missing something here?

Oct 06, 2008 20:19     

Under the list that I should be aware of, "4. If your data plan does not include unlimited data transfer, keep in mind that Fring consumes about 1 MB of data per 15 minutes of talk time." But if VOIP can only be used in wifi, I think this point is pretty irrelevant, don't you think? Also " 7. Fring supports only instant messaging to Twitter, Yahoo and AIM contacts" But in the earlier paragraph, it says all major IM platforms are support.

Chuck report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

In reply to Chuck

Oct 06, 2008 21:26     

hi Chuck, Thanks for your comments. Let me clarify the two bullet points in more details.. Item number 4 serves as a guide to bandwith usage and note about data transfer over carrier network actually applies to fring version for other mobile platforms that allows VoIP usage over both Wi-Fi and cellular network. Apple and AT&T intentionaly limit VoIP programs to Wi-Fi-only connectivity. Item number 7 means that Twitter, Yahoo and AIM can be used ONLY for instant messaging, not for VoIP, whereas MSN Messenger and Skype services allow both IM and VoIP. But I agree with you, both bullet points should have been explanined more precisely.

Christian Zibreg report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

TruPhone and IM work much better

Oct 06, 2008 21:31     

I'm not impressed with Fring's limitations and what a friend showed me. I prefer more tried-and-true, multi-platform solutions, such as TruPhone (well-established, good integration, straightforward pricing, large user base) and IM , which allows you to IM on many more platforms: AIM/iChat, MSN/Windows Live, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and MySpace IM. Why bother with Fring? Seriously.
Jay report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2