Looking For A VoIP Application For Your S60?
VoIP must be the feature each and everyone of us is looking forward to use more extensively in the future. With the advent of Skype, and recently Skype for Mobile, I have been looking more and more into the different offerings, and trying them. It is of high personal interest for me, as I know next year I will be traveling and looking for a cheap and convenient way to keep in touch.
When I began my search, I was startled by how many applications are out there, until I found 3 very nice posts that together, published a recap of all software and offerings, comparing prices, availability and functionality.
First is Antony Pranata from S60Tips blog with a nice table comparison between EQO, Fring, Gizmo5, Truphone and iSkoot. Antony prefers Truphone and Gizmo5 amongst these 5.
Second is Amir from Mobile Space, bringing a table published on Talkonaut’s site, comparing Talkonaut, Nimbuzz, Octro, Gizmo5, Truphone, Fring and IM+ Skype. Since this table was made by Talkonaut, their service definitely comes out on top, but as you notice, it lacks iSkoot, EQO and Skype Mobile.
Last and most recently is Jason Harris from GigaOM bringing a list of 7 software (without counting the 3 skypephone) : Skype Mobile, iSkoot, Truphone, Fring, Talkonaut, Nimbuzz, Gizmo5. He compares prices, usability, features, and platforms for all 7.
I don’t know about you, but I was as undecided as when I first started, especially when I tried reading full reviews of each of these applications. But at least I knew where to start from. For now, I am testing Talkonaut and Nimbuzz, which offer a very nice IM layout as well as VoIP. Next up will probably be Skype Mobile, Fring and Gizmo5.
What about you? Have you looked at any of these software? If so, which one do you use, and why do you prefer it?
Hmmm, IM is a curse, even worse on your phone. E-mail and phone are more usefull and at least decent interrupts. Even with sms people think and limit their chatter. The only good thing you then need is a VoIP gateway. Luckily my N95 has SIP with a reliable stable stack. Gizmo, TruePhone, Fring they all take extra power, weird unstable drivers and more.
The only ones I’ve tried are Fring, Nimbuzz, 3UK Skype, and Skype Mobile.
The worst of them all has to be Skype mobile becaue it can cost a fortune, you pay your mobile network to make a skype to skype call, you pay your network and skype to make a skype out call and you also pay to receive a call (I think this is for skype to skype)
The best quality I’ve found is from 3UK’s Skype App as it only used packetdata for showing your contacts, the calls are made via a regular freephone number, completely free for upto 5000 minutes a month.
I’ve only use fring and Nimbuzz a little bit so can’t say much about them. I’ve found call quality for both apps to be similar but for me fring comes out better because IMO it has a better interface and integrates with the phones contacts app.
I’m using the built in VOIP client of the N82. I have an account from BT in the UK and get free internet calls with my broadband. After a internet search and a few tweeks of the settings I can now use my N82 to make calls whilst in range of my WIFI router. Only downside is it doesn’t work thru GSM/3G but i get load of free minutes anyway.
I use Talkonaut and GizmoVoIP with built-in SIP profile with my E61i and E90 smartphones.
The best part of Talkonaut is the ability to place SIP call with EDGE/3G network. It saves a lot of money if I roam.
Fring and Gizmo5 look to complicated to me.
I started my Truphone account back when it was all free… I used it with my N05-3 and it really worked quite well. The nice thing was that, when in 3G mode, I could make completely free voice calls (voip) anytime within a 3G area!
I’ll probably get back into the VOIP thing but since I sold my N95-3 it will depend on the next phone I buy.
Hey,
Just wanted to say thank you for linking to my Mobile VoIP post on GigaOm. I also write about VoIP/Nokia/and mobile stuff on my own blog, linked above. I look forward to hearing more feedback from apps readers would like me to check out.
-Jason
Well, after reading your comments, I will also most likely try out the built-in SIP client and see how it works too, because I am most likely going to be making calls through WiFi.
As for Jason, thanks for linking to your site, I checked it out and you got the n82 black! *jealous*
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1118297&page=1&pp=15&highlight=voip
How do I find out the SIP settings needed for my home WiFI?
I used Truphone as the first application when I traveled around. At that time they gave free calls to many countries. So from Vietnam, or Thailand I could use it to call back home and almost all over the world. I discovered the magic of calling over Wifi since many hotels offer this service for free.
But I also accepted he bad quality that came with the Truphone application on my phone Nokia E 60, since the calls were for free.
Now I am able to set up my own sip settings and my favorite sip provider has become Voipdiscount. I disabled Truphone even though I still have some Euro’s left on my account.
Recently I have a new phone an E51. Truphone has been updated and I tried it again. But no luck I prefer the sip software that came with my nokia E51. No Truphone. It just is not good enough on the calling quality.
I also have tpad because it offers a calling-in service. And I use voipdiscount because it simply has the best rates. Even though they do not offer any support for the settings on my phone, it is by far the best option to use.
And you can be called by others on our internet phone number yourname@voipdiscount.com This has the great potential of others calling you for free. And if they do not have a sip phone, you can obtain a callin-in number for almost any country in the world. This means that your friends can use a national number to call you and reach you in Timbuktu when you have WiFi connection there.
However when traveling through Laos, many hotels also offered free WiFi. But the internet in Laos is not good enough (yet) So no calls could be made in that country. But that will be only a matter of time.
Note that I traveleld through countries that still lack development in many ways, but that I was able to call from the Mekong delta on remote places. Wifi on your phone is truly magic!
“How do I find out the SIP settings needed for my home WiFI?”
Your SIP settings are dependent on which VOIP service provider you use…independent of your ISP. Although you can use any SIP VOIP provider on the planet (such is the nature of the net) you are always going to be best off with one in your home country.
http://www.voip-list.com/protocols/sip_1.html is a good place as any to find a SIP based VOIP service provider.
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