rahularora1

used skype on iphone 3g, good call quality over wifi no access to voice on 3g as yet!

DMSFCA

Just happened to be awake the hour the Skype application became available and gave it a pretty good testing.

Over WiFi, audio calls sound great. Used it with both the iPhone headset and just as a handset and callers said the quality was good - good as Skype calls are normally.

The interface is easy and everything seems to work.

I can't imagine you can use it as an effective incoming phone, unless you *know* you are about to get a call. The Apple SDK doesn't really allow for applications to run in the background, so if you phone goes to sleep you may not be able to take a SkypeIn call, but I'm just guessing.

All in all, a great application and makes the iPhone worth keeping in your carry-on when traveling overseas, at least for outbound calls.

BLI-Flyer

To update this post from last fall, I just installed Skype on my iPod Touch. The Apple Store now sells an integrated headphone/microphone for the iPod Touch for $29 and the combo of this and Skype works perfectly for outgoing calls.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770

BobbySteel

The 1G Touch has no easy way to use a mic. The 2G Touch handles any iPhone mic perfectly.

hfs_flyer

I've used Truphone (a UK based company) while travelng in Canada, Argentina, and the UK to make calls back to the US and it worked really well.

Interface was great and the best part is your calls show up with your original number on the caller ID so people know who is calling.

I recommend it.

flymetokix

Is there any agreement on what the best mic solution is for the iPod touch? I have seen the one referenced above as well as products from Griffin and TouchMic. I know that there are some more expensive products for stereo recording, but I just want to use the mic for Skype and maybe some simple voice memos.

From BLI-Flyer's comments, it looks like the Apple product works well, but I have been leaning toward products that let me use my own headphones rather than the crummy Apple phones. Any additional experience or thoughts on any of these (including the Apple product)?

flightattendantsteve

iCall .... Free App... Better then Skype IMO...

ukflyer1

Would be interested in the reply to this as well. Thinking of upgrading my 1G touch so I can do VOIP.

jackal

I have a Shure MPA-3C, which is a mic that goes in-line between my headphones and the phone.

(Cheaper at these guys, with whom I've had nothing but great experiences and support, or Amazon, and a Macworld and Engadget review.)

I use them with my [glorious!] Shure SE530s, but I see no reason why they wouldn't work with any other headphones with a standard 1/8" TRS stereo plug.

I'm not familiar enough with the iPod Touch to confirm it'll work with it, but if the Touch has the same kind of jack the iPhone does, it should do fine.

As for VoIP apps, I, too, had positive experiences with TruPhone while traveling in Southeast Asia and Australia. I was going to complain to the developer about freezing screen problems (when I pulled my face away from the phone, it sometimes took awhile before the screen "woke up")...but then I finally realized it was my screen protector getting so dirty the phone's proximity sensor was basically constantly engaged. (I didn't realize it until I got back home and actually used the regular phone function, which I had not been using overseas, and the same thing happened! )

Sometimes touch tones wouldn't transmit well through the VoIP call, but for the most part, it was easy to use and offered pretty good call clarity (given the kinds of connections I was using in places like Thailand and Vietnam).

Skype and iCall (which I had been a "fan" of on Facebook, waiting for the release announcement) weren't out yet (this was in [northern hemisphere] fall of 2008), so I couldn't compare those, and I didn't realize until after I got home that Fring actually worked with Skype.

GadgetFreak

I use these with my iPhone as well. It is a very nice solution. They will work with other earphones, I have tried them with Ultimate ear and Etymotics. The standard iPhone headset works fine as well.

dtsm

I have a Sennheiser MM 50 which I bought on eBay - didn't realize it was a knock-off at the time. It works fine with iPhone on skype. It also worked on my MB and skype but for some reason now can only hear but not speak on MB. A real one should run ~$80

I also just bought the etymotic hf2 on eBay - it should arrive shortly. This is a real one and the reviews were good - better sound for listening to music and should also work for skype on iPhone. Just under $100

flymetokix

Thanks Jackal (and all) ^. I have SE530s as well -- which is why I really didn't want to use the Apple phones. I called support and they said that the model is compatible with iPod Touch as well as phone (touch is not specifically listed on the website). I think this is the route I will go.

jackal

I just did a quick test of the four major VoIP apps available for the iPhone. The test consisted of me connected via wifi (to my 8/.5 cable modem connection with 33ms ping to Seattle) using the app to call another phone and talking to myself. (It's not an exhaustive review--for full information regarding calling prices and international rates, you're going to need to compare the rate plans on your own!) I tested each setup a couple of times to ensure a single bad connection didn't skew the results. Here's what I came up with:

iCall
Pros:

• Allows several different kinds of accounts, including free ad-supported calls or calling plans that allow incoming calls (strangely, it's hard to upgrade once you've opened a free one--maybe the native Windows app makes it easier)
• Pay-as-you-go offers the best per-minute rates for domestic U.S. calls of all the apps (except for Vonage; see below)
• Your caller ID shows up on the receiving phone
• Good call quality (PSTN user hears iCall user crystal clear, though PSTN users sound slightly tinny to iCall user; quality supposedly better if you upgrade to one of the paid plans)
• Decent delay (~400ms)
• Full duplex
• Quick call set-up times

Cons:

• Free calls are (sometimes) prefaced by a short ad and are limited to 5 minutes
• Incoming calls not available on free account
• No free calls between iCall users (you can't view other iCall users or add them to a buddy list)
• App takes a while to load and connect
• Does not support push notification of incoming calls; however, it does switch to VoIP if you receive an incoming call via iCall's network (that gets forwarded to your regular voice number) and then open the app while connected to a wifi hotspot
• Not updated to take advantage of VoIP over cellular data network

Truphone
Pros:

• Incoming calls from PSTN (not clear how to set up, though--may need to be on a subscription plan)
• Free calls between Truphone users (and other interconnected VoIP providers via gateways, such as Google Talk, though I can't find a list of connected networks)
• Innovative "Truphone Anywhere" feature: if you're away from wifi, Truphone automatically dials a domestic gateway via the PSTN (no complicated calling card codes) and then completes the international call over their network so you can take advantage of [almost-as-]cheap international rates (this benefit will be obsoleted when apps get updated to allow VoIP over cellular data network)
• Your caller ID (sometimes) shows up on the receiving phone
• Excellent sound quality and very low delay between two Truphone users
• Decent call quality to PSTN (PSTN user hears Truphone user crystal clear; PSTN users sound slightly tinny to Truphone, though slightly better than iCall)
• Mediocre delay to PSTN (~5-600ms)
• Full duplex to PSTN

Cons:

• 5 cents per minute (more expensive than other services)
• Medium call set-up times (not as bad as Skype)
• Sluggish app performance; call audio occasionally stutters
• No push notification of incoming calls (despite the app being push-enabled!)
• Not updated to take advantage of VoIP over cellular data network

Vonage
Pros:

• Domestic calls appear to be free with no restrictions! ^
• Good call quality (both sides sound very clear)
• Decent delay (~400ms)
• Full duplex
• Quick call set-up

Cons:

• No incoming calls
• Outgoing calls appear to come from a blocked number
• Not updated to take advantage of VoIP over cellular data network

Skype
Pros:

• Incoming calls from PSTN (with subscription)
• Cheapest unlimited domestic calling option
• Most popular VoIP service with a wide network of users
• Calls between Skype users free
• Excellent sound quality (wideband codec?) and very low delay between two Skype users
• Distributed architecture is (allegedly) resilient and fail-resistant

Cons:

• Calls appear to come from random, unknown numbers (why on earth would a call be routed via Florida to call Alaska?!) unless you've set up caller ID (Skype charges you to set this up, and I haven't been able to get it to work anyway)
• 3.9 cent connection fee for PSTN calls (makes the decent rates less appealing)
• Charges more for calls to Alaska
• Long call set-up times
• Worst delay (~600+ms) to PSTN
• Worst sound quality to PSTN (sounds muffled and choppy to PSTN user, though it sounds decent on the Skype end)
• Not full-duplex to PSTN
• No push notification of incoming calls (app must be open)
• Not updated to take advantage of VoIP over cellular data network

So, here's how I'd rate them (for domestic calls; international rates may affect your decision):

Domestic outgoing calls only:

1. Vonage
2. iCall
3. Truphone
4. Skype

Full-featured app with incoming and outgoing calls:

1. iCall
2. Truphone
3. Skype

VoIP-only calls (Internet device to Internet device):

1. Skype
2. Truphone

If I'm running out of cell phone minutes and just need to make domestic calls, I think my first choice would be Vonage, given that it's both free and has the best call experience (good quality and low delay).

If I need a full-fledged setup that allows both outgoing and incoming calls, I'd pick iCall (either their Pay-As-You-Go or Total Access plans, depending on my needs), given their good domestic rates and decent call experience.

Truphone's sluggish performance, slightly lower call experience, and higher cost ranks it below iCall for the full-featured set. The added benefits of free calls between Truphone contacts and interconnected wider VoIP networks might be useful to some people.

For calls to and from the PSTN, I'd rate Skype last. They used to be the only major game in town for PC-to-PSTN calls, but their per-minute rates have gone up (especially since the advent of the connection fee; they still have the cheapest unlimited option), and their call quality is relatively bad.

For pure VoIP calls (i.e. not involving the PSTN), though, I'd rank Skype at the top. It might not be as open as Truphone (with the gateways to other standards-compliant networks), but it has a wide user base, and if your friends aren't on it, it's pretty easy for them to set up.

Hopefully these apps will be updated soon to allow VoIP over the cellular data networks and also to support push notification of incoming calls (so they don't need to be running to be useful). If one of them did this in combination with a dedicated incoming phone number that I could give out, I'd probably drop my cellular minutes package to the lowest level and use the VoIP service for most of my calls. (Don't tell AT&T! ) I think iCall (with its Total Access plan is the closest to being ready for that kind of a leap--they just need to add VoIP-over-data (VoIPoD? ) and push notification.

nmenaker

Nice write up.

I think you'll find that the vonage app allows calling over 3G, but it will use minutes from your providor, so it isn't free. But, it would be a good use to call LD to abroad at cheaper rates than AT&T for example. I just use onesuite for that.

The vonage app has a small CON, in that if you have a paid account, which one sort of needs to have, it will cost .35$ a month to maintain. I HATE FBI, and maintenance fees.

The other thing is problems overall with iphone and handoff from 3G to WIFI or the opposite, it really doesn't work, as much as it should. The handoff will kill ones call. So, it makes sense if I am going to sit in a location and make WIFI calls, but not if I need to start a call and then switch.

jackal

Looks like when you attempt to make a call when you're not connected to wifi, the Vonage app just causes your phone to make a standard voice call (not over the data network). That's why it uses up your minutes. It may do some magic like Truphone Anywhere and dial a domestic gateway number which puts the international leg over Vonage's IP network, but it doesn't actually use the 3G data connection.

Hopefully this will change soon. Truphone actually addresses calls over 3G networks on this page:

(Emphasis mine.)