Originally Posted by
jplee3
We might be kind of depending on maps and translate... seems like a decent alternative though.
As far as Google Voice - wouldn't it cost my in-laws quite a bit to be calling the US-Based GV number from their EG-sim loaded phones? I guess incoming calls would be free for them but what if they wanted to call us - I thought rates were quite a bit more, not to mention the hassle of dialing extra digits (we'll probably have to setup speed-dial in either case)
Ah, you want local calling back and forth. Then yeah, you all want local SIMs or something. Or you want everyone to have Skype or Facetime or whatever so you can all use VoIP with each other.
I so rarely use voice, especially when traveling, that the potential problems someone might encounter with needing to make/receive voice calls aren't what immediately comes to mind.
Originally Posted by
jplee3
BTW: I'm looking at the Hangouts app and does it really have the ability to call a straight phone number? I see my Google contacts on there and if I try to enter a number to dial I have to sent an invite to them before this can happen. I also heard that Google Voice calls are only available within the US - wouldn't I be prevented from making/receiving calls while in SK and TW?
The app allows you to make voice calls to real numbers if you have Google Voice set up on your account. You may need to sign up for Google Voice (voice.google.com) first; I don't know. Once it's set up, tap the icon that looks like a keypad to make calls to numbers.
Hangouts voice is disabled in some places but not others. It was not blocked for me in Korea. It was blocked in Taiwan (as well as, obviously, the PRC--they don't like Google at all there).
Skype may be more flexible but, as I mentioned, a tad more expensive (a higher fixed cost for a phone number plus calling rates are a bit more but still far cheaper than roaming rates). I didn't try Skype, though--I have a cheaper home-brewed VoIP setup through a wholesale provider and a custom app on my phone, so that's what I used when Hangouts didn't work for me.