Truphone adds free iPhone to iPhone calls

Truphone's been busy with its Apple toys. Last week it released it's VOIP app for the iPod Touch (see below) and today it's launched an update for its iPhone app to enable free iPhone to iPhone calls. Hurrah.

Truphone is one of several VOIP offerings in the app store but one of few that happens to be home grown in Britain. This update adds new "presence" feature, which lets you know which of your contacts also has Truphone installed, and when they're online, hence the ability to make gratis iPhone to iPhone calls - rather handy when you're abroad in these credit crunch times. Read on.

One other new feature in the rejig is the option to make VOIP calls outside of Wi-Fi reception areas. When iPhone strays out of a hotspot, the app switches from routing via the internet to dialling a local access number instead, which Truphone says will "typically" be included in O2's bundled minutes, so is technically still free.

The software is free, as are calls to Truphone contacts but there is a charge for calls to landlines and mobiles. Happily, £1 of credit is included when you install the app. Have a snoop through the press release for the deets.

iPhone press release:

Truphone brings low-priced international calls to the iPhone™ even when not connected to Wi-Fi

Also adds inbound and free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone calls

Global mobile network operator Truphone today added Truphone Anywhere functionality to its iPhone™ application, enabling users to make international calls across the internet for as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/Rest of World] per minute even when they’re not connected to the internet.  Inbound Truphone calling on the iPhone is also added for the first time, making it possible to enjoy completely free Truphone calls between two iPhones.

Truphone Anywhere works in 33 countries around the world, saving iPhone users from those countries money on international calls made from their home country when not in Wi-Fi.  The easy-to-use service works alongside domestic service providers, but reduces international call costs to as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute.

Unlike say, calling card solutions, Truphone Anywhere doesn’t require a user to remember what to do.  Whenever an international number is dialled from outside Wi-Fi, Truphone Anywhere simply asks whether he/she wants to make a Truphone call.  The user simply accepts, and Truphone connects the call.

The second new key feature - inbound calling for Truphone on the iPhone - works in all countries.  Using the new ‘presence’ feature, iPhone users can see which of their other Truphone-using contacts are online, including contacts who also have Truphone on their iPhone.  This makes it possible to place, for the first time, a free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone call.

The new inbound call capability means that iPhone users can avoid inbound call charges – for example, when abroad – provided they are connected to a Wi-Fi network, enabling significant cost savings.

“No-one likes big mobile bills, and they don’t come any bigger than for international calls” said Geraldine Wilson, Truphone’s new CEO.  “But for iPhone users, that no longer needs to be the case.  They can choose either to pay standard international call rates, or to reduce them to as little as 3 pence or 6 cents per minute.  It’s as simple as that, no catches.”

All of the original, great benefits of Truphone for the iPhone still apply:

• Truphone routes calls over the internet whenever possible, saving loads of money both on international calls from a user’s home country and on calls when connected to Wi-Fi abroad
• Truphone routes calls over the internet, so customers don’t need to worry about poor mobile reception.  Calls are crystal clear and voice quality is superb from almost any Wi-Fi zone
• no monthly line rental, subscription or other hidden charges.  Truphone customers only ever pay for the calls they make.  Additional credit is simply purchased online, or an account may be set to top up [refill] automatically when it falls to a certain level
• Truphone is free to download via the iPhone App Store and takes seconds to install.  New customers receive £1/$1 [UK/RoW] free calling credit to get them started
• with Truphone’s American Tru Saver bundle, calls within and to the USA and Canada can be as low as 0.75 pence/1.5 cents [UK/RoW] per minute
• calls within and to 40 countries (including UK, Australia, Brazil and most of Europe) are £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute to landlines and £0.15/$0.30 [UK/RoW] per minute to mobiles
• making a Truphone call couldn’t be simpler: open the Truphone application and dial as normal.  Truphone uses the iPhone’s own address book.

Truphone has been enabling iPhone users to make major savings on international calls since July, by routing outbound calls over the internet using Wi-Fi.
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iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.  Truphone is a trademark of Software Cellular Network Limited.  Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.

Notes to editors

1. Truphone Anywhere works by connecting to a local Truphone server, which then connects the long-distance part of the call over the internet.  The local connection to Truphone is, typically, free because it uses bundled minutes from the customer’s usual cellular service provider.

2. Truphone Anywhere is designed to save users money when making international calls from their home country.  Using the service while abroad may result in higher charges.

3. Truphone Anywhere works using local ‘points of presence’.  Truphone has points of presence in 33 countries.

iPod Touch press release:

Turn your iPod touch into a phone, with Truphone

Make free calls to other iPod touch owners: no SIM, no contract, no money

Described by Apple itself as the ‘funnest’ iPod ever, the iPod touch may now be the ‘useful-est’ too thanks to FREE software - Truphone for iPod Touch - that effectively turns one into a mobile phone*.

Not only is the software free, but calls made using Truphone’s application for the iPod touch are also FREE - just in time to save precious cash when making those Christmas calls to friends and family.

Once installed, and with the addition of microphone adaptor (Truphone microphone adaptor available soon)*, an iPod touch owner can make free calls - no matter where any are in the world - to other iPod touch owners, to customers of Truphone’s Internet telephony service, and to users of the Google Talk™ instant messaging service.

Truphone for iPod Touch will become a one-stop-shop social hub with the following features coming soon:

• Making and receiving calls to and from landlines (PSTN) at low cost (simply set yourself up with a Truphone account)
• Instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free)
• Calling to Skype users (free)
• Calling to MSN users (free)
• Check and set facilities for Twitter (free)
• Check and set facilities for Facebook (free)

Truphone for iPod touch is easily downloaded from Apple’s App Store in exactly the same way as any other iPod touch application.

The software uses the iPod touch’s Wi-Fi connection to carry calls over the Internet to its destination.  There is no monthly line rental, no subscription or other hidden charges.

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* Microphone adaptor accessory currently available at the Apple Store.

Important information

Truphone is not a replacement for an ordinary telephone service and emergency calls cannot be made using Truphone.  Truphone cannot advise on the legality of VoIP [Voice over IP] services in specific territories or jurisdictions. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm that use of the Truphone VoIP software and service is permitted in the location in which they use it.