A short while back we reported on the iPhone/iPod Touch version of Truphone finally getting a release. Well there’s been an update and there’s good news and bad news. The app will now let you make cheap calls without WiFi, that’s the good news. The bad news is that the calls will be placed over the handset’s GSM connection and will not make use of 3G.
It’s not as bad as it sounds however. The way it works is Truphone routes your GSM call to one of its own private servers and then serves your call via VoIP. You need to buy credit with Truphone to do this, but the rates you get via the service tend to be much cheaper than those on a typical GSM call, especially where international calls are concerned.
Of course, you will still be billed for a short GSM call to Truphone’s servers before your call is rerouted, but the whole process should still make for a significant overall saving. It sounds much more complicated than it is, we’ve used the app and it works pretty seamlessly.
The other bit of good news coming out of the Truphone camp just now is that you can now use your iPhone’s WiFi to make Truphone calls to other Truphone users on iPhones and Nokia devices too, without the need for any Truphone credit.
Worth paying attention to in the cold, unforgiving financial sink-pit commonly known as January.
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