iCall Brings Seamless VoIP To IPhone Users

andrewmin writes "iCall, a company well known for offering free VoIP calling for Windows users, has just announced the first iPhone app that offers free phone calls over WiFi. It's also one of the first legal (in other words, non-jailbroken) VoIP apps. I don't have an iPhone, but if I did, you can be assured that I'd be on this in a second."

So...contracts?

[kcbanner]

I'm surprised that the contract between Apple and AT&T doesn't cover other ways of using the iPhone to call people (ie off AT&T's network). I mean this is great, don't get me wrong, I just expected Apple to not allow these kinds of apps on the iPhone because of a contract issue with AT&T (given their current track record).

Re:incorrect

[drhamad]

This type of application is SPECIFICALLY ALLOWED by Apple. VOIP is fine as long as it is WiFi only, they have said.

If you really think about it, it makes sense. It reduces stress on AT&T's network while at the same time making Apple's users happy.

What about iPod Touch users?

[richardtallent]

IIRC, the iPod Touch doesn't have a microphone, but I wonder whether (a) headset mics are still accessible, and (b) if iCall will support them?

First legal one?

[josath]

What's this subtle wording here, implying that it's illegal to run non-apple approved applications on your iPhone? It really shows the sorry state of things these days, that people can believe there is anything wrong with running software on a device they own. I enjoy the many reverse engineers who perform their completely legal work in order to let me get more use out of a device that I paid for.

If I want to run a freeware/open source drawing application on my Nintendo DS that lets me save PNG files on a SD card, should that be illegal since it's not approved by Nintendo? Should I be forced to buy their crappy paint-by-numbers 'game' that's not even for sale in the US?

There are so many possibilities out there, that the hardware companies try to stop you from doing, because they are afraid of losing control. When in reality it doesn't stop piracy any, it only hurts the people who want to write their own code, and add new features. Take the Wii for example, it was possible to illegally pirate games for months before anyone hacked a way of running their own code. Well...I'm already quite offtopic, I better stop here.