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appleguru1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 13, 2003
307
4
Are there any generic SIP compatible VOIP apps for iOS 4 that support receiving calls while in the background?
 
..Fring might fit the bill if they ever update it to work with iOS 4 properly.. Does anyone know if Truephone supports using my own SIP provider?
 
I use iSip but have no idea if they've updated to make use of the voip multitasking API. Still running 3.1.3 anyway..
 
Even though iSip was updated just 10 days ago, it doesn't appear the current update supports backgrounding/iOS 4 multitasking. The only app I've seen to date that does is Truphone, but the reviews are subpar, and its not clear if you can use it with a non-truphone sip account. I don't have an iPhone atm, so I can't play with any of these until I buy a new one (unlocked, in australia). Hopefully by then a bunch more multitasking enabled VOIP apps will be out!
 
There are several options now. The most prominent being fring and Nimbuzz.

I'm using Google voice + Gizmo5, and in my experience, Nimbuzz has been hands-down the best SIP app. It has better call quality, the most stable network, and a crisp UI. fring is pretty good too, but has had some on/off network problems. Their voice quality seems inferior even when the network is smooth.

One caveat: if you aren't on either an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 3GS, I can't recommend Nimbuzz, as they limit push notifications (and therefore incoming calls when backgrounded) after 4 hours if you're on an iPhone 3G or iPod touch. Not sure what the reasoning is there . . .
 
Are there any generic SIP compatible VOIP apps for iOS 4 that support receiving calls while in the background?
It's not iOS 4 compatible (yet), but the one I'm most fond of right now is Acrobits Softphone, which uses the push API for incoming calls.

When an incoming call comes in, a push alert arrives which enables you to bring up the app to receive the call. It has some fairly efficient codecs which are tunable as well to allow for efficient 3G calls. Also supports Bluetooth.

http://www.acrobits.cz

I'm waiting for their business edition, which looks to be a winner.

There are a few SIP-friendly clients that work with push already. The only major benefit you'll get with iOS 4 is the ability to keep that call going while going into other apps.
 
Acrobits is pretty solid, but I'm pissed that I've spent $18 on their software now (the app at full price and the g.729 codec) assuming they'd be adding other functionality like call transfer, etc, and instead they're going and releasing an entirely new app with all the stuff I've been waiting for. It's good software, but I'll be damned if I double-dip for something that should have been there to begin with.
 
Are there any generic SIP compatible VOIP apps for iOS 4 that support receiving calls while in the background?

Yes, iSip just updated with background support on ongoing calls. So you can browse website or email when you do VOIP calls.
 
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