iPod touch iPod touch with wifi calling

[Anonymous Freak]

Back to the original topic - iPod touch can already do it - just not with a "conventional carrier phone number."

You have FaceTime and FaceTime Audio available to other Apple users.

You have a real phone number through Google Talk, Skype, and similar apps.

 

[Mercury7]

you can't hold it up to your ear and use it like a phone.... pretty big deal

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No offense, but that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

I do know people are often way to paranoid to share their internet, I simply am not

 

[glsillygili]

you can't hold it up to your ear and use it like a phone.... pretty big deal

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I do know people are often way to paranoid to share their internet, I simply am not

I can't even...

 

[aquajet]

I do know people are often way to paranoid to share their internet, I simply am not

The issue here is not so much that you're sharing, but that you're utilizing an open Wifi network, which raises all sorts of potential privacy and security concerns. When your wifi is open, there is no encryption between your router and your devices. Best case scenario, someone could easily sniff your traffic and see in clear text everything you are doing that is not encrypted at the application level (i.e. if you are looking at sites over http rather than https, they can see everything you do). A worse case could involve someone scanning devices on your network and looking for vulnerabilities that could be exploited, which could be a problem if you have for example sharing enabled on your devices using vulnerable versions of software or if it is setup in a insecure fashion, leading to exposure of personal information on your devices. A worst case scenario could involve someone attempting a man in the middle attack against you, capturing your login credentials even over an https connection (if you ever see a message that there is a problem with a site security certificate, this could be a clue and you should stop what you're doing). If you really want to use an open wifi, I would advise not doing anything sensitive (i.e. online banking) and make sure your devices are patched and sharing services securely configured or better yet turned off.

Back on topic, I use Line2 on both my work iPhone and my personal iPod touch 5th gen. This gives me a personal number that supports SMS messaging, on both devices. It works on both cellular and wifi connections, and you can transition seamlessly between the two. It costs $10/month and I've been quite pleased since I got it a couple months ago. You also get a voicemailbox which sends voicemails directly to an email. I believe they also have Android, Windows Phone and desktop clients.

 

[zorinlynx]

The issue here is not so much that you're sharing, but that you're utilizing an open Wifi network, which raises all sorts of potential privacy and security concerns. When your wifi is open, there is no encryption between your router and your devices. Best case scenario, someone could easily sniff your traffic and see in clear text everything you are doing that is not encrypted at the application level

This isn't even my main concern with opening my Wifi to others. My worry is that some sick bastard will join my Wifi and use it to download or share child porn or other highly illegal data. This will associate my IP address with such activities, and the authorities will come knocking at my door accusing me of that. It doesn't matter how innocent you are; just being accused of such things can ruin your life.

It's not worth even the tiniest risk, so I keep my network doubly-locked down.

 

[Mercury7]

Thanks both of you for sharing your thoughts on this..... the privacy thing does not bother me much but the possible perv thing does....got some thinking to do....ive had it unlocked for20 years lol

 

[weaverra]

I practice open wifi.... anyone that comes close to my house can access..... I do understand peoples concerns but in my opinion it would be nice if everyone did that....

And the police will be knocking on your door when illegal content is downloaded from your router.

 

[o2breathe]

Install the Google hangouts app, calls will be routed through the internet

 

[iLLUMI]

this is just speculation on my part but I can see how this might be interesting to keep the touch alive....and save parents lots of money to boot.....kinda a prephone which parents have been embracing since the touch was first released.... apple issued phone numbers by passing the carriers altogether

Wow! What a great concept! I assume it was yours or did you hear about it elsewhere?

But I would be up for that and I'm sure Apple would be all over that idea.

Wifi telephony for wifi zones and standard cellular (iPhone or other phone) for non wifi areas. Brilliant!
This may be the one idea that will catapult the iPod Touch back into the spotlight and boost sales. Releasing a 128gb MLC NAND flash iPT would be a sales booster too.

 

[Piersonrife]

I practice open wifi.... anyone that comes close to my house can access..... I do understand peoples concerns but in my opinion it would be nice if everyone did that....

I keep my WiFi locked down for a number of reasons. First, and formost, is network security. Why should I risk the health and safety of my computers to allow someone else with malware on theirs on my network? This also goes the other way. If my computer has a bug, I do not want to spread it to someone else computer that I do not have access to to clean it up.

Secondly, I pay for the bandwidth that I have, and I have a LOT of WiFI devices in my home, all competing for bandwidth when they are being used. Why add even more competition?

I do not even care if this response is seen as "selfish", but this is my personal home network. I pay for it, you do not.

 

[617aircav]

this is just speculation on my part but I can see how this might be interesting to keep the touch alive....and save parents lots of money to boot.....kinda a prephone which parents have been embracing since the touch was first released.... apple issued phone numbers by passing the carriers altogether

What money are they saving exactly. Adding a line can cost as little as $10 so where is the savings?

Thanks both of you for sharing your thoughts on this..... the privacy thing does not bother me much but the possible perv thing does....got some thinking to do....ive had it unlocked for20 years lol

 

[Piersonrife]

What money are they saving exactly. Adding a line can cost as little as $10 so where is the savings?

If Apple could issue WiFI calling numbers, then the savings would be in not having to pay for the extra line. My plan, extra lines are $35/mo.

 

[Slix]

Exactly what I've been doing since 2009 with my iPod touch. The app TextFree has been giving out free phone numbers for about 5 years now, and I've been using it since they started, along with free texting, and later calling, from them. I use this for my friends who do not have iPhones/Macs with iMessage or FaceTime, and it's amazing to me that hardly anyone has thought of this. People are surprised all the time when I tell them I don't have a phone. Monthly bill? $0.00 a month!

Now, of course they won't make it a dedicated device for this type of thing; that's left up to the developers of these types of apps. The carriers would lose out big time.

 

[617aircav]

If Apple could issue WiFI calling numbers, then the savings would be in not having to pay for the extra line. My plan, extra lines are $35/mo.

Im confused. Wifi calling would not work while out an about so is that really a line that you would give your kid etc?

 

[Aston441]

I use my iPod touch 5G for wifi calling all the time. In fact, I got rid of my smartphone a few years ago, and haven't looked back. I combine it with my iPad mini which has an unlimited data plan from AT&T that I'm grandfathered in on. Works great. I only pay $29 a month, and I'm covered.

I will never stop my unlimited data plan. This months data usage was 60 GB! I only use it on my daily 2hr round trip commute to work!

I hope they release a 5.5" iPod touch with cellular. Probably won't happen, but if they did, I'd switch my iPad mini nano sim into it...and whala! Instant iphone.

I've been making completely free calls over wifi for over 10 years, and with my ipod for about 2 years. I thought it would catch on with everyone, but never did.

 

[Altemose]

Exactly what I've been doing since 2009 with my iPod touch. The app TextFree has been giving out free phone numbers for about 5 years now, and I've been using it since they started, along with free texting, and later calling, from them. I use this for my friends who do not have iPhones/Macs with iMessage or FaceTime, and it's amazing to me that hardly anyone has thought of this. People are surprised all the time when I tell them I don't have a phone. Monthly bill? $0.00 a month!

A Google Voice account with the Hangouts application works great as well! Furthermore, the only people who need direct contact to me 24/7 are my parents, so a basic Tracfone flip phone in my truck with Google Voice forwarding texts and calls only from them and all others go to the iPod is fantastic!