Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

So, Where is iVoice? (VoIP)

BergerFan

BergerFan

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 6, 2008
2,170
63
Mos Eisley
What I'm surprised at, is why hasn't Apple unveiled iVoice(or something similar) yet?
Everything is in place, for iOS-to-iOS voice-only VoIP calls - FaceTime, without the 'face', if you will.

Carriers might moan, but with the iPhone on almost every carrier, how much influence would they ultimately have anyway?
 
BergerFan said:
What I'm surprised at, is why hasn't Apple unveiled iVoice(or something similar) yet?
Everything is in place, for iOS-to-iOS voice-only VoIP calls - FaceTime, without the 'face', if you will.

Carriers might moan, but with the iPhone on almost every carrier, how much influence would they ultimately have anyway?
Click to expand...

It is the carriers who instruct what apps for phone use come on your device.
 
Apple needs the carriers to be on board to some extent.

iMessage uses such a tiny amount of data that carriers can't really control its use. Even if you have a tiny data allowance each message uses a very small amount of data to send/receive, so you wont really use much of that plan.

A voice call uses much more data than that and has an indeterminable duration. A 500MB data plan wouldn't stretch as far if you were doing VoIP using it.

If carriers disliked the idea, they could charge a lot more for data usage or reduce data allowances - negating any benefits of the system.

I think that's why Facetime still doesn't work over 3G - that's a purely artificial limitation due to Apple's relationship with carriers all over the world.
 
so aside from the carrier aspect... why isn't there one that is "wifi only" like facetime?

I turned my old galaxy S into a dedicated VOIP phone to use for work and it's great (so far). would like the same functionality from my iPhone.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you use Skype and talk free over Voip to other Skype users? (I think you have to pay if you call an actual number)
 
Leonard1818 said:
so aside from the carrier aspect... why isn't there one that is "wifi only" like facetime?

I turned my old galaxy S into a dedicated VOIP phone to use for work and it's great (so far). would like the same functionality from my iPhone.
Click to expand...
It would aggravate consumer demand.

Nobody uses Facetime except a very small portion of people, but you can bet that a Wifi only calling feature would be used by EVERYBODY and make EVERY person think "why doesn't this work on 3G?" and blame the carriers for this limitation, as they should.

In other words, Apple is doing the carriers a favor by not introducing iCall for Wifi.

----------
pilot1226 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you use Skype and talk free over Voip to other Skype users? (I think you have to pay if you call an actual number)
Click to expand...
Yes, but to make this a native feature for iPhones, iPods, iPads would REALLY be a lot easier than using Skype. (that stupid app is so slow)
 
Leonard1818 said:
so aside from the carrier aspect... why isn't there one that is "wifi only" like facetime?

I turned my old galaxy S into a dedicated VOIP phone to use for work and it's great (so far). would like the same functionality from my iPhone.
Click to expand...

Their is (kind of). I do this often.

Initiate a call via FaceTime
Let the other person connect
Once FaceTime has started, press the Home button to turn off hour camera and you can now talk via wifi either as a speaker phone, with headphones or a Bluetooth headset.

It's not an ideal solution, but it works.

This also means that if Apple wanted to create a VoIP (even over wifi), the technology is there.
 
No way to use google voice on an iPhone?

I use my tablet for a VoIP phone via google voice. It's nice to talk and send txt over 3G/4G. You can get a local number or port your current number, free calling VoIP, texting via data, and voicemail.
 
cynics said:
No way to use google voice on an iPhone?

I use my tablet for a VoIP phone via google voice. It's nice to talk and send txt over 3G/4G. You can get a local number or port your current number, free calling VoIP, texting via data, and voicemail.
Click to expand...

Interesting...especially due to the fact that Google Voice isn't VoIP.
 
cynics said:
No way to use google voice on an iPhone?

I use my tablet for a VoIP phone via google voice. It's nice to talk and send txt over 3G/4G. You can get a local number or port your current number, free calling VoIP, texting via data, and voicemail.
Click to expand...
What do you use for that? Using Google Voice directly or using an app like Talkatone or something else?
 
The only way I can see Apple needing carrier permission (possibly) is to use VOiP over 3G/4G. They should be able to do it just fine over wifi. If not, we wouldn't have apps like skype and such. They could even incorporate it into an iMessage type thing where it uses voip over wifi to make calls between iPhone users. Honestly, I just don't know that the demand is there, at least with the users in the states. I know I have more rollover than I know what to do with. Most of the calling we do is either covered in free nights and weekends or the in-network use, and I know that's the same for others as well.
 
Last edited:
El3ctronics said:
Interesting...especially due to the fact that Google Voice isn't VoIP.
Click to expand...

You are correct I'm sorry. On my tablet I use google voice in combination with an app called "groove ip" to do VoIP. Gv is more for getting it a phone number. My bad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back