Well i have an iphone 4, and i stick the sim into the ipad for data, but i was thinking, what would be so hard about turning an ipad 3g into a phone? Would it be as simple as transferring phone and sms app? i don't think it would be too hard
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Would it be difficult to turn the ipad into a phone?
- Thread starter mikemanblah
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My iphone is not currently jailbroken, so i cant get the phone and sms app. Anyone wanna zip those up for me for download?
Shymcfly said:I am imagining someone walking around with an iPad ip their heads wow
That would just be silly, there is no ear piece on the iPad. Speaker phone only
In theory and practice this is possible. Although its not ideal. Here's the scenario...
1. Get a bluetooth headset with microphone
2. Install an SMS/texting client and set it up (I don't care about SMS so I didn't use this).
3. Install a VOIP phone app (free Whistle phone, plays an add before placing your call, no add on incoming calls)
You need to be on a wifi network (3G if you have it) to receive the call.
The biggest problem is, this can't really be an all-time phone like something you can put in your pocket. If you put it in a bag and carry it with you 'everywhere' that may work, but I don't know anyone who could find a convenient way to carry it everywhere.
Google Voice is a good option to have it as an alternative to your regular phones. It can forward ringing a call to your VOIP number and send you a voicemail transcription as an email with a link to the recorded audio file. To listen to the audio or get the email, again you'll need network access.
1. Get a bluetooth headset with microphone
2. Install an SMS/texting client and set it up (I don't care about SMS so I didn't use this).
3. Install a VOIP phone app (free Whistle phone, plays an add before placing your call, no add on incoming calls)
You need to be on a wifi network (3G if you have it) to receive the call.
The biggest problem is, this can't really be an all-time phone like something you can put in your pocket. If you put it in a bag and carry it with you 'everywhere' that may work, but I don't know anyone who could find a convenient way to carry it everywhere.
Google Voice is a good option to have it as an alternative to your regular phones. It can forward ringing a call to your VOIP number and send you a voicemail transcription as an email with a link to the recorded audio file. To listen to the audio or get the email, again you'll need network access.
I just tried a Skype test call on my iPad 3G and it works. I also tried SkypeOut to call a landline with no problem. I used a Bose headset that I have for my iPhone. The regular iPhone headset should work too. The iPad does have a microphone, so you should be able to use it without a headset, as a speakerphone.
I did try to pair an older Motorola Bluetooth headset (H700) to it, but the iPad never found it. The headset was in pairing mode.
PS:
I tried again and Skype is telling me the phone number I dial is not a valid number. The test call does work and I can hear what I speak into the phone. I can also call other phones.
I tried from my computer and for some reason Skype doesn't like the particular number I was using either! I tried deleting the contact and creating it again but still no luck. However, other landlines and cell phones do work.
I did try to pair an older Motorola Bluetooth headset (H700) to it, but the iPad never found it. The headset was in pairing mode.
PS:
I tried again and Skype is telling me the phone number I dial is not a valid number. The test call does work and I can hear what I speak into the phone. I can also call other phones.
I tried from my computer and for some reason Skype doesn't like the particular number I was using either! I tried deleting the contact and creating it again but still no luck. However, other landlines and cell phones do work.
When i ssh mobilephone.app into app folder, its just a white icon and crashes almost immediatly. And i would like to do this because i swap out my ipad and iphone sim a lot so i dont pay for 2 data plans, and would still like to use the phone.
mikemanblah said:
Not possible. There are NO chips/circuitry or antenna for cellular service. They are using the data network and not the phone network.
But you may be able to use forwarding of you cell phone # to a voip phone number and a voip app like whistle or sip phone or Skype. From another poster's experience their Skype seems to have some issue, YMMV.
Whistle works awesomely, my ipad truly feels like a phone, especially when used with a bluetooth headset. I don't use it often, but it's pretty damn cool when I do
line 2 from app store
line 2 from the app store works great i use it as my phone allday and use backgrounder to receive phone calls
line 2 from the app store works great i use it as my phone allday and use backgrounder to receive phone calls
I haven't tried it, but the last update from whistle was supposed to include support for bluetooth headset.
After reading this thread I downloaded and configured Whistle .... it took all of about three minutes. Plugged in the headphones/mic that came with my iPhone4 and made a free phone call. Voice quality was excellent in both directions.
Since the iPad is running the old OpSys which isn't multitasking, the Whistle app must be running for the iPad to receive incoming calls.
-Nick
Since the iPad is running the old OpSys which isn't multitasking, the Whistle app must be running for the iPad to receive incoming calls.
-Nick
The Skype app must be running for the iPad to receive incoming calls as well. Very annoying.
The Skype app must be running for the iPad to receive incoming calls as well. Very annoying.
But they can be run in backgrounder, right?
Anyone confirm how this affects battery life? I suspect it would make a pretty big impact continually polling for a call and keeping the app running.
The other drawback is when you open enough apps (or open one large app) it may or may not kill your whistle/skype/voip app in the background. You wouldn't know until you checked it sometime.
Seems a bit like roullette to me, although its better than nothing until iOS4.0 comes to iPad.
Sorry - not sure how this happens. Are you on an iPad? Can you get skype to work in the background? Or is backgrounder some type of app?
Backgrounder is an application/system hack you can install if you have jailbroken your device. It allows applications to remain fully running while there is enough memory to keep them running.
If you open a large or several apps in backgrounder, some in the background will automatically be quit. That's the unfortunate part since you don't have control over how the system deallocates the applications.
iOS4 with its unique notifications/backgrounding will make this issue go away. The apps like Skype and others will have to be updated for this to happen though.
If you need info regarding jailbreaking I suggest google.
Thanks for the info. I will wait for iOS4 to come out on the iPad.
I have skype on the IP4 and it does not run in the background. I think they have not updated it yet.
I highly suggest enabling the virtual memory hack in conjunction with Backgrounder. This prevents applications from silently quitting when they run out of memory.
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