iPhone gets VoIP and chat options thanks to Fring

Sure, the iPhone is cool looking, works out a lot, and is really good at math... but it can't do VoIP, can it? Well, yes it can -- and you can, thanks to a company called Fring and a piece of ingenious software (for jailbreakers only). Using the native app, it's now possible to place and receive calls via your WiFi connection, thus making AT&T CEOs cry like little babies. Besides doing Skype and the like, the app also lets you connect for chats via MSN Messenger, ICQ, GTalk, SIP, Twitter, AIM, and Yahoo!, which should make this an attractive package even if you don't want to harness the raw power of IP telephony. You can get the application for free by loading up Installer with the company's repo. Check the video after the break to see the magic happen.

[Via Zatz Not Funny!]

[Apreche @ Apr 15th 2008 4:00PM]

Will it run on the iTouch?

[Christian LeBrilla @ Apr 15th 2008 4:05PM]

The real question is...

Will it blend?

[PhatheadWRX @ Apr 15th 2008 4:08PM]

No mic or ear speaker?

This rocks my socks off!!!!

[Steve Baird @ Apr 15th 2008 4:25PM]

Yes, it will, but it's buggy.

If you had a mic for it, or a combo mic/headset you still couldn't use it as a phone with this version of the software. According to the site it is intended only for the iPhone (with touch compatability coming).

Using it myself I can see why they'd say that, attempting to make a call simply fails and kicks you back to the main screen, and the chat is buggy as the input box is black with black text.

But, when they get it working properly for the touch (this is still a .9 release) it'll be unbeatable, I think.

[Apreche @ Apr 15th 2008 4:27PM]

I know you can't talk, but what about the IM functionality?

[Sachin @ Apr 15th 2008 4:47PM]

@ steve baird

I have a jailbroken 1.1.4 touch...while I haven't installed fring, I definitely would if it worked with the touch.

However, I think I read somewhere that the headphone jack for the touch only had like 3 rings or something and not a fourth one which would allow mike input? (I'm not an expert on this by any means)

Basically, do you know of any mikes or headphone/mike combos for the Touch? Can you point me to them?

[Josh Warner @ Apr 15th 2008 5:52PM]

VoIP on the Touch already exists, courtesy of a rather unwieldy Wal-Mart microphone designed for a different type of iPod. The software for this came out around the beginning of 2008. It is by no means mainstream, thanks to the fact that you have to pick up a soldering iron and modify the stock mic slightly (and it's ugly as sin). Beautiful it is not, but functional it is.

No idea if that mic works with fring, but it directly accesses the Touch's Line In contacts - so it's possible that it could with minimal modification. The main advantage of fring seems to be integration with IM.

[Alan Zeino @ Apr 15th 2008 7:30PM]

@Christian LeBrilla:

Will you blend?

[Y3k-Bug @ Apr 15th 2008 7:43PM]

What a coincidence, the modmyifone guys just did a post regarding a mic release for the iTouch.

http://www.modmyifone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=909d213baed9c3086670e7171f385b45&t=117991

[Backlin @ Apr 15th 2008 8:59PM]

Alright guys, the real question is:

Unless you get crappy cellphone service in your house, why would you want to use a phone on WiFi?

[Chris @ Apr 15th 2008 9:58PM]

"@Christian LeBrilla:

Will you blend?"

Fargo says yes.

[Laura @ Apr 16th 2008 3:50AM]

@ Backlin:

because it's free?

i have skype on my K850i and it saves me so much money.

[rock99rock @ Apr 15th 2008 4:01PM]

Yea, but does it.... (fill in the blank)

[tokyo_suicide @ Apr 15th 2008 7:36PM]

Yea, but do you ever shut up?

[rock99rock @ Apr 16th 2008 9:39PM]

Oh man. Just for that, i quit Engadget. STFU noob. I was just posting the obvious hoping no one else would ask it. Sarcasm what? What is that? Ok "suicide"...

[dzhiurgis @ Apr 15th 2008 4:11PM]

Ouch, sad I got 2.0 beta today :/

[Justin B @ Apr 15th 2008 4:11PM]

It's a very nice program. There are some bugs, though.

It's nice to see competition against Mobile Chat and Apollo.

[toleraen @ Apr 15th 2008 4:11PM]

Did they make this version not suck? I tried the WinMo version and it was terrible. To my fantastic surprise, it ignored the system set sound level (nothing beats Midi music at full volume in your cube...), and I got about half a dozen spam text messages with 24 hours of signing up for it.

[Philster @ Apr 15th 2008 4:15PM]

Oh, yeah!

Just loaded and tested a skype call. First connection was mute on the receiving end. Second try was fine -- with a noticeable delay.

Still... awesoooome!

[holycow @ Apr 15th 2008 4:20PM]

I have it on Nokia.. it doesnt always work perfectly.. i just wish Skype would make a native application for the mobile platforms.

[Philster @ Apr 15th 2008 4:26PM]

Uh... yeah, you're right. I got lucky with my first couple attempts. Now it's not working. When I initiate a call, sometimes the program quits. And logging into Skype takes a loong time. Hopefully this will get better quickly.

[holycow @ Apr 15th 2008 5:47PM]

Yea i had the same problems. I recently just got iSkoot application... connects fine everytime, havent tried to call yet though.

[Laura @ Apr 16th 2008 3:55AM]

skype does have a native application for mobiles, it came with my sony ericsson k850i. works well but can sometimes take ages to sign in, i blame that on poor signal in this area though.

skype have also released a 'skype mobile phone' on the 3 network but it's ugly as sin.

[William @ Apr 15th 2008 4:21PM]

I've been holding off on a jailbreak, this is making me want to finally do it.

[Gorillamonk @ Apr 15th 2008 4:22PM]

alright, mr. jobs, you may have my soul now. But, my heart will stay with the hackers!

[Imran @ Apr 15th 2008 5:26PM]

Well that was easy enough.

[chearn @ Apr 15th 2008 4:26PM]

Can you get an iPhone without activating it?
Also, what are the risks in jailbreaking it?
Maybe someone can point me to a website that discusses obtaining and using an iPhone without using it as a phone (cause I ain't paying those douchbags at AT&T two years of my hard earned cash).
Skype is the one thing appled fears most...free calls of my home network. Good job, way to stick it to those greedy bastards!

[bachviet @ Apr 15th 2008 4:35PM]

1. Yes, you could jailbreak + unlock the phone so it can be used with and without SIM card.
2. Warranty is gone.

[danny @ Apr 15th 2008 4:54PM]

modmyifone.com was invaluable in my iPhone hacking days... Give that a thorough look.

[Clinton @ Apr 15th 2008 5:50PM]

actually, it's at&t that'd be doing the fearing, not apple... unless you plan on stealing the iphone as well..

[Poorieuser @ Apr 15th 2008 4:34PM]

What happens when you call yourself from the VoIP application?

does it dvide by zero??

[amdforever @ Apr 15th 2008 4:38PM]

He didn't explode... so it's probably okay.

[filllx @ Apr 15th 2008 4:57PM]

He meant call his iPhone from the iPhone itself.

[Sukhminder @ Apr 15th 2008 5:41PM]

Results inconclusive. My calculator says "E"

[Chris @ Apr 15th 2008 4:35PM]

test call works, msn works... skypes still trying to connect... and ill try sip later tonight

atleast this is a real group actively working on it... those idiots at sipvoip/siphone are just clowning around at this point trying to sell their touch mics and ignoring iphones

[Harry @ Apr 15th 2008 4:37PM]

I have a question: if I jailbreak my iPhone and install this Fring app, will I still be able to upgrade my iPhone firmware (like when 2.0 comes out)?

[JJ @ Apr 15th 2008 4:43PM]

You can jailbreak, and close it back up a million times if you want. But I warn you. Once you jailbreak, you won't want to go back.

[jonathan @ Apr 15th 2008 4:37PM]

Hmm...When I try to make a call it just crashes on me...

[JJ @ Apr 15th 2008 4:41PM]

Crashes. Though it is a pre-release after all.
It would be good to at least see the app work for a small amount of time before croaking.

[Kai @ Apr 15th 2008 4:42PM]

The Iphone has had skype capablities for sometime now, with IM+ (s4iphone.com), ive been using it for a while now... this is not a first...
and AIM and other IM messging services have been available for a long time too now with the free use of "Meebo"... im dissapointed in engadget!

[pscs @ Apr 15th 2008 4:42PM]

wow! I've been waiting for GTalk and Skype for months! This is great stuff... I'll test around now when I find their repository.

I hope they'll be officially up on Apple's 3rd party software list in June.

[Philster @ Apr 15th 2008 5:03PM]

VOIP not likely to be blessed be released through the offical App store.

[pscs @ Apr 15th 2008 4:43PM]

Forgot to say... I hope they'll make Skype and GTalk available over EDGE/GPRS... or by then 3G.

[danny @ Apr 15th 2008 4:57PM]

I think it'd be more fun to shove bamboo under my fingernails than to try and have a conversation over GPRS. But for 3G (and maaaybe EDGE?)... Rock on!

[Kai @ Apr 15th 2008 4:54PM]

oh, and i forgot to say... you DO NOT need jailbreak for either of these... or need to download any special software or anything.. point and click.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 15th 2008 4:56PM]

Nice laid-back video. Yeh, the iPhone can do it all and more when the 3G iPhone hits the streets.


I'm joking.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of applications like this once the iPhone 2.0 firmware is released. Nothing wrong with these guys trying to get an early jump.

[mike @ Apr 15th 2008 5:44PM]

Not like this one...

In the closing questions when they announced the SDK, Stevie told us that apps using VOIP would not be permitted.

[cromas @ Apr 16th 2008 3:41AM]

Acutally, Steve said VOIP over EDGE (VODGE?) would not be permitted...and it shouldn't be. It'd be terrible. He specifically said they would not disallow VOIP over wifi.

[ab @ Apr 15th 2008 4:57PM]

The service at http://rf.com has offered these capabilities for some time now. Even better you can still place your internet calls on rf.com when you don't happen to have a WiFi connection.

[Chris @ Apr 15th 2008 5:03PM]

So will this be hitting the App Store in the Future? Someone on the Fring forum was saying that Apple would not allow this, but then again....

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/08/apple-to-allow-voip-on-iphone/