Fring for iPhone now lets you call with Skype over 3G
By Ross Miller 
posted January 28th 2010 9:24PM
posted January 28th 2010 9:24PM
Now that the iPhone SDK seems to allow for 3G VoIP, it looks like the floodgates are beginning to open. Joining the ranks of iCall in this somewhat uncharted territory is Fring. Same deal as the previous one, the ability is already inherent in the current build, and now that the restriction has been lifted, users can simply place calls as they usually do through the service -- yes, that includes Skype calls -- only now not tethered to the nearest 802.11 cloud. As for the native Skype app, last we checked it was still not working. But it's only a matter of time.
Good thing the AT&T network is so reliable, that this will actually be useful to me!
oh wait...
Erin is hot
@sammymoho
My guess is the reason Apple is still on AT&T is that they were willing to submit to a few concessions and VOIP was one of them. So while although we get our Ice Cream Parfait we're still stuck in hell.
@sammymoho I wanna video chat Erin all night long...
@oproski
you need to get out more.
@MacBandit lol, you heard them right, they are closing the gap!
@oproski But she's not going to go out with dudes who live in their mom's basement and work at Best Buy. So do what you need to do to hook a piece like that, get a job and a house.
It's not like you'll be able to use it over 3G anyway...
@RockNStuff
In the world outside America, where not all carriers restrict what you can do with a phone, it's been annoying how restricted the iPhone (and other US made phones) have been for years now. VoIP has been possibly to do with both Symbian and WinMo for years, yet iPhone users can only now do it, because a big carrier in the US seems to decide what kind of iPhones the rest of the world recieves.
k enough iPad jokes please. I've heard enough about the iPad this week to last me a lifetime.
@Yoda
They seem to be writing themselves, thanks to my trusty iPad joke writing app!
@Yoda
Uhh... there weren't any iPad discussion until you brought it up.
@Yoda
iPad iPad iPad iPad
woooooo iPad
there wasn't anything about iPad until you said something.
GO APPLE!!!!!
Is that a videocall?
@yulebellow No its not videocall just a static pic, and meh, other phones have been able to do this for ages. Video call or Skype over 3G.
@Luxury Guy It is a video call actually. just a one way video call.
@yulebellow
Is it just me or does fring hire the worst people to present their products?
First this dude:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/24/fring-adds-skype-video-support-on-s60-threatens-to-make-front-c/
Then this old guy:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/01/fring-brings-one-way-video-calling-to-the-iphone/
And now this funny lookin girl there....
@Luxury Guy WRONG! I have done video calls w/ Fring on 3G for months now on my jailbroken phone & used 3G Unrestrictor. Go jailbrake your device if u don't believe me
@qphan Are you shooting the video in the mirror or something then?
So does this mean there is nothing holding back Google Voice?
I'm hoping slingbox is unrestricted soon too. Doubtful though since AT&T's network is going to be hammered again when iPads start launching.
@gittenlucky
nope. you still need apple to approve the google voice app and google still has to code it so it works over VOIP which hasn't happened yet though its recent acquisition of gizmo5 makes everyone think that will happen soon.
But I thought iPhone and AT&T n app store sucked.
Especially since ipad will be locked to AT&T frequencies.
@Nixle
cool story bro
The only answer is when is Skype going to update their app, then its showtime.
Not to sound like a broken record but...
Dear Apple
Please put a front facing camera on the next Gen iPhone so as to take full advantage of this feature. 1 way video calls suck ass. Thanks.
Edobe
@Edobe
Yeah they should do that. It seems like a missing function on iPhone that even much simpler mobile devices have.
Welcome to where android has been for years......
@stabbytheicepic - Hasn't Android only been around for a year or so? You make it sound like 5...
@stabbytheicepic
Welcome to where Windows Mobile has been for years.
poor iphone. calls itself a smartphone yet could not even think of putting a front facing camera. now look everyone has a front facing camera and fring but only iphone suffers from one way video calls.
eventually, they will notice that even though it has lots of apps...they work better on other phones.
@(Unverified) everyone has a front facing camera?
so...we're just making up things now?
So then this woks on the iPad? does that thing even have a mic? will the microphone headphones work on that if there is no mic?
@nicholiservia New iPhone will have the new 1Ghz Apple A4 processor, 5mp camera and nothing else will be new. That is my bet.
old news Android 2009
http://lifehacker.com/5407972/fring-puts-free-voip-calling-on-android
@fort
might be old-news, but fring was a disappointment...when compared to the symbian s60 (nokia e71) implementation.
Now is a good time to invest in a mirror.
Fring has worked great on my WM5 Samsungi730 Wifi for years, nice to see it make it to iPhone. Shame you "have" to have a data contract with your phones, it works amazingly well over WiFi.
Can you receive calls without the app being active?
@SuckOnThis - Nope... One of the apps (which I forget the name of right now) first using 3G for calls allows you to answer the call normally and transfer it to the app though.
Skype for iPhone is useless because you can't run the app in the background. Who's going to walk around with their skype app specifically running? (especially seeing as you probably want to listen to music/browse the web etc as well)
No multi-tasking is the single biggest failure of the iPhone OS - and the reason I just can't fathom why it's so popular.
@scythelt
Yeah Multitasking, 3g front camera and some functions are missing on iPhone. They should put those functions on, than only the true power of the iPhone can be revealed. Maybe in anytime soon this year multitasking will be available for the iPhone
Sorry to be a "spelling Nazi" but you made a slight mistake in the title. "Fring for iPhone now lets you call with Skype over 3G" should actually read "Fring for iPad now lets you call with Skype over 3G."
video calling wont even work on my iphone with fring...i just get a video camera with a red circle slash across it. i dont understandddddddd
@Wesley
I doubt it will have the 1ghz processor because I think that they would want to reserve it for the iPad to avoid stealing its sales.
what? no "i'd hit that" comments? engadget commenters, i am disappoint.
@maveric101 she's not asian .. engadgeteers usually reserve such comments for korean / japanese and chinese models //
It works in Canada too! Just tested it with Fido! AWESOME!
So, where's the update on the real Skype app?
While I have no intention on buying an iPad, I'm curious. Since it can run the same apps as the iPhone, would the iPad be capable of calls over 3G? The iPad has bluetooth. So, all you'd need is a headset and an app? Unlimited data and calling for ~$30 wouldn't be too bad (kinda make for an added bulge to the pocket).
@nicholiservia The whole market dropped, based on factors other than iPad. A little other event also on the previous day known as SOTU.