iPhone VoIP arrives with compromises.

iPhone VoIP arrives with compromises.Apple Inc. has brought in the newest iPhone 3G model, more than one million of these devices were sold the first weekend that they became available for purchase. For the first time Apple began to offer third-party software through their App Store that will run on both newest and earlier iPhone models which must be upgraded to OS version 2.0. For many users concerned with calling costs VoIP implementation is most important. VoIP implementation will let them lower costs of calling overseas from a cell phone. Still, as is the situation with all mobile VoIP solutions, iPhone VoIP will come with a number of compromises

The very first company which released a VoIP application for the new iPhone was Truphone. When downloaded and installed on the iPhone this software lets Truphone's app make calls through the company's VoIP own network from wifi spots. The problem is that this application won’t allow users to connect to the VoIP network via cellular voice links the way it is possible using Truphone Anywhere service, which was announced in May 2008. If it did, thugh, iPhone users would be able to call overseas cheap even when wifi hotspots aren’t available nearby, paying only local mobile charges plus low international VoIP rates set by Truphone.

Another company with VoIP application iPhone, 8x8 Inc.'s, offers an app called Packet8 MobileTalk. This application uses the mobile voice network to transmit calls between the iPhone and the VoIP network but it doesn't make use of wifi. In order to achieve this, the app eschews the downloaded 8x8’s client software used to provide MobileTalk to users of other cell phones. Instead, Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone uses a Web host reachable through the iPhone browser.

Once the number has been entered by a user, the Web host reads a cookie stored by the browser in order to find out who is making the call and thus establishes the connection. A command is then sent from host to the browser that instructs the iPhone to dial a local Packet8 access code. From now on, the call goes through the Packet8 VoIP network. According to 8x8's vice president of engineering Ramprakash Narayanaswamy, the host-based approach is essential because third-party applications are unable to access the iPhone dialer without deviation.

Like many others iPhone apps of all sorts, JAJAH Inc.'s iPhone VoIP application is still expecting to receive Apple's green light before users will be able to acquire it through the Apple’s App Store. It is a promising and effective app. As reported by JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf, it will allow iPhones to make calls via EDGE, 3G, or wifi networks in order to connect with the JAJAH VoIP network. A call travels through the data network provided the quality of that link is adequate or if the user sets that it do so irrespective. Otherwise, JAJAH uses a usual VoIP callback implementation, i.e. where JAJAH dials both the iPhone and the overseas number that the user is willing to contact and connects the two calls by means of a VoIP link.

ICall Inc.'s planned releasing another iPhone application and it is in beta testing at this moment. This new app is going to use wifi links to access the VoIP network just like Truphone. A radically distinctive feature of this app is the ability to alternate between a cellular call to a wifi call and vice-versa without disrupting the conversation. ICall asserts that such alternations will be seamless to users.