Truphone Update iPhone Software to 3.0

Truphone have announced the latest iPhone software version, 3.0, a redesigned iPhone client that also brings in a number of new features. It allows free calling to Truphone and Skype users, as well as breakout to the PSTN at rates published on their website.

Usefully, it allows IM to Skype users and also access to Twitter accounts. One of the common criticisms of the recently released Skype iPhone client is that you can't run it in the background (as the iPhone has no 'background'), which means if you want to run Skype, then you need to be running the app all of the time. Running the Truphone client gives access to the PSTN, Truphone, Skype and Twitter all from a single app.

A separate Truphone client is available for Symbian and Blackberry users, but most of the activity seems to have no shifted to iPhone. A large number of software companies are involved in this current 'iPhone goldrush', at least in part because the delivery channel (the AppStore) is very clear, and because the simplicity of this channel gives access to a much bigger proportion of iPhone (and iPod Touch) users.

Over 400 million Symbian phones have been shipped to date, compared to Apple's 17. However, only a small proportion of smartphone users ever install an application on the handset, something Nokia want to address with their Ovi Store.

Quote:

Usefully, it allows IM to Skype users

What appears (as far as I can tell) to be omitted is the multi-party IM chat that the real Skype client has and that I personally find so important. More than 50% of my Skype IM chats are multi-party and business related.

I also can't find anywhere to "add" or "invite" a buddy, which is a serious omission in an IM client that is looking to become a contender. If it is there somewhere, it shouldn't be so deeply buried. That makes for a poor user-experience.

On the multi-headed IM side, I don't think Truphone have quite reached the Palringo standard.

On the Twitter side most people I know with an iPhone are using Twitterific and other better dedicated Twitter apps.

On the Skype side I wonder now whether that horse has bolted as the real thing is available.

So really it's for cheap WiFi minutes to PSTN still?

dean :

So really it's for cheap WiFi minutes to PSTN still?

Maybe, but even ordinary mobile contracts have average rates down around 2 or 3 pence a minute now.

So perhaps only for outgoing international calls or to UK from abroad in wi-fi coverage, and for interesting forwarding arrangements.

I don't know why they don't seem yet to have made more of integrating it with Sim4travel, though I suppose it's tricky that some main networks include neither set of numbers in inclusive minutes

Quote:

Maybe, but even ordinary mobile contracts have average rates down around 2 or 3 pence a minute now.

That's true. OK, so for expensive WiFi minutes to the PSTN

Quote:

So perhaps only for outgoing international calls or to UK from abroad in wi-fi coverage, and for interesting forwarding arrangements.

So if you take the interesting forwarding arrangements out (which I feel isn't really a mass market proposition as it's tech-savvy / early adopter stuff) then it comes back to the travelling individual. For me the integration of IM, Twitter etc just dilutes that message. I would re-brand as travelPhone and go for that market squarely.

For outgoing international calls, if you're price concious, there are far cheaper alternatives (most dial through services).

Quote:

I don't know why they don't seem yet to have made more of integrating it with Sim4travel

If all else were equal (and the numbers were in bundle, say) what would you do for that integration? What product could you create that was a hybrid of WiFi and travel callback SIM that would serve the traveller market better than the callback SIM alone?

Quote:

So if you take the interesting forwarding arrangements out (which I feel isn't really a mass market proposition as it's tech-savvy / early adopter stuff) then it comes back to the travelling individual. For me the integration of IM, Twitter etc just dilutes that message. I would re-brand as travelPhone and go for that market squarely. For outgoing international calls, if you're price concious, there are far cheaper alternatives (most dial through services). Quote: I don't know why they don't seem yet to have made more of integrating it with Sim4travel If all else were equal (and the numbers were in bundle, say) what would you do for that integration? What product could you create that was a hybrid of WiFi and travel callback SIM that would serve the traveller market better than the callback SIM alone?

Actually, even by interesting forwarding, I meant to another SIM while abroad, whether a local one or S4T. I haven't done it, but I understand one option is Truphone will detect a different SIM and automatically arrange the Truphone account to be forwarded to it. Unless I've misunderstood this bit.

I'd assume that anyway the phone selects Truphone or the SIM for outgoing calls, depending if it's in wi-fi coverage, so I suppose that is integrated.

But mainly, I suppose my feeling is they just don't even seem to mention the other product on each of their websites. You'd think that being presented with the option of wi-fi or SIM to call home, without having to learn complications about setting up other VoIP accounts, would be enough to make some customers choose these together even if Truphone's rates aren't quite the best.

As it is now, I don't actually know (or can't remember if I did) if Truphone forwards free to the Jersey number or not, as it does to UK networks. And one easy place to ask, on their forum, has been closed for months. Even when the forum was running, I posted the news of them buying S4T before they mentioned it themselves in their news (I did ask first by PM if this would be ok).

I might use a Betamax brand or Voipfone or whoever with Fring, or this or another roaming SIM, or use one or another callback method to or outgoing calls with a local SIM, but as I say that can involve a bit more learning than something which just works nicely together, and not everyone wants to be bothered with the boring bits.

Quote:

But mainly, I suppose my feeling is they just don't even seem to mention the other product on each of their websites.

That one is too obvious for it to me to have been an omission and suspect for some reason it's deliberate. I don't know the reason.

Quote:

As it is now, I don't actually know (or can't remember if I did) if Truphone forwards free to the Jersey number or not

I don't believe so. I'm not sure what the commercial rate of settlement on Jersey numbers is off the top of my head but it must be around the 15p mark.

Quote:

And one easy place to ask, on their forum, has been closed for months.

I didn't realise that and hadn't noticed. Not a good sign.

dean :

Quote: And one easy place to ask, on their forum, has been closed for months. I didn't realise that and hadn't noticed. Not a good sign.

It was being besieged by spambots - about 1000 new members a week. Then they had a while when they pre-moderated all posts. I sent a message to 3 of the admins, suggesting update vBulletin with new captcha mechanism to join, but they didn't seem to take any notice. On another forum where there were about 30 a day arriving, they did this and it dropped to 10 or 15 genuine new members a week

But also, I gather they had some restructuring, and I wonder if it's just that nobody was delegated to run it, rather than a concrete decision not to bother.

there was quite a bit of mad postings around the web in general after truphone went overnight from free to some of the most expensive rates in the voip world. i would not be surpised if they simpy preffered not to have a public place for negative comments. my observation is that negative comments dominate any provider specific voip forums that aim at the mainstream consumer market.

also with offerings like trunlimted mobile, etc. they feel it better not to publically answer very direct questions concerns the FUP etc. that would tend to dominate such a forum. there are some provider that i will not name who have moderated forums. when i have put very direct questions about pricing FUP's they have often replied directly to my email without passing my forum post through moderation; i got answers but other never got to see my question and the answer.

Yes, but there was a gap of a few months before the forum was suspended, and that subject had died down