iPhone 3GS - Free calls over WIFI, no SIM Card

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bostesseger69

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I wanted to see if the title is possible?

I've already jailbroken + unlocked it, and have cydia on it.

Is there an app in the appstore, or on cydia that will allow this that is free or would it be possible to make one fairly easily?

I would only use it around the house on my wifi, and I obviously have a computer + wifi setup in my house if those would be needed, maybe I could have a program on my computer that I could connect too over wifi on the iphone to use somehow?

Let me know ladies and gents.

Thanks
 
Uhmmm... it's called Skype, or Fring, or I think one other VoIP app for the iPhone/iPod touch. Any of them can make calls over Wi-Fi but they're not going to be free - hell, if anyone could make totally free calls 24/7 on an iPhone or iPod touch over Wi-Fi, AT&T and other cell providers would go out of business. :D

VoIP is the solution, but there will be costs involved somewhere down the line. They might offer the first few calls or a few minutes free when you sign up for an account, but sooner or later someone has to pay...
 
The apps are free, it's the service that costs somewhere down the line. Anybody can write a VoIP app for most anything these days, that's easy, but getting the service to work with landline and cell phone service is where the issues come from; that's where the cost issues become a problem.

If the people you want to talk with also have iPhones or whatever devices can run the same app (Skype, Fring, whatever) then you can "call" them as much as you want meaning you can "dial" their Skype or Fring account and connect in that manner - it doesn't mean call their cell phone number, completely free of charge (except for the charge for the Wi-Fi if there is one).

But the issue for most people is using such VoIP services on a handheld device or computer and wanting to actually get in touch with people that have regular phone service by bridging over to the public phone network and that's not free at all, for anybody.

If everybody everywhere had a VoIP account with Skype or Fring or some other such service, a lot of people would drop their cellular phone service in favor of the VoIP stuff. But Wi-Fi still isn't "everywhere" while 3G or even EDGE typically is.
 
There are a number of ways to do this that are as free as a free lunch.

  1. Use Google Voice. It's just better, plain & simple, it just is.
  2. Use one of the many free calling apps designed to let iPod Touch users make calls. I personally prefer Pinger, but there are dozens of them in the App Store.
  3. Setup your new Phone number in Pinger (Or whatever one you use) as a forwarding number for Google Voice. This will make it so that a call to your Google Voice number will ring through to your Pinger.
  4. When making a call use the Google Voice App. It's a much more complicated way to make a phone call to be sure, but it will ensure that your Caller ID will show your GV# & will place a call to your Pinger# to start the call (Incoming calls are free)

Yes, there's no such thing as a free lunch, Pinger makes money by charging you for some outgoing calls, showing ads in the app & Recycling your Phone# if you don't use it at least once every 20 days (That can be just sending a Text message) & by showing commercials that you can watch to "Earn" minutes of call time, which, if you let your number lapse, you loose.
Another inconvenience is that it can be difficult to get Pinger to answer & you will miss calls sometimes & have to call back, which, again, takes a small amount of work.

If you want to pay $5 & you use Cydia you can make Google Voice work through the Phone & Messages Apps, but I haven't yet found out if that requires an active phone number & SIM. (What I was looking at when I came across this post)

Future Searchers: . . . . . You're Welcome.
 
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