Cheap International Calls

With the iPhone it is possible to make cheap international calls using either iPhone VOIP (Voice Over IP) or standard cell phone network using many iPhone applications such as Fring, Skype for iPhone and its Skype out feature.

Since the iPhone has wifi and 3G/EDGE network capability, it is always connected to the internet which makes it a perfect device to make cheap international calls using VoIP.

There are many apps for the iPhone that allow you to text chat with your friends and family. However, some iPhone applications like Skype and Fring allow you to make cheap or free international calls using any of the available iPhone plans.

iPhone Service Plans

There are two plans that you can choose from when you select your cell phone service provider. For the iPhone it is mandatory to have an iPhone data plan besides the normal calling minutes plan.

The normal calling minutes plan defines how many minutes you get per month, for example 500 minutes or 700 minutes or so on. The iPhone data plan is your internet connection which is usually unlimited with AT&T. It is the iPhone data plan that is interesting because with it, you can make cheap international calls and also save on your minutes with iPhone VoIP calls.

Generally, there are three different ways you can use your iPhone VoIP to make cheap or free international calls. You can use wifi, your minutes plan, and/or iPhone data plan.

Using wifi/3G to make VoIP iPhone calls

Both Skype and Fring work over wifi and 3G.

Skype allows you to make Voice Over IP communications with Skype users only while using Skype out allows you to make VOIP phone calls to land line phone numbers.

To make a completely free international calls using Skype, your friends or family members must have Skype accounts, and they must have Skype running on their desktop computer.

Fring, on the other hand, allows text chatting with your friends and family on MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, Twitter and others besides voice communication with skype contacts.

You can view your contact webcam and even conference with more than one contact. Visit Fring page for more information.

The disadvantage with using Skype or Fring to make a free international phone calls is that your friend or family member must be a Skype member, and must be running Skype on his/her computer all the time for you to find him/her.

Make VoIP iPhone calls using SIP

This is one of my favorite methods of making cheap international calls. It uses wifi or 3G to make Voice Over IP phone calls to any land line phone number.

You need to set up a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) account with one of the ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Providers).

I use a company called Callcentric, and I find its rates very attractive.

Once you set up your account, you will get an account number and a password.

You can use Fring or iSip applications on the iPhone to input your SIP account number and password in the SIP setup in those applications.

Once you are logged in, you can use the SIP option in Fring to make cheap international calls.

This method of making VoIP phone calls is best used if you are abroad and there is no cell phone service available. I used SIP phone calls in the hotel in Mexico for example. I used the free wifi that was provided by the hotel to make cheap long distance phone calls to the US.

Using cell phone network to make cheap international calls

You can always use the traditional way of calling to make cheap international telephone calls by using a calling card for example .

You start by calling an 800 or a local phone number, then enter the calling card number or account number, and then you enter your destination.

I use SamrtCaller app that makes this process a one touch process.

I set up my account in the application by entering the calling card, or account number. I enter the 800 number to dial and then I enter the phone number I want to dial from my contact list.

This information is then stored in the application for any future phone call I want to make.

If I want to make another call, then I simply change the contact phone number from my contacts list. SmartCaller will use my stored calling card information to dial any of my contacts.

One disadvantage of using the cell phone network to make cheap international calls however, is that it will use your minutes unless you use it in week ends or after the peak time. Then the calls would be cheap and would not use your minutes.

The other disadvantage is that you have to be in the country that provides your phone service otherwise roaming charges would apply and the phone call would become very expensive. If you are outside the country of your service, then use SIP as described above to make cheap international calls.

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