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My Next Wi-Fi phone? Apple iPod Touch

by Luca Filigheddu on December 9, 2008



My Next Wi-Fi phone? Apple iPod Touch

The Apple iPod Touch is, to me, one of the best all-in-one portable device for music, internet & email. Since its latest firmware update when it officially became an “iPhone without the phone”, with the ability to install third part applications, it can be used as a powerful portable internet device.

The only downside is that you can mostly use it in your office/campus or at home, where you can get a wifi connection, otherwise it’s only an iPod.

Despite this, in all the cases when you are under Wifi coverage, the availability of new powerful communication applications can easily transform it in a fully-fledged mobile Wifi phone.

The latest one comes from Truphone, the UK-based mobile VoIP player popular for having been one of the first company to release a Symbian mobile VoIP application and for their service now available for a wide range of devices.

By installing Truphone, your iPod touch turns into a phone immediately. But what makes it more and more appealing is the set of upcoming features which will transform it into a complete dashboard for your social communications:

– Making and receiving calls to and from landlines (PSTN) at low cost (simply set yourself up with a Truphone account)
– Instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free)
– Calling to Skype users (free)
– Calling to MSN users (free)
– Check and set facilities for Twitter (free)
– Check and set facilities for Facebook (free)

Right now, calls among Truphone users are FREE already and users will definitely get a huge benefit from the ability to receive and make calls from/to landlines. It’s pretty clear that the advantages are limited to specific locations, but there are some other circumstances when this solution is a real problem solver.

That said, I’d like to share my experience. After the arrival of my second son, we moved our daily life at home to my house’s basement, where we have almost 100sqm, very useful for the little boys to play etc. The downside is the lack of GSM/3G reception, something which makes a wifi (house completely covered) phone a must have. If I could add the ability to receive calls to a local number, the iPod Touch + Truphone would mean bingo for me, also because a stand alone wifi phone would cost as much as the iPod touch but it’s a phone only ;-)

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  • Don thorson
    Luca- yes. I'm hoping to configure my rev 1 retired iPhone (now functionally an iPod touch) into a semi dedicated international calling tool.
  • Seems like the iPod Touch isn't just a video/song player. Using it as a phone looks very good!
  • "I love my iphone 3g. It is lightyears ahead of anything else out there. "
  • Has anyone tried this? What's the battery life on the iPhone like?
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