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View Full Version : Best phone to use for international calling?



AndyP79
November 25th, 2009, 04:55 AM
Hi All,
I am looking at about that time to purchase a new phone. I would like one that is Linux based, supports some sort of Voip, Skype type deal, WiFi and one that can be used in the US and Germany. My GF lives there, and it is killing us in international call prices. I would like to be able to get something that she can use also so we can talk more often and save the extra money for plane tickets instead. Any ideas?
Thanks

AndyP79
November 25th, 2009, 05:53 PM
bump

Paqman
November 25th, 2009, 05:58 PM
It really depends on what deals you can get from your local phone companies. I know here in the UK all the phones that have Skype still chew through your free minutes when you're using it, even if you have unlimited data.

AndyP79
November 25th, 2009, 08:22 PM
Cool, thanks for that. How about here in the US? Anyone here use a smart phone with some sort of app on it to call internationally?

philinux
November 25th, 2009, 08:28 PM
http://jkontherun.com/2009/07/31/im-web-based-skype-for-the-palm-pre/

I'm loving my pre but I've no need for skype.

My package has unlimited net use though.

LowSky
November 25th, 2009, 08:28 PM
international is going to cost you. sorry its just the way things work

An Android phone is your best option, but to call overseas use skype, its by far the cheapest option.

Otherwise both of you should invest in webcams and chat over those if you both have access to high speed internet

AndyP79
November 26th, 2009, 12:09 AM
So she lives in Germany, and to use skype to call her cell phone is .28 a min! that is more expensive then using my current cellphone, which is .23 a min. She does not have home internet access, only at work, and she can not install skype on it. I was hoping to be able to get us both phones that are either WiFi or internet capable and then put skype or something on it so we can chat like that. Do the new Android phones support skype? or Voip?

aysiu
November 26th, 2009, 12:43 AM
Otherwise both of you should invest in webcams and chat over those if you both have access to high speed internet I would recommend this option.

I've used Skype and a webcam to connect to New Jersey, New Zealand, and Thailand. It's great, and it's completely free as long as you have two webcams and two broadband connections. A phone, for this purpose, is unnecessary. Plus you can actually see each other and not just hear each other.

juancarlospaco
November 26th, 2009, 01:12 AM
a Software Phone...

MasterNetra
November 26th, 2009, 01:41 AM
Best phone to use for international calling? Why someone elses of course. :p I've only used Magicjack, it functions, not awesome but works and has a low cost to it, downside, only runs on windows and mac and isn't fond of VM's. Plus it breaks up a sizable portion of the time and the person on the other end can barely hear ya (low volume for outbound) though helps to turn up the volume to max for the magic-jack.

LinuxFanBoi
November 26th, 2009, 02:23 AM
http://masakecildulu.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/469369tin-can-and-string-telephone-posters.jpg

Limited only by the length of your string! If it aint broke don't fix it

MasterNetra
November 26th, 2009, 02:30 AM
http://masakecildulu.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/469369tin-can-and-string-telephone-posters.jpg

Limited only by the length of your string! If it aint broke don't fix it

Even less privacy, a neighbor or someone far away could tap into the line and hear the conversation, not to mention could blab into it and ruin it.

LinuxFanBoi
November 26th, 2009, 02:47 AM
Even less privacy, a neighbor or someone far away could tap into the line and hear the conversation, not to mention could blab into it and ruin it.

But you would be saving the environment... Consider all the cans we wouldn't be throwing into landfills. And when you're not calling you could use the lines to hang your clothes out to dry. saving on the needless energy waste of a clothes dryer. If you want encryption, you can always talk in code.

treesurf
November 26th, 2009, 10:01 AM
I have an HTC Hero and use it's wifi capabailities, along with an app called "fring", to make free international Skype calls, and an app called "sipdroid" to make SIP calls for free. Free assumes that the wifi network is paid for by someone else, of course. It works just fine. Those apps should work on any other Android phone that has wifi capability as well.

The unlocked GSM Hero is a quadband phone, and should work on any GSM network worldwide.

toupeiro
November 26th, 2009, 10:28 AM
I would recommend a blackberry phone with wifi, and the vonage blackberry software.

http://www.vonage.com/residential_calling_plans/vonage_world/?refer_id=WEBHB090201002W1

Vonage world plan = $24.99 a month and has unlimited calling to 60 countries, including Germany. This way, you can use a regular phone and still save a lot of money, then when you are away from your home you can fire up the app and still talk for free. There are always free hotspots around.

Short of that, use skype for PC to PC calling and save yourself some $$$. I've used it from the US to Brazil and it works great.

AndyP79
November 27th, 2009, 07:12 AM
I have an HTC Hero and use it's wifi capabailities, along with an app called "fring", to make free international Skype calls, and an app called "sipdroid" to make SIP calls for free. Free assumes that the wifi network is paid for by someone else, of course. It works just fine. Those apps should work on any other Android phone that has wifi capability as well.

The unlocked GSM Hero is a quadband phone, and should work on any GSM network worldwide.

I think that this might sound like something to check out. I have looked into the vonage, good only if I am going to call her at work, during which time she is too busy to chat. I can't call her on a land line at home, cause she does not have one, nor does she have internet at the house. It is her Mom's house, and she does not want to get internet. She does not make enough right now to afford it anyways. Germany has some messed up deal with their taxes when people call. All the stories about calling for a penny a minute to Europe, if you read the fine print, and check out the areas, she ends up in the expensive range! Damn!
I think the hero might be something for me to check out, or one of the other Android phones.
Thanks again

Exodist
November 27th, 2009, 07:34 AM
Best phone to use for international calling?
Your neighbors.. :-)


Seriously tho, international calling is expensive. My wife used to get phone cards off some half baked Asian websites that where fairly cheap. Think about 7 USD for like a hours worth of talking or something like that. But rates very depending on the country your calling to and from.

anomalousclouds
November 27th, 2009, 11:40 AM
This is my first post here. Hey!

It seems you're in a pretty messy situation there, but I feel your pain. Details aside, my girl had to go back to Ireland from the US until January, and obviously talking for hours on the phone when apart is just the nature of the beast. Luckily I had a Google Voice account which if you're calling a land-line in Ireland has a great rate. ($0.02/minute)... but of course she only had access to a cell phone, which cost ($0.19/minute) through their rates. Not atrocious, but if you talk for a few hours a day, that's going to run through your funds quickly. One cool thing I will say about Google Voice is I can send free SMS to her phone, even though Google claims that feature still isn't working.

I thought I had found the quick phone-centric solution with "Talkster" ( http://www.talkster.com/ ) - I researched it, and although it seems to good to be true, it is legit, although reviews seem to be rather polarized... either in utter praise, or people who couldn't get it to work at all. For better or worse, I never even got to that point because although that would have worked perfectly for me here in the US, evidently her wireless carrier in Ireland (Vodaphone) charges some obnoxious rate for local calling, and it was actually cheaper for her to call me internationally from her cell.

Finally, before she went over, we finally got her a microphone... so yeah, we do the Skype thing now, and it's been pretty good so far.

It's a sucky situation, no way to sugar coat that... especially without the internet.

aysiu
November 27th, 2009, 06:52 PM
Broadband internet and a webcam may not be cheap, but they are at least fixed costs.

Once you have those set up on both ends, you can Skype (or Ekiga) to your hearts' content without incurring extra costs (unless your ISP has a bandwidth limit... I think ISPs in Australia do this).

If, however, you pay even a low cost per minute, the cost will add up the more you talk.

HermanAB
November 27th, 2009, 07:21 PM
You should buy her a netbook with Skype pre-installed and a good headset, then subscribe to Skype and get unlimited Germany service for $6 a month and unlimited North America for $3 a month and you should be all set.

AndyP79
November 27th, 2009, 10:47 PM
Thanks for all the responses. I know it is a crappy situation to be in. We met while we were both here in the States and no problems then. At first, my job I had required me to travel, so no matter where I was it cost to call. But now that we are stationary for a while, we are getting older, wiser, and just trying to think things through more.
Has anyone used the Skype mobile phones over in Europe or England? Maybe she can bounce the WiFi signal off a neighbour or at a coffee shop?

HermanAB
November 27th, 2009, 11:20 PM
There is a Skype WiFi phone made by Belkin, but it won't work at Starbucks or Safeway and the like, because you need a web browser to get connected and the schtoopid phone doesn't have one. Consequently it is only good for use on a home system.

AndyP79
November 28th, 2009, 07:02 PM
oh..okay.... Well, I will remember that when I am going round and round with her on what we are getting! HA! Again, thanks for all the info. I will post in the future as to what I got, and my experiences with it.
Happy Holidays