In April 2008, I reviewed C2Call, a Java-based VoIP application that lets you make web-based P2P VoIP phone calls direct from your browser whether you're using Linux, Windows, or an Apple Mac. The company that developed C2Call claims their new FriendCaller, also a Java-based VoIP app works on the iPhone. Funny, last I checked the iPhone doesn't support Java unless you jailbreak it.According to their website, "FriendCaller works instantly with every popular operating system and browser without installation. And, of course with the iPhone™ and iPod™ touch." It then says, "Send your friends call-me links directly from your iPhone™ or iPod™ touch. FriendCaller is instant browser based Voice, your friends don't have to install software or register with FriendCaller before talking to you through their browsers. They just click-to-call and you are connected and see each other online status."
So it sounds like you have to send people you want to call a special hyperlink, which they have to click to then initiate an outbound call back to you. I'm guessing they embed your iPhone's regular GSM phone number into the click-to-call link which gets passed to the Java applet. Then the person you are trying to reach clicks the click-to-call link launching the Java app on their browser and automatically initiating an outbound call to your iPhone. The call is routed as voice over IP from the remote caller's PC/Mac to C2Call's termination network (for low cost VoIP routing) and then terminates to your iPhone. This is speculation on my part based on the info I read and the technical limitations of the iPhone (no Java), but it's the only explanation I can come up with on how it works.
So it isn't truly end-to-end VoIP and it isn't even an outbound VoIP call. It's more like an inbound (PC/Mac/Linux) VoIP-to-GSM/PSTN call.
Update: See the comments for more technical details
Anywhere, here's the features:
- Free calls to anybody on the Internet over WiFi
- Instant messaging and Call-me links in WiFi and mobile data
- Full access to your iPhone™ contacts from FriendCaller
- Friend List with online status
- Low cost calls to phone numbers including mobiles over WiFi
- Call-me links work instantly on Windows XP/Vista, MAC OS-X and Linux
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Hi Tom,
Our FriendCaller for iPhone/iPod touch is a native app to be downloaded from iTunes app store, not Java, will be available in the iTunes app store soon. I guess we better write "FriendCaller works instantly with every popular operating system and browser without installation. And, of course with the iPhone™ and iPod™ touch app."
You can establish a VoIP call through the call-me links, you can send them from our www.FriendCaller.com website or from the iPhone app and can click on the link in any platform. It establishes peer-to-peer calls, true end-to-end VoIP
On both platforms we provide complete VoIP suite, VoIP to PSTN/GSM, Friends' online presence list, contact management, on the website you can get your own call-me button and place on your blog.
We have a limited numbers of iPhone Beta version available, your readers can register www.friendcaller.com
thanks, Martin Feuerhahn for C2Call
Hi,
I'm the developer of the FriendCaller java client and the iPhone/iPod Touch native client. It really hurts me to read here that our FriendCaller is "not" a truly end-to-end voip service. I promise, it is!
The iPhone / iPod Touch native FriendCaller app is written in Objective C not java.
We have developed our own SIP stack, RTP streaming, integrated additional codecs and the client provides almost the same functionality as the WEB Site.
Please visit us and have a try or just call me on the link below:
http://www.friendcaller.com/app-c2call/faces/CB?id=18c5fc41120194446c2
When I'm online, you will reach me on my iPhone on true voip:-)
Best regards,
Michael
CTO
C2Call GmbH
Tom, FriendCaller is availbale on the app store now:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=308292797&mt=8
rg, martin for c2call
I wonder how the call quality is. A lot of reviews I have read on apps like these complain that the quality seems to not be very good.
The article I read on ITWire was vague on details, but it referred to the iPhone application as a Java app, which I found hard to believe. Short I details I went to your website and the details there were also vague. I figured the Java application was probably for Mac/PCs/Linux and not for the iPhone, but couldn't find any technical details on your website.
Thanks for the additional info. I'll update the post and refer to the comments section. Feel free to hotlink a iPhone screenshot image (590px max) in the comments of your app. The comments take images (with approval from me of course).
Just for info. This is our latest "Get startet on iPhone and iPod Touch"
http://www.friendcaller.com/app-c2call/website/texte/images/get_started_iphone_Popup.html
This explains in short steps how it works.
Best regards,
Michael
CTO
C2Call GmbH