Truphone BB10 is ‘Built for BlackBerry’

We’re very proud to announce that the Truphone app has now officially been approved for the much coveted 'Built for Blackberry' status.

For those who may not know what being ‘Built for BlackBerry’ means, it’s an official acknowledgement that the Truphone App not only adheres to the BlackBerry 10 guidelines but that it also delivers an experience that best shows off what BlackBerry 10 is capable of.

When BlackBerry approve an app as ‘Built for BlackBerry’ it means they recognise it has been designed, developed and polished to provide a brilliant experience for BlackBerry 10 customers. We’re very proud to have met these high quality standards and that BB10 users can so enjoy using the Truphone App to stay better connected with friends. The Truphone app for BB10 is at the cutting edge of VoIP technology, offering everything from cost indicators to audio in full HD!

Of course, the horizon is always moving and we won’t be stopping our regular app updates any time soon. In fact, the next update is due to arrive in just two weeks and will bring a number of updates and enhancements to the Truphone experience!

Not downloaded the app yet? Get it now for BB10, iPhone and Android. You too can start making free calls to your friends in full HD.

 

Fear and Roaming: Part Two

You may remember in our last blogpost we told the tale of Matt Buie, a Canadian who got served with a $22,000 roaming data bill after his young son streamed video on holiday. We’ve followed Buie’s story with keen interest since then, as it was clear from the start that he was never going to give in – but at the same time his provider had little reason to seek compromise.

Since we first shared the story, there have been a few developments. The first was that Buie’s provider offered to cut the charge down to $2,200, but Buie refused. This turned out to be a shrewd move as the next offer cut the bill to a more palatable $200 in an attempt to stave off the bad publicity.

More interesting than the simple settling of the bill though is that Buie has since offered advice to future victims of these roaming data charges. Mistreated cell phone customers can now read Buie’s step-by-step guide on how to deal with your provider in the event of an excessive roaming data bill.

While Buie’s guide is certainly a handy reference for other suffering customers though, it also illuminates that the root of these charges is not technological complexity, but a lack of customer advocacy. None of the steps in Buie’s guides are about technological issues, after all – they instead focus on how difficult it is for an individual to deal with a large corporation.

Right from the moment the story broke, Buie has always admitted he made a mistake letting his son use his phone while on holiday – he’s only disputed that it was a mistake worth $22,000. He’s also pointed out that if the provider really had his own interests at heart then it wouldn’t have let the issue escalate so much. He’s completely right on both counts.

At Truphone, we believe network operators must do much more to protect their customers and that it’s only by treating each other with respect that we can aspire to have worthwhile communication at all. That’s why we’re redoubling our commitment to customer services and are currently rolling out updates that simplify our billing systems and provide free, global access to customer services

We like to think we’d fit in well with the final step in Buie’s guide – find a better provider.

Fear and Roaming

We’re all familiar with the concept of a dating programme. Two members of the public blindly pitch questions to each other in an attempt to prove they are suitable to share a holiday and the rest of us watch the fallout. Sometimes they hit it off, but more often than not it’s days of on-camera awkwardness neither will want to repeat.

The relationship many of us have with roaming data is like this; we feel forced to tolerate awkward situations far from home and with partners we barely know. A lot of the time it can be hard to ask questions too, let alone get clear answers.

Not checking your roaming charges or falling blindly for a data package without asking questions can be disastrous for both your wallet and wellbeing. There are many nightmare stories out there about roaming data charges and one which caught our attention recently was the tale of Matt Buie, a Canadian who was stuck with a $22,000 roaming data bill whilst on holiday.

Buie admits he made a mistake in letting his son stream so much video, but it doesn’t change the fact that his operator only shut down the account once the charges were well beyond excessive.

Data allowance is fast becoming the most essential feature of a mobile package. New research from BT reveals that 93 per cent of Brits have "mobile-phobia' when they are roaming, demonstrating that most of us feel the relationship is still more terrifying than pleasant. That’s a major problem and one we don’t believe customers should have to tolerate.

We believe the relationship you have with your phone provider should be a healthy one, where you can deal with each other openly and fairly. We don’t believe in hidden fees or profiting from our failure to protect customers.

We believe keeping in touch should be an enjoyable experience, wherever you are – and not something you’re scared to even consider.

Ever wonder what goes on in the Truphone Labs?

The Truphone Labs Team now has a site of its own! The new Truphone Labs website features up to date information on the Truphone App, a developer blog about upcoming updates and details of career opportunities.

You’ll definitely want to take a look if you’re interested in the technical side of Truphone because, as well as telling you what’s going on behind the scenes, the new Labs site also lets you sign up to beta test new versions of the Truphone App.

As far as the blog goes, the Labs Team will be bringing you the inside scoop on their latest projects, shedding some light on the process of building and maintaining a global mobile network.

Just don’t expect them to write too much about the alien autopsies – they aren’t those sort of labs…

Here’s the link: https://labs.truphone.com/

Roaming's a beach

At a glance, St Margaret’s at Cliffe in Kent appears to be a pleasant holiday destination in the UK where visitors can walk along the beach and white cliffs of Dover. On some networks however, it’s actually seen as part of France – as proved by some users receiving network notifications with a friendly ‘Welcome to France’ message.

That in itself is slightly comical, but what’s less funny is what follows:

“It will cost £0.288/min to make and £0.079/min to receive calls. Send texts for £0.089 each and picture messages for £0.30 each or with a Euro Booster you can get up to 26 mins of calls or 85 texts to the UK for just £5. Internet Browsing costs £1.50 per Mb and is excluded from UK allowances and remember this is capped so you never pay more than £4 per day.”

St Margaret’s at Cliffe is less than 20 miles away from Calais, but the reason why these devices in the UK seem to think they’re on holiday is blamed solely on the cliffs. The networks affected reached out to their customers and advised them to switch their roaming off whilst in this little pocket of Kent.

We at Truphone know that roaming when you’re abroad can feel like a nightmare – it can seem  complicated and expensive to say the least which is why we’ve designed our mobile network make roaming as convenient as possible.

We want people to feel safe in the knowledge that they can use their phone affordably and simply, wherever they are. It may seem amusing to some that the residents of St Margaret’s at Cliffe get to have a French connection, but the data roaming charges that appear on their bill are no laughing matter.

But hey, roaming’s a beach…