The Truphone Blog

Background calling on iPhone & iPod 4.0

Recently we released Truphone for iPhone 4.0 & iPod 4.0, which performed in background mode, allowing you to receive calls regardless of what other task you were performing at the time. We believe it’s a great feature that really expands the way you can use Truphone and make calls for free or next to nothing - but a few weeks into it, we are not happy with the way the app has been performing in background mode.

So, we’re doing something about it. We just pushed a new version into the App Store that has all the features you know and love from Truphone, but temporarily it doesn't have the feature that allows people to call you even when the app isn’t open. We’ll add this great feature back in as soon as we’re satisfied that it’s performing properly. You will however still be able to surf the internet and write emails whilst on a call – only the incoming call feature is affected.

If you've been experiencing any issues with the new app, we encourage you to download the new updated version of Truphone for iPhone or iPod and hope you like the results.

We’ll keep you updated with any future developments to background calling.

Truphone Local Anywhere pricing update

With Australia, Spain and the Netherlands coming on board soon as Truphone Local Anywhere countries (on top of the UK and the USA), we have decided the time is right to make things a little easier for our Truphone Local Anywhere customers, by introducing Truphone Membership.

Instead of separately selecting each Truphone country you want local rates in, Truphone Membership gives you access to local rates in ALL Truphone countries for just £10 / €10 / $15 a month, even as more countries are added.

What if you’re not travelling to any of the Truphone countries and only using the service at home or away on short trips? That’s OK - there are no tie-ins so you can cancel at any time and your SIM card will work just like it used to at home and offering competitive roaming rates for calls, texts and data in 220 countries.

Also, we have changed the way you can add a second number to your SIM. Previously only available on an annual basis, you can now add a number for just a month, for just £5 / €5 / $8 per month per number.

Want to join Truphone Local Anywhere? The Truphone Membership Pack is available from today for £19.99 / €19.99 / $29.99 and includes:

• A Truphone SIM card
• Local rates in all Truphone countries (UK & USA, soon in Netherlands, Spain and Australia) free for the first month (worth £10 / $15)
• A UK or US mobile number
• Competitive roaming rates in 220 countries
• £10 / €10 / $15 of credit for calls and data

Visit the Truphone website to find out more.

Truphone for Android upgraded - now works on 3 new handsets

With the release of the new Android 2.2 platform (aka 'Froyo'), we have now released an upgrade of Truphone for Android.

As well as allowing the app to work on Froyo, great news is that the upgrade also means Truphone for Android now works on the following three new handsets:

• HTC Desire
• Motorola Droid/Milestone
• Motorola CLIQ

There is also a handy new feature - the Exit button. The button allows you to close the app so that it stops running in the background.

Upgrade now, or download from the Android Market for free - just search for 'Truphone'.

3G and background calling now available with Truphone v4.0

Unless you have been living in a cave over the past few months, you would have heard about iPhone 4, Apple's latest and greatest phone, which went on sale overnight.

To celebrate, we are all very excited to announce that we have just upgraded our iPhone and iPod touch applications to take advantage of some of the great new features with this launch.

So what’s new with these updates?

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3G Calling

You can now place and receive calls over 3G networks! This means that you have the option to make calls as part of your data package even when out of Wi-Fi range.

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Background calling

This has been one of most requested new features from users of our iPhone app, so one we are very excited about. Thanks to Apple iOS 4’s multi-tasking feature, you can now be on a call and running another application at the same time. You also won't miss incoming calls when running another application and you can place a call while surfing the Internet or checking email.

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Truphone Instant Messenger

We have now added a new feature called Truphone Instant Messenger. For the first time, you will be able to chat via IM with other Truphone users as well as contacts on several of the most popular social networking sites, including Facebook, Skype, AIM, GoogleTalk and MSN – all in one place, without having to open up multiple IM applications.

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Both are now available to download for free from the App Store, or via iTunes.

To download Truphone for iPhone v4.0, click here

To download Truphone for iPod touch v4.0, click here

If you already have either application, you can upgrade now via the App Store to get all of these new features (you will need to have upgraded to iOS 4 first).

Next two Truphone Local Anywhere countries announced

There has been lots of requests coming in for what the next Truphone Local Anywhere country should be.

And we are happy to announce today that the next two countries, after Australia (which will be launching soon), are...

The Netherlands 

 

and Spain

 

We have formed relationships with Vodafone in the Netherlands, and with Orange in Spain, and will be launching in both countries towards the end of the year. Read the full press release here

This means that you can add a Spanish number, or a Dutch number (or both, if you want) to your Truphone Local Anywhere SIM, and when you are in either country, you can pay local rates, instead of roaming rates for calls, texts and data.

That brings the total number of Truphone countries to 5 - and this is just the start. Stay tuned, and don't forget to vote for the country you want as a Truphone country.

Worry about your team, not your phone bill in South Africa.

The preparation is almost complete, the hard months of training are nearly over and the big event is just one day away… Now you just need your team to win!

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa is going to be an incredible event and with many fans travelling thousands of miles to watch their team, what better way to stay in touch with loved ones back home than with Truphone.

With a free Truphone application, you can make low cost calls over Wi-Fi to any local or international number. You can even make free calls to other Truphone, Skype or Google Talk users over Wi-Fi. Check out our rates to the 32 World Cup countries.

So when you arrive, check if your hotel has Wi-Fi and use Truphone to avoid expensive roaming rates. We’ve also got a list of Wi-Fi hotspots which can be found by visiting our special Truphone World Cup page.

Enjoy the World Cup and good luck!

Happy chatting,

The Truphone Team

Mobile VoIP - what does the future hold?

For a few years now, we have been producing mobile VoIP applications. 

At the same time, we have been keeping a close eye on the growing interest people around the world have for what we think is a pretty clever (and cost-effective) way to make calls.

In the past few days, a couple of articles came out writing about the future of mobile VoIP.

This one about a study that showed that over 100 million people will be using mobile VoIP by 2012.

And this one discussing whether mobile VoIP is about to become mainstream.

Well worth a read if you get the chance.

Of course, we are very positive about the future for mobile VoIP (naturally!), but what do you think? Do you think it is going to be a mainstream way for people to communicate? Or remain a little edgy and different?

Truphone appoints new Chief Marketing Officer

We are super excited to announce that Chris Moss has just joined us as Global Chief Marketing Officer.

Chris has earned himself a phenomenal reputation in the industry as a brand galvaniser. He’s created three billion-dollar brands including Virgin Atlantic, which he joined when it had only one route and one aircraft and transformed into an award winning airline; Orange (which he rebranded from Microtel) and 118118, where he was behind the famous moustached running duo.

Watch this space for more news on how he will help Truphone revolutionise mobile communications!

Press release available here

Update:

Here's the announcement as featured in Marketing magazine

Truphone for Nokia update

Below is a quick message to our Nokia app users from Karl Good, our Director of Applications:

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The Truphone for Nokia mobile app is great for making free calls to other Truphone users connected to Wi-Fi, as well as reliable, great quality, low cost calls over the internet, even without being connected to Wi-Fi. It is also currently the only Truphone application that you can send text messages from. 

However, I know that there are a couple of features in our other Truphone applications, such as instant messaging, that are not currently available on our Nokia applications, and that not all Nokia devices are currently fully supported (Wi-Fi plus out of Wi-Fi calls). 

Our keen Nokia app users have certainly been vocal in letting us know how much they would appreciate these features/new devices being added! 

Our main focus for now is to bring all of our applications up to the same level, with the same great features. This covers all of our applications, including Nokia. 

At the same to we are developing brand new applications (such as our brand new iPad app, plus another top secret one that launches soon), so that we can give more and more people the opportunity to join the Truphone family. So there is a lot to be done! 

We have a small team doing a lot of big things, and hope that you can understand that we can't do everything at once. Improving our Nokia app is definitely on our list though!

Mobile News write-up on Truphone

There was an interesting article about European roaming rates and Truphone Local Anywhere yesterday in Mobile News, which called Truphone the 'new-model traveller MVNO' and said that our service was 'allowing customers to operate freely abroad without watching their telephony spend'.

Read the article online here.