The Truphone Blog

Troubled voice over 3G

A few things have changed over the last month in the voice-over-internet arena since our last post about why there’s still no VoIP over 3G on the iPhone. Apple has finally given the green light for voice apps that use 3G mobile internet connection, and some of the developers have immediately jumped on the bandwagon. However, we’d like to remain cautious.

Even though it’s now technically possible to have an app for 3G voice calls, we still believe a lot has to be done both from operators and developers to improve quality of internet calls. Truphone is by no means ignoring this new iPhone functionality, yet unless we have something that offers a top quality Truphone experience, we’ll keep working on it.

And we’re not alone on this – in a recent article The Boston Globe says that even though the ‘concept is darn near irresistible’, according to them until the next generation 4G phone network is available, voice calls over mobile internet remain dubious.

In the meantime, we provide a solution in our apps that allows you to make calls outside a Wi-Fi zone – use Truphone as usual and your call will be routed via a local phone number in your home country, it still costs fraction of a usual international call price and the quality is superb.

(image via wikihow)

New Twitter features added to Truphone for iPhone and iPod touch

Version 3.3 of our iPhone and iPod touch (2nd Gen) applications has just been released in the App Store, with some fantastic new Twitter add-ons to give all Twitterers an even better experience when using Twitter on Truphone.

The upgrade includes:

• Integration with yfrog and Twitpic, so you can post photos to your Twitter account
• Integration with bit.ly, so you can shorten links you want to tweet about
• Full Twitter search tools
• The ability to view direct messages as complete conversations
• The ability to follow and unfollow, and read the profiles of other Twitterers
• The ability to change your location, add map links and geotag tweets

This adds to the long list of great features already available, including free calls to Truphone, Skype and Google Talk users, and low cost international calling on the iPhone even if you aren't connected to Wi-Fi.

Upgrade now to take advantage of all the new features, or download if you don't have the application already, via one of the following.

Download Truphone v3.3

Download Truphone for iPod v3.3

New Truphone app for iPhone, enhanced

Truphone is happy to announce that our new enhanced Truphone iPhone application has just gone live in the App Store!

We’ve done a lot of work in response to all of your feedback, notably installing a new speakerphone function and an easier user sign up and sign in process.

We also heard that many of you weren’t aware of how much you could actually do with the Truphone app, so we’ve developed a step-by-step User Guide, taking you on a tour of all of the app’s features.

Other new enhancements include a new look and feel, as well as improved IM allowing you to easily switch between chats, and full Twitter integration.

If you haven’t downloaded the app yet click here to download and let us know what you think!


WHAT'S NEW IN THIS VERSION?

• New look and feel
• Streamlined sign-up
• In app guided tour
• Tru Friends presence
• Speaker phone support
• Improved IM and chat with multi-chat switcher
• Full Twitter integration

Get Truphone from iTunes App Store on your computer or directly on you iPhone.

Truphone OS 3.0 now available, with voicemail notification

With the recent, and much-anticipated launch yesterday of the iPhone OS 3.0 software, we are delighted to announce that a new, OS 3.0 compatible version of Truphone for the iPhone is now available.

'Truphone OS 3.0 for iPhone' uses the new push notification technology in iPhone OS 3.0 to provide Truphone users with a great new feature - Truphone Voicemail with Message Waiting Alerts.

Truphone Voicemail with Message Waiting Alerts allows you to receive a real-time alert whenever another Truphone user leaves a message on your Truphone voicemail, even if you don't have the Truphone application open on your iPhone.

Truphone Message Waiting Alerts gives you:

• On-screen Message Box - tells you who has called and left a message
• App Icon Notification - tells you how many messages you have waiting
• Real-time alerts - gives your callers confidence their message will reach you quickly

This new feature is completely free, as is receiving calls, and retrieving and listening to your voicemail message.

To personalise your Truphone Voicemail Welcome Message, or retrieve your waiting messages, dial 1571 from the Truphone keypad, or click on the Voicemail contact in TruFriends.

How do I get Truphone OS 3.0?

Truphone OS 3.0 is only compatible with iPhone OS 3.0, so you will need to upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0 first (find out more here).

For new users, once you have done this, you can get Truphone OS 3.0 from here for free.

For existing Truphone for the iPhone users, please follow these instructions:

• STEP 1 - Delete your current version of the Truphone application (touch and hold the Truphone application icon until all icons shake, then select the 'x' that appears on the Truphone icon) and restart the iPhone
• STEP 2 - Go to the App Store and install 'Truphone OS 3.0 for iPhone' (not 'Truphone OS 2.0 for iPhone'). Select 'Existing customer' and tap 'Go'. You may be prompted for your account details. If you can't remember your password, you can reset it here

Please note, if users don't upgrade to the iPhone OS 3.0 software, then there don't have to do anything. Truphone will continue working as normal. Users who upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0 but don't install Truphone OS 3.0 for the iPhone may experience some quality issues though.

What about Truphone for the iPod touch?

The latest Truphone for the iPod touch application (v3.0), which launched on May 31, is already compatible with the OS 3.0 software, so users who have downloaded or upgraded the app since May 31 will not be affected. Download the iPod Touch OS 3.0 compatible version here.

Truphone 3.0. Our best app ever!

Today marks the launch of Truphone 3.0, the major new upgrade of our Truphone application for the iPhone.

And we think it is our best app EVER!

Here's a few reasons why:

• Superior Voice Quality. We have greatly improved the voice quality, making the app even clearer than before
• Simpler Instant Messaging (IM). See all of the your Skype, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo and MSN IM friends on a single page with our more integrated IM section.
• Enhanced User Experience. Ease of use has increased, as have speed of function response, intuitiveness and simplicity – all of which are designed to enhance the user experience.
• Improved Account Management. You can now view your call history, real time, and more with our enhanced account management tool.

To find out more, check out the website.

If you have Truphone for the iPhone already, simply go to the App Store and update the application to take advantage of this great new upgrade.

If you need to download Truphone, you can do so for FREE from here.

Here are some words on Truphone 3.0 from our CEO, Geraldine Wilson.

“Customers tell us they want three things: simplicity, quality and a good deal. Those principles drive our innovation, and Truphone 3.0 delivers on all three."

"We’ve dramatically improved our UI and account management tools. We’ve eliminated the need for compression through new advances in signal processing, making calls crystal clear. And, just as we always do, Truphone 3.0 sets a new benchmark in terms of quality and performance that competitors will have a tough time matching."

"With these improvements, we believe Truphone 3.0 is the best application on mobile for our customers’ international calling needs as well as staying in touch with all of their IM communities, in or out of Wi-Fi.”

Similar improvements to Truphone for the iPod touch will be announced soon.

AIM launches on Truphone's iPhone and iPod touch apps

We are excited to announce the launch of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), into the iPhone and iPod touch applications.

Now Truphone customers on both devices can reach their AIM friends via their AIM identity.

With the addition of AIM Truphone customers can now keep in touch with over 800 million addressable accounts for free.

The integration of this messaging service reinforces Truphone as the “all-in-one conversations hub” for iPhone and iPod touch users.

Truphone has already integrated Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger into its applications for these devices, blending a combination of voice and Instant Messaging across multiple IM platforms within one application.

“Our goal is for mobile phone users to be able to reach any contact in their address book or on their buddy list, in a low cost way, at any time, using just one application,” said Geraldine Wilson, Truphone CEO. “Today’s announcement means that Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users gain a great way to stay in touch with AIM users. We will continue to integrate further services and functionality, on other platforms too, giving people everything they need to stay in touch all within the Truphone application,” she stated.

Using Truphone to communicate with any of the supported IM services is free over the Internet. When not in Wi-Fi, Apple iPhone users can also make and receive calls and messages to and from Google Talk for the cost of a local call*, using the Truphone Anywhere feature.

You can download Truphone for the iPhone for free from here, and Truphone for the iPod touch for free from here.

 *Operator roaming charges will apply if users are abroad.

Instant Messaging launches on Truphone for the iPhone

Truphone for the iPhone has today been upgraded, with some exciting new features!

These new features are:

1. Instant Messaging (IM)*
You can have two-way IM conversations with MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk users.

2. Google Talk Calls
You can now make and receive calls using Google Talk.

3. Twitter Integration
If you have a Twitter account you can tweet to your heart’s content, and see your friend’s latest tweets.

The app will update automatically, so if you already have the app you won't need to do a thing. If you don't yet have Truphone for the iPhone, and want it, you can download it for free.

As announced at Macworld, we plan to introduce Skype calling and IM on Truphone for the iPhone very shortly. We are as keen as you to get this exciting new feature out and are also well aware that everyone is anxious to experience Skype on Truphone, but given we’re not completely happy with the user experience at the moment we’re reluctant to launch that piece of the suite at this stage. Our engineers are working flat out to resolve this issue and we expect to make Skype available for you as soon as we possibly can.

*You may incur third party data and call costs when not in Wi-Fi, so look out for those. Roaming charges may apply when not in your home country.

Instant Messaging and more announced at Macworld

We have been at Macworld (stand 3228 if you are there too) for a few days now, and were very excited to announce some rather exciting new features to our iPod touch and iPhone apps.

As you may have heard already, we have just launched Instant Messaging on the Truphone for the iPod touch app, meaning users can now have two-way IM conversations with MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk users. You can also now make and receive Google Talk calls, with the call functionality for MSN Messenger to be added in the coming weeks.

IM and Google Talk calling will also appear in the Truphone for the iPhone app from the week commencing January 12.

As well as IM, we have launched Twitter on the iPhone app, meaning that you can now tweet, and follow what your Twitter contacts are tweeting about, from your phone!

But on top of these new features, we announced something that seems to have generated a real buzz on-line.

And that is the announcement that very shortly we will be launching Skype calling and IM on both the iPhone and the iPod touch apps. This means that you will be able to use Truphone to make and receive Skype calls and instant message. 

All of these new features move Truphone closer to being what we like to call an 'all in one conversations hub', and allow you to have the freedom to speak with all of your contacts from within the one application.

We are very excited about every one of these new features, and can't wait to hear what you think of them.

If you have an iPhone or 2nd Generation iPod touch, and don't yet have Truphone, you can download them for free from iTunes. Download the iPhone app here, or the iPod touch app here.

Truphone on the iPhone now works without Wi-Fi

As you know, Truphone for the iPhone is a simple application that provides significant savings on international calls from your home country by routing outbound calls over the internet using Wi-Fi.

But now, it is even better.

Released today is the enhanced version of Truphone for the iPhone. Two of the best features of the new release are that you can:

Make calls even when not in Wi-Fi.

You can now make international calls through the internet, even when you are not in a Wi-Fi zone. Enjoy our amazing international call rates from your home country without the restriction of having to be in Wi-Fi*.

Receive inbound calls, and call other iPhones, for FREE.

When in Wi-Fi, you can now receive calls for free from other Truphone users when you have the Truphone application open. This also means that you can now free-call Nokia users, and other iPhone users who have Truphone open, provided you are both in Wi-Fi.

The enhanced Truphone for the iPhone application is now available. If you have the application already, you can update it via the App Store on your iPhone. If you have not yet downloaded it, you can do so for free on your iPhone from the App Store or from iTunes, on from iTunes on your PC/Mac.

*Utilises your GSM network, so additional charges may apply

Customer Service and Truphone on the iPhone

We've got an apology for you.

We've had an amazing response to Truphone on the iPhone. A huge number of you have downloaded it and, as previously posted, we're working hard on our next version.

Naturally, this increased interest in Truphone has meant a significant rise in customer service queries. Unfortunately, this has led to delays in getting back to people and we'd like to apologise for this.

In particular, existing Truphone customers on Nokia devices are experiencing delays migrating to iPhone. The truth is, we under-estimated just how many people would wish to do this and our systems have struggled to handle the actual volumes.

To get back on top of this, we have increased the number of help desk staff and further assistance is coming on-stream shortly. Longer term, we are overhauling our processes to prevent it happening again.

Help is also available on our iPhone forum and answers to FAQs are here.

So once again, sorry about this and we promise we're working hard to get things right. We're a growing company and we genuinely do appreciate your custom.

Thank you