Upon closer inspection of the iCall app rolled out today, the company’s claims that its service provides “unrestricted free local and long distance calling over 3G data networks” are far from the truth. While iCall truly is the first 3G VoIP application for the iPhone, it does not provide “free local and long distance calling over 3G data networks.”
After reading the press release this morning, I immediately rushed to download iCall. To put it bluntly, I was disappointed once I got the app up and running. Sure, iCall offers a three-day trial period for free. There’s also ad-supported and pay-per-call versions, but neither of those options support inbound calls. If you really want “unrestricted and free local and long distance,” it’ll cost you $9.95 per month.
When I talked to a spokesman over at Skype this morning, he told me that Skype was in talks with Apple to understand the terms of service involved with the new SDK. After talking awhile, I told him that I had downloaded iCall. To my surprise, he had no idea that the app was already available. He even called me back to verify the $9.95 per month.
The fact that Apple allowed Skype to be left out in the cold on this one could mean that the iPhone may never see totally free 3G VoIP. On its Web site, iCall says it has been working on the iPhone version of this app since May of 2008, which probably means Apple has been holding hands with the company for at least that long.
Bottom line: A paid VoIP app sets a precedent, and if Apple is taking a cut, it’s a pretty good bet that others will be forced to follow suit. Why would I sign up for iCall for $9.95 a month if Skype offers totally free local and long distance VoIP calling?
Sure, iCall’s swift 24 hours to market following the release of the new iPhone SDK could amount to nothing more than great planning. But then I’ve never heard of an app getting approved at the App Store in that amount of time. This smells an awful lot like rotten Apples to me.
Apple’s 3G VoIP move may not amount to exactly what everyone’s hoping for, namely free VoIP calls on their iPhone. Even though Skype says it has a 3G version of its app ready and waiting for Apple’s approval, that approval may be long in coming if it doesn’t belly up with a paid version. I could be wrong, and I hope I am.