Making international VoIP calls from your iPhone just got slightly less complicated, and slightly more expensive. Vonage's new Time to Call app lets you make short, 15-minute calls to 190 countries with rates ranging from 99 cents to $9.99 per call. Payments are processed through iTunes, so you don't need to create an account with Vonage, giving the app a slight advantage over services from competitors like Skype -- for now, at least. The app works over WiFi everywhere, and 3G in the US and Canada, and you'll pay the same rate when calling both mobile phones and landlines -- so you could save quite a bit if you typically make short calls to mobile numbers. For casual callers, however, the app's most appealing feature is the free call you'll get after installation. We wasted it on a 30-second call to Tokyo that would've cost us three cents to make using Skype, so hopefully you'll be slightly more creative.
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Vonage Announces Global Launch of Pay-Per-Call International App for iPhone with Direct Payment Through iTunes
Free Call to 100 Countries Available with Every Download for a Limited Time
Time to Call™ Provides Dramatic Savings over Major Mobile Carriers for Callers in 87 Countries
HOLMDEL, N.J., Aug. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) is making good on its promise to deliver low-cost, easy-to-use international calling on smartphones around the world. Time to Call™ is the first downloadable app that allows pay-per-call international dialing to more than 190 countries. The app, designed for iPhones, lets consumers make 15-minute international calls at a fraction of the cost of major mobile carriers with easy payment directly through iTunes.
For a limited time, Vonage will provide a free international call, up to 15 minutes, to 100 countries. The free trial is available with any download, with no purchase necessary*. Time to Call launches globally today and is available for download in 87 iTunes stores.
"With the launch of Time to Call, Vonage has simplified the process of making affordable international calls for iPhone users around the globe," said Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage. "Not only does this service offer tremendous value for international callers dialing from their home countries, it also provides a great solution for international travelers who want to avoid the bill shock associated with international calls and roaming charges when they call back home. Time to Call requires far less effort than calling card services and other international calling plan options, and is substantially less expensive than dialing direct through a mobile carrier. It's simple, fast and fair."
With Time to Call, there's no ongoing commitment and calling is quick and easy. After downloading the app, customers simply select the country they want to call, touch the Buy button and enter their iTunes credentials, then make the call either from their address book or by directly dialing the number.
Fifteen-minute calls to 100 countries range from $0.99 to $1.99; more than 90 additional countries can be called for flat rates ranging up to $9.99**. Calls to landlines AND mobile phones are the same rate. Time to Call users do not have to be Vonage home phone service subscribers. With easy payment through iTunes, there's no hassle with credit cards, cash payments or going to the store to purchase calling cards.
Time to Call is the second recent offering that extends Vonage beyond home phone service into next-generation products including mobile.
Nearly 50 percent of all international calls worldwide originate from a mobile phone, according to TeleGeography.(1) The market opportunity is huge and growing, and Time to Call meets the need with a simple and affordable pay-per-call service that requires no commitment or advance planning. Later this year, Vonage will introduce an Android(TM) version of the Time to Call app.
The Time to Call service works on Wi-Fi worldwide, and is also available for use on high-quality 3G wireless networks in U.S. and Canada. When used on 3G networks, carrier charges may apply if the user has a limited data plan.
For more information on Time to Call, please go to iTunes or http://www.vonagemobile.com/.
