14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is now officially in the telecommunications market after approving a telephony application that gives the Cupertino giant a 30% cut of all billed calls.
Sold by Vonage Holdings Corp., Time to Call is the first downloadable app that allows pay-per-call international dialing to more than 190 countries.
The app is specifically designed for iPhones and allows users to “make 15-minute international calls at a fraction of the cost of major mobile carriers with easy payment directly through iTunes,” according to the developers.
Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage, said, "With the launch of Time to Call, Vonage has simplified the process of making affordable international calls for iPhone users around the globe."
"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,” Lefar said.
“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," added Lefar.
Early adopters will get a free international call, up to 15 minutes, to 100 countries.
When the 15 minutes expire, a fee will be charged for any other placed calls. The fee is still small compared to those charged by independent wireless operators.
Here’s the breakdown, according to Vonage:
• Pay per call and talk for up to 15 minutes to 100 countries for $1.99 or less (excluding applicable taxes) • For an additional 90+ countries, talk up to 15-minutes for $2.99 to $9.99 (excluding applicable taxes) • Bill directly to your iTunes account • Works on Wi-Fi worldwide and on high quality 3G networks in the U.S. and Canada • For a limited time, unused minutes can be used for additional calls
Users needn’t be a Vonage home customer in order to employ Time to Call. The software is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and requires iOS 3.0 or later.
The application itself is free. iPod touch and iPad owners will require Apple headphones with microphone in order to place and receive calls.