14 DAY TRIAL // Fring has announced a major update for users of its popular VoIP-based communications app with the same name. On the company’s blog, the development team reveals that, “With the new fring for iPhone you get lots of fring goodies including 2 way video-calling where you want and with whom you want!” Fring is an iOS application that lets users make free voice and video calls, and perform live IM chats directly from their iPhone and iPod touch.
Thanks to a recent update, fring users will benefit from “face-to-face video calls with friends on their Droids, Nokia (Symbian S60) and other iPhones,” as well as “video calls over 3G or Wi-Fi.” The Fring team notes that performance over 3G is subject to mobile operators’ 3G coverage & quality.
“Use that fancy new front-facing camera for video calls from the beach or from the mountain top (on 3G or Wifi) to your friends on whatever mobile phone they have. So even if they don’t have an iPhone 4 yet, you can see their pretty faces,” the team explains. “So go ahead and video call Elizabeth on her Evo, Ivan on his iPhone, see Ned on his Nokia or Debra on her Droid,” Fring states.
Multitasking support is also added for iOS 4 users, allowing customers to stay available at all times: “So you can keep fring open in the background, even as you use other iPhone services/apps,” the development team explains. The New Social Stream will chronologically stream all twitter, facebook, chats and call updates, all in one place, while the “smarter address book” allows you to manage your buddy list, and merge contacts.
Although the app’s iTunes description doesn’t mention anything about it being supported on the iPad, Fring’s requirements reveal that Apple’s tablet device is compatible with the application. It also only requires iOS 3.0 or later.