Web Phone For Free International Calls
As yesterday was a big holiday in the US, I called there from Ireland. And I did it for free.
Actually I call America several times every week, and mostly for free - but this was different. I called from a web page.
FlashPhone is, as it you might guess, a Flash interface for a phone on a website. From their page you type in the number (with appropriate international and area codes) and then you talk for free. To most anywhere in the world.
Really.
What’s The Catch?
There isn’t one. Not really. There are considerations maybe. But you really can call for free. I did.
Considerations Then
• Obviously you need a headset
• You’ll need the bandwidth to cope with the call
• For the moment you’re restricted to 3 calls a day
• And for the moment each call is limited to 3 minutes
• You need to register
Verdict
The quality wasn’t brilliant. It reminded me of the quality you would get when the companies that offer really cheap international calls for a prepaid account, suddenly offered even cheaper rates if you dialled a different access number. But also with the quality you get from Skype-to-Skype calls (better than phone to phone) I think we’re all getting a little spoiled. That said I’d definitely say the quality of the line is inferior to what you get on a Skype-Out (Computer to Phone) call or a Skype-In (Phone-To-Computer) call.
Also, given that you’re limited to 3 minutes (during Beta) it would have been nice to have a countdown clock so I could have said goodbye in the more traditional manner rather than by saying, Howabout if….
And - it’s ugly. Or you might say simple. But I’d say ugly. Still, this is a small consideration and an easy fix.
But hey, it works. And it’s free. And once out of Beta they promise you unlimited calls. But even until then you can do quite a lot in 3 minutes. Really.
Found via Techcrunch
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