Most of us have long-distance calling included in our phone plans. However, few of us actually have plans that include international minutes. Most of us don’t make many international calls, but when we do, the calls can be a bit expensive. But not anymore. I’ve been playing around with the Vonage Time to Call app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch mobile devices. It’s a pretty neat app for making international calls. It’s great for international students, travelers, parents with kids overseas, and frugal dads like me. With the free Apple app, dads and moms can call and talk for up to 15 minutes to 100 countries for $1.99 or less. Read on for more information about the Vonage Time to Call app, how you can get 15 free minutes of international calling, and how you can win $715 in iTunes gift cards (for buying something called the iPad 2 — have you heard of it?).
The Time to Call app is easy to use. You just download the app, select your home country, select the country you want to call, press the Buy button, and then enter your iTunes info (I didn’t actually have to enter any info on my iPod Touch). After that, you can make a call with your address book or by dialing the number directly. In my tests, the calls were clear. And using an Apple iPod Touch to make calls to a real phone number is pretty cool.
For a limited time, Vonage is also offering free international calling (up to 15 minutes) to one hundred countries. All you have to do is download the Time to Call app. No purchase is necessary, but you have to activate the free call before the limited time offer expires (activate it by pressing the “try it for free” button). The free call is limited to 15 minutes, but you have up to one year to use the minutes.
After using the Time to Call app, here’s my take:
Time to Call Positives
- The app is free and easy to use
- No need to set up an account or plan with Vonage — app uses your iTunes account
- Time to Call users do not have to be Vonage home phone service subscribers
- Service works on Wi-Fi worldwide
- Also works on high-quality 3G wireless networks in USA and Canada
- Rates for fifteen-minute calls to 100 countries range from 99¢ to $1.99
- Additional 90 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 service is available everywhere
- Unused minutes will be available for up to a year
- For a limited time, if you have less than 5 minutes remaining, your next call can be up to 5 minutes (even if you only have one unused minute left)
- 70% to 90% savings over major mobile carriers (I did not have time to verify this for myself)
Time to Call Negatives
- Works only with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch wireless devices (Android app coming soon)
- Caller ID shows up as “out of area” because you can’t enter your phone number if you’re using an iPod Touch
- I made multiple free calls, but I can’t find my remaining minutes balance for the free call(s)
- Rates does not include applicable taxes so you don’t really know what the final amount will be
- 3G calls require a data plan with your mobile carrier
- The app is one way, you can call out but you can’t receive calls with the app
- Unused minutes can only be used for the same country or calling region
Apple iPad 2 Giveaway
Thanks to Vonage (Facebook | Twitter), a very lucky reader of my geek dad blog will win two iTunes gift cards. One gift card has a value of $15 and is for testing the Vonage Time to Call app. The other iTunes card is a $700 gift card for purchasing an Apple iPad 2, 32 GB. For $700, you can actually purchase the 64 GB WiFi version if you don’t need the 3G version. If you already have an iPad 2, you can use the iTunes card to purchase something else at the Apple Store. The giveaway is open to all humanoids on the planet Earth (including international life forms). If you don’t have access to Apple in your country, your cash prize will will be sent via Paypal. The winner will be randomly selected. The deadline to enter the giveaway is Sunday, August 14th (Pacific time).
To enter my giveaway, you have to do two things. First task, leave a comment about who and where you would like to call internationally with the Vonage Time to Call app. Second task: you have a choice of either changing my toddler’s poopy diaper or helping me promote the giveaway via Facebook (click on the “like” icon at the top of this page) and/or Twitter (use the retweet button at the top of this page). Let me know in the comments how you will help me out (diaper, Twitter, Facebook).
You can only enter the contest once on my site (no bonus entries). However, feel free to also enter at Geekzone and Small Business Trends. They are also giving away Apple iPads today. There are actually 75 bloggers giving away an iPad 2 over the next several weeks. Check out the contest schedule at Time to call from your smartphone website. And don’t forget to download the new Vonage Time to Call international calling app.
[Update: the winner of my giveaway is Dave (dlposey). Congrats to Dave!]
[Disclosure: The giveaway prize will be provided by Vonage, but they are not the administrators of the giveaway on my blog. I am not liable for the prize. I received an iTunes gift card for testing the Vonage Time to Call app. As always, the opinions expressed are mine and I am not obligated to write a positive review.]
Tweet – http://twitter.com/#!/willitara/status/102934337787412480
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=672965793#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150260198155794&id=672965793
I would call my friend who lives in Sweden! and i helped you out on facebook!
I would call home from Haiti to the US! Helping you out through Facebook. :)
I will call friends in Germany, and dipers!
I would call my sister in Germany. She was recently recognized by apple as an oustanding teacher and she’d love to hear all about my new iPad 2. I just changed my neices messy diaper and liked you on the fb.
I’d like to call my sister in Colorado. Twitter.
I would call my sister in Japan. I’m helping you out on Facebook, but I would also be willing to change a diaper…I do a lot of that. :)
I’d use the app to call my husband who’s deployed right now. :)
I would call my family in Italy so they can see how my Italian has been progressing. I helped via Facebook.
I would like to call my friends in Australia. And can I go with the Diapers and Facebook !
I would love to call my cousin in Norway! we grew up togeather in Boston but when she got married they moved :-( I would mind changing a diaper!! lOl I have 18 month old and we use Cloth..Ewww sometimes!
Tweet :-) http://twitter.com/#!/Coleeol42784/status/102938057271017474
Thanks Friend!
Nicole
Coleeol42784@aol.com
i would call my cousin in Germany and i helped you via twitter
I would call home to my family in the UK.
I helped out by liking you on Facebook; but diapers are my specialty!
I would call my BFF when she’s traveling to England.
I would call my college friend in japan, and I helped out by tweeting http://twitter.com/#!/eaglesforjack/status/102939863443177474
I have a great aunt who lives in a convent in Canada, and a cousin in Switzerland. I would like to call both of them!
I promoted it through hitting the facebook like button. The diaper change is all yours.
I would call my friend in south Korea! I’ll help you on Facebook!
I WOULD CALL CANADA WHERE ALL MY FAMILY LIVE :O)
Listen, I get enough grief over my Facebook page and I don’t Twitter, so as long as your kid is less than 20 (years old…) I pick chance your kid’s diaper. IF I WIN, I’ll also gladly post all over my Facebook page. As far as who I’d call, I’d let my wife use it to call her family in Mexico (Guadalajara…actually a ranch outside Guadalajara). Thanks! kb
I would call my daughter who has moved to England this past year.
I liked you on Facebook.
I would call my younger sister who is in vietnam. Helped via FacebooK!
I’d call my in-laws in the Philippines!
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Jormanda/status/102943473640022018
I would call my twin brother who got adopted by an amazing Italian couple when we were too little to know each other, im trying to go see him this winter for the first time!!!! also gave some facebook love!
I would call a good friend in El Salvador.
I clicked the FB link and I retweeted via the Twitter button. :)
i would like to call my two cousins overseas in Korea in the military
I would call my friend in London!! I would love to tell her I won an iPad!!
I would call my brother and sister that I still haven’t met yet that live in Peru. And I’ll do Facebook
I would call my cousin who’s about to be a foreign exchange student in Japan, and I will help you out with Twitter!
I would make a phone call to my friend Jose Luis in La Palma, El Salvador!
I liked this on Facebook – no poopy diapers for me, thanks.
I would like to call my godmother in Europe! Diapers!
i don’t know anyone to call internationally but maybe I could plan a vacation and make a hotel reservation
i helped you out on facebook
would call a company in Berlin for a job. Facebooked ya.
I would call my in-laws who live in Croatia. And, since I have enough poopy diapers to change at home, I will just help you out on facebook :)
I have friends in Germany that I’d like to stay in touch with.
I also “liked” the blog post!
I would call my friends in Barbados
My cousin in Paris. I will promote via Facebook.
I will use the card for my son, so he can call his dad in Afghanistan.
I would call my whole family who are living in Sweden. I miss them alot.
Liked on FB also :)
I would call to Germany to speak with my sister
I would call my aunties in Puerto Rico i missed them a lot. I will just help you out on facebook :)
Call family on the east coast
DIAPERS!!
facebook; would call my deployed fellow service members and friends overseas
I would totally call my best friend who just moved to New Zeland and I’ll help you on facebook, twitter, and hell for a iPad 2 I’ll change the diaper too! (:
I would give it to my mom so she could call me more regularly since I am going to school and working in the UK. Often she is unable to call me as much as she would like because of the cost. It is hard to be so far away especially on her and this would make her feel better about me being so far away.
I have friends who have family who live overseas…what a fun gift it would be to give them the time to call!! (I have no problem changing diapers but I also liked this on Facebook)
I would call my sister who just began a teaching job in Burma.
Yeah…fourth “Rambo” movie Burma.
And I have enough diapers to change already, so Facebook it is.
call uncle Aiden in Ireland, promote the giveaway via Facebook-Gumma Medlin
I would use it as a regular landline and call whom ever