Fring, an Israeli startup that has a great VOIP/Chat service for mobile phones (see our February coverage), is launching an iPhone version of the service sometime in the next 24 hours, we’ve heard.
This is not a browser-based chat app like FlickIM or Mundu. It should be a fully functional downloadable version of the application that allows users to access the fring, Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo and AIM services.
That means they’ll be using the Jailbreak installer, which severely limits the number of iPhone users who will download and use it.
But Fring may also be the first really killer application that can get non-early adopter users to consider using Jailbreak. The ability to make VOIP calls over the data plan in itself is probably worth it (although it may only work over Wifi, not the Edge network).
This is most likely a test run in preparation for the official iPhone app store that will launch this summer. It’s also a risky strategy - some developers I’ve spoken with are avoiding Jailbreak because they don’t want to anger Apple and have their official applications banned down the road.
Fring is doing very well even without the iPhone. The service, which is about a year old, gets 100,000 new active users per month. We’ll update when Fring actually launches the application. Update: It launched. Read about it here. Download it here.
iPhone apps, leading the way to the mobile internet in the making, applause!
Fring on an Iphone 3G is on the way to be a killer app…
This is mad.
Cant wait till its out!!
Atleast I can talk with my iphone for the first time in Japan, haha!!
Your info re: Fring is suspect: It works on Series 60 Nokia devices.
Dennis, drop by later and apologize.
Don’t need an iphone anymore because the Itouch with fring is now voice enabled.
Just need good wifi everywhere.
Marvel
one more reason to get an iphone…
will iphone 3g be available in June?
I want a Samsung Instinct.
let it drop soon. tell scoble while he’s in israel to get it up asap… lol
fring is unreliable crap as a Skype client.
@ Rajiv as Comcast, Deutsche Telekom, At&T, China Telecom, Verizon, BT, Vodafone only to name a few
I have been using fring for about 18 months now but not for VoIP but IM.
It is a fantastic IM client and more so it is a great client for twitter. much underplayed but worth a look.
Too bad they don’t have a version for BlackBerry handsets.
@ Emonn - Too bad you have a phone that only allows J2ME applications to be developed for.
Maybe it’s time to move on to a better, smarter phone?
@Mike - Why: as I read it, says “Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones” but no mention of S60 eg Nokia??
Installed .978 on iPod touch -
I was able to register, add my google talk info - the chat screen was a little buggy as there was only a black bar where I was typing… so I couldn’t actually see what I was typing…
I exited the app, but it crashes whenever I tried to log in again.
When you click “existing” to sign in, the submit button says “register.”
If I uninstall and reinstall I’m able to log in again… but once I exit, it just crashes out on me.
I thought the instructions said it was going to be 1.0, but all I could see in installer was .978.
I have an iPod touch 1.1.4 jailbroken with ZiPhone
Amazing, it works !!!
I’ve been using Fring on my Nokia N95. It’s a great Twitter client, but when used for VoIP the audio quality varies depending on the connection. Sometimes it is great and sometimes completely unusable. I can’t imagine anyone trying to do VoIP on the iPhone until the 3G version comes out.
When will Fring be able to join Apple’s iPhone dev program anyway? Currently, as a non-US developer, they are locked out.
As for the risky part (incur wrath of Apple), if Apple does not have objective criteria for exlcusion of AppStore applications, they certainly risk both bad PR and a significant lawsuit. I recall a rather large MSFT settlement on a similar point a few years back.
worx great with iphone 1.1.4
@Christopher Herot: I use Fring on N95 with 3G and it’s not so great for VoIP but then my 3G is crabby at best.
so Fring app will be available in Iphone app store
Here is an extended step by step guide on how to install fring on iphone:
http://www.jonathanmacdonald.com/?p=548