Truphone v4.0

Performance

When it worked, it worked well, when it didn't it just didn't. Some public access points proved hard to connect to for no obvious reason, even with the right encryption key. Some calls would start ringing and then just die before being answered. The likely culprit in both cases was the Nokia E65's Wi-Fi interface and its drain on the battery. Low battery equals poor range, equals poor connectivity, but this does bring home the importance of having the charger to hand to use mains power if at all possible.

Blocked by T-Mobile

Free and low-cost calls from mobile phones doesn't sound like an idea that destined to go down well with operators, and so it proved, with mobile carrier T-Mobile at one point refusing to pass calls to Truphone numbers through its network. Last summer, Truphone won a court case which ordered T-Mobile to start routing calls. As far as we know, the blocking has ceased.

Conclusion

With loads of potential, Truphone could turn into something interesting quite quickly. It has some limitations. It relies on users being able to find Wi-Fi, whether for free Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi calls, or for low-cost calls using Wi-Fi at only one end. If you can't find Wi-Fi, or can't get free Wi-Fi, its advantages become harder to assess. Mobile users who need to make international calls while in their home country should look at it, as should anyone making calls in a territory with high call charges. But the bottom line is that wherever you are, finding a Wi-Fi access point is how you win the battle to access to Truphone's benefits.

It could do with compatibility beyond the clutch of supported Nokia smartphones (this is promised), but if you do have one of those it wouldn't hurt to download it and try it out. There is nothing to lose except a higher phone bill.