Acrobits recently provided me with a copy of their flagship product, Softphone. Softphone is a VoIP iPhone app, which allows you to make calls over a wifi Internet connection when no cell service is available, or to make low-cost long-distance calls.
The app has a very easy set up, supports multiple SIP accounts, and allows you to quickly switch between them on the fly so you can take advantage of the best SIP rates based on where you’re calling to or from.
Acrobits uses a high quality G.711 audio codec which produces very decent sound. I made several calls using Softphone over my home wifi and a trial Gizmo5 account, and I must say I’m quite impressed with the sound quality and the Softphone app’s interface.
My only previous experience with SIP calling was back in 2005, when the technology was far inferior than it is today, so I went into this review with pretty low expectations. What I discovered, however, was that Softphone provides a calling experience almost equivalent to the built-in Phone app with audio quality that’s also very close.
Where Softphone takes it one stop further is by providing an in-call recording function. With a single tap, you can immediately begin recording the call and save it to an audio file for later playback or sharing. The app integrates with the iPhone’s Address Book, allowing you to search existing contacts and even add new contacts. You can even save a sip:username URL in the phonebook.
Softphone also provides the standard speakerphone functionality, a detailed call history, and a QuickDial panel, where you can save up to 12 contacts for one-tap dialing. Rather than create a multi-protocol client where SIP is only one of the protocols, Acrobits decided to build an app that’s focused on making calls. That way, there are no compromises made in the user interface thereby improving the overall usability and call experience.
Softphone does provide incoming call support, as long as the app is left open in the foreground. A setting in Softphone will prevent the iPhone from sleeping if desired, though this reduces battery life. Acrobits informs me they are working to implement push notifications for incoming calls in a later release, but at this time the app must remain open to receive a call. Also, though I’ve not personally tested this, I’ve been told that Softphone will work just fine with Backgrounder, which allows apps to run in the background on jailbroken iPhones.
Though I probably won’t find myself using a VoIP phone very often, as I just rely on my iPhone and AT&T’s cell coverage, for times that I might ever need to place an international call, I will definitely be using Acrobits Softphone. If you currently have a SIP account, you should give Softphone a try. Also, there are many services on the web that provide free outgoing SIP calling, several of which work with Softphone.
One note to keep in mind however, at this time, Apple only allows VoIP calling over wifi, so Softphone will not work over 3G or Edge.
You can read more about Softphone on Acrobits website (link), and purchase the app on the iPhone App Store (link) for $7.99 USD.
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TAGS: acrobits, sip, softphone, telephony apps, VOIP apps, VOIP on iPhone, wifi calling
