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Vonage is a well-known pioneer in the VoIP space but it’s been primarily known as a landline replacement service. The company is trying to change that perception with its new Vonage Mobile apps for iOS and Android and these offer the ability to make free international and domestic calls, as well as enable you to call others for cheaper rates. This is a very crowded space though, so how did Vonage do?
Read on for the full review of the Vonage Mobile app.
The Vonage Mobile app allows you to make calls and sends texts over WiFi, 3G or 4G. If the recipient also has the Vonage Mobile app or the Vonage home service, the calls or text are free. If you're calling a landline or cell phone without the service, you'll have to pay some money but Vonage is pushing the fact that it's prices are cheaper than something like Skype - Vonage says its prices are roughly 30 percent lower than Skype. You can purchase blocks of Vonage credit though in-app purchases, so buying more calling time is just a few clicks away.
One thing I like is that the Vonage Mobile app can easily sync with your address book to find contacts and unlike some high-profile apps out there, it actually asks for your permission to do it. Another cool feature is that you can set up your actual mobile number as your Vonage Mobile number, so when you're calling friends and family, they can immediately notice that it's you. There are different tabs on your contact page within the app so it's easy to invite people to use it and to identify which of your friends use the app and are eligible for free calls and texts.
Vonage is also touting its high-definition Codecs that it uses to provide some super-clear calls and I've heard this first-hand multiple times. I called a friend of mine in Korea who downloaded the app and he sounded quite clear even though I was using Verizon's 3G. When IntoMobile's Blake Stimac and I talked with the Vonage Mobile app, he said it was "probably the clearest call [he's] ever head." We were both on WiFi.
So the Vonage Mobile app strongly delivers on its promises of allowing you to make free or cheap calls and texts, and we found the call quality to be superb. That doesn't mean it's a perfect app though. Competitors Skype and Tango offer video calling from your phone and I missed this feature in the Vonage Mobile app. I don't do video calls all the time but I love having the option. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vonage implement this down the road, too.
As for the design of the app, it's straight forward and gets the job done but I wouldn't have minded a bit more flair in it. I guess it's tough to really jazz up a calling app that much but a few neat flourishes here and there could help it stand out more.
The Vonage Mobile app produces some of the best VoIP calling clarity that we've heard from an app and being able to use it on Android, iOS and multiple tablets is great. The call quality is really something to brag about too. On the downside, I wish there was the ability to make video calls. Still, the Vonage Mobile app is free and provides an excellent service if you make lots of international calls. Heck, there's even a promotion where you can get 3,000 free minutes to almost any line in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, so it's worth a download just to hear how good it sounds.
Check out the video below to see Vonage Mobile in action.
This post is sponsored by Vonage, and you can download the apps here. For more information about Vonage Mobile, please visit Vonage’s site and you can see it in action on YouTube. Please note that sponsorship will not impact the review.