For anyone interested looks like these guys are making the app http://www.mavenir.com/Home/default.aspx
Their website has some other interesting products and solutions.
Oh and just an FYI, doesn't work on a rooted device
Oh and just an FYI, doesn't work on a rooted device
Serious? Oh ffs. I wish companies would stop needlessly doing this.
It is my device, I should be able to do with it what I want and not have useful apps like this blocked off from me.
You cannot use it while it's abroad, you also currently can't make international calls or premium calls using the app if you've been invited on to the Beta trial. However when it fully rolls out some of those restrictions may be removed.
At the moment your customer or phone details are registered, so even if you get the app from somewhere it won't work unless you've been invited to be a beta tester. If you are a beta tester you'll need to delete the beta app after the beta ends on 22nd July and re-download it when it goes onto the app stores early August.
Serious? Oh ffs. I wish companies would stop needlessly doing this.
It is my device, I should be able to do with it what I want and not have useful apps like this blocked off from me.
They probably don't want the hassle and cost of support calls by people running non tested versions of Android complaining that it doesn't work, when the company that write and update the app have tested it with the main popular handset's stock phones.
Banks often block rooted devices for obvious security reasons.
I have the home signal box and I can send and receive calls with it. Actually receiving calls was more important. I use my unlimited 24/7 landline for outgoing calls.
Is this app bi-directional ?
If one directional (outgoing only), this app has limited use.
If app is bi-directional, does it perform like an app i.e. you would have to manually restart it each time app was closed down, or more like a widget (effectively on 24/7?)
I have the home signal box and I can send and receive calls with it. Actually receiving calls was more important. I use my unlimited 24/7 landline for outgoing calls.
Is this app bi-directional ?
If one directional (outgoing only), this app has limited use.
If app is bi-directional, does it perform like an app i.e. you would have to manually restart it each time app was closed down, or more like a widget (effectively on 24/7?)
Its bidirectional and runs in the background like a widget.
You can force close it manually. And you'll know if the app isn't working becuase the notification would have disappeared.
EE has this morning announced its own Wi-Fi calling service (as well as VoLTE trials on 800MHz in rural Oxfordshire) for the autumn on 'compatible' handsets. Probably means Windows Phone is out, then.
Vectone have already got a Wi-Fi app and you can use it anywhere in the World while connected to Wi-Fi so can’t see why 3 would put a restriction on theirs after they finished beta testing.
On the Vectone app it does give a warning about cost if used abroad while connected via 3G.
Up-date, Sorry just re-read the Vectone’s FAQ again and it says you can only text over GSM and not make calls for some strange reason but I assume it’s to stop customers complaining about getting charged for the calls and data used while making them.
The website says you also can't use it outside of the UK so no saving on roaming using this I guess.
We'll see if this is just a feature of the trial or not.
For what it's worth, O2's TU Go app can be used abroad without a problem - O2 explicitly state as much on the main TU Go page, look for "Using TU Go abroad" at the bottom : www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go
Let's wait and see what you can and can't do when it goes live. Three has already told trial users of known problems, and using it abroad may be down as something to add later on after it has launched.
Jon, the reason why calling abroad is not added is no billing has been added for the app yet at all. So calls and texts are all free on the beta until release, when they'll come out of your allowance.
So far my experience is as follows:
- Callers say my audio is quiet
- When the screen is off and you get a text, you get the sound but the screen doesn't come on to show you the text, there's also no notification LED.
- Audio on speakerphone is very loud when you hear the dial tone, but too low on the call volume when answered, the volume level for me on non speakerphone calls is fine though.
- After the phone has been asleep for a while, calls come through on the network instead of the app even though my wifi is not set to sleep when the screen is off.
- The app sometimes screws up and doesn't dial and then incoming calls aren't accepted. I am going to test what happens with the screen off for a bit and the phone on GSM only, so no macro network, to see if the call gets dropped.
A nice thing is the app does automatically start on boot of the phone and self logon just fine. I know it's in Beta, so I won't complain I'm sure they'll get through the bug list.
I'm accepted for the trial too, but waiting for the link and to be properly set up. Going to be next week now I expect.
Probably Monday and 12:00 midday as they seem to have a provisioning job at that time. I was told yesterday that it would be today at 12:00 and then bank on to the minute the text came through with the download link.
Confirmed, when the screen has been off for 10 minutes when not plugged in, even though wifi is set to never sleep the phone ignores calls and texts, making the app useless at the moment until they fix that! That is on a Samsung S4.
Will feed back on the beta, again can't complain as it is a trial.
I like EE's idea a lot better actually. I wonder when they will start implementing it.
Only downside is that it seems to need a custom EE firmware? Or am I reading that wrong and it just requires an update from the manufacturer.
It's all standards based so doesn't need any EE specific firmware, although generic devices may not have the relevant capabilities enabled in the firmware. It works something like the paper describes below, so just needs support in the OS of the device, e.g. as now included in iOS 8.
Comments
He means call and text allowance.
We should be pushing Three to give us this app for Windows Phone too, not giving into their demands.
Have you seen their horrendous my Three app on Windows Phone? I never saw such a piece of crap in my life. One of the worst apps on Windows Phone.
I'm sure they'll release a Windows Phone version in time.
It's becoming a major OS.
http://www.mavenir.com/Home/default.aspx
Their website has some other interesting products and solutions.
Oh and just an FYI, doesn't work on a rooted device
Serious? Oh ffs. I wish companies would stop needlessly doing this.
It is my device, I should be able to do with it what I want and not have useful apps like this blocked off from me.
I think that was a tongue in cheek remark related to 4G starting in December and turning out to be April, for most of us.:)
No it isn't. That would be an added benefit but not the main benefit.
At the moment your customer or phone details are registered, so even if you get the app from somewhere it won't work unless you've been invited to be a beta tester. If you are a beta tester you'll need to delete the beta app after the beta ends on 22nd July and re-download it when it goes onto the app stores early August.
They probably don't want the hassle and cost of support calls by people running non tested versions of Android complaining that it doesn't work, when the company that write and update the app have tested it with the main popular handset's stock phones.
Banks often block rooted devices for obvious security reasons.
Is this app bi-directional ?
If one directional (outgoing only), this app has limited use.
If app is bi-directional, does it perform like an app i.e. you would have to manually restart it each time app was closed down, or more like a widget (effectively on 24/7?)
Its bidirectional and runs in the background like a widget.
You can force close it manually. And you'll know if the app isn't working becuase the notification would have disappeared.
On the Vectone app it does give a warning about cost if used abroad while connected via 3G.
Up-date, Sorry just re-read the Vectone’s FAQ again and it says you can only text over GSM and not make calls for some strange reason but I assume it’s to stop customers complaining about getting charged for the calls and data used while making them.
Do you know if the intention is for this to be only via an app or will they be adding voice over wifi later?
We'll see if this is just a feature of the trial or not.
For what it's worth, O2's TU Go app can be used abroad without a problem - O2 explicitly state as much on the main TU Go page, look for "Using TU Go abroad" at the bottom :
www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go
So far my experience is as follows:
- Callers say my audio is quiet
- When the screen is off and you get a text, you get the sound but the screen doesn't come on to show you the text, there's also no notification LED.
- Audio on speakerphone is very loud when you hear the dial tone, but too low on the call volume when answered, the volume level for me on non speakerphone calls is fine though.
- After the phone has been asleep for a while, calls come through on the network instead of the app even though my wifi is not set to sleep when the screen is off.
- The app sometimes screws up and doesn't dial and then incoming calls aren't accepted. I am going to test what happens with the screen off for a bit and the phone on GSM only, so no macro network, to see if the call gets dropped.
A nice thing is the app does automatically start on boot of the phone and self logon just fine. I know it's in Beta, so I won't complain I'm sure they'll get through the bug list.
Probably Monday and 12:00 midday as they seem to have a provisioning job at that time. I was told yesterday that it would be today at 12:00 and then bank on to the minute the text came through with the download link.
Will feed back on the beta, again can't complain as it is a trial.
Only downside is that it seems to need a custom EE firmware? Or am I reading that wrong and it just requires an update from the manufacturer.
It's all standards based so doesn't need any EE specific firmware, although generic devices may not have the relevant capabilities enabled in the firmware. It works something like the paper describes below, so just needs support in the OS of the device, e.g. as now included in iOS 8.
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/asr-5000-series/white_paper_c11-707739.pdf