Free mobile voice, text and data plans coming to UK ( Freedompop )

d123

sasparillo wrote: »

Does one always have to have access to the Internet to make phone calls with Freedom Pop? Ta!

Yes, it uses the Internet to route calls and texts.

Atasas

d123 wrote: »

Yes, it uses the Internet to route calls and texts.

Doesn't it use data connection as proprietary way of connecting? Makes me wander, if connection priority takes place opposite to normal phone settings?

sasparillo

If Premium Voice costs 99p or £1.99 a month to get a connection outside the Internet, doesn't make it a lot more expensive than an a lot of sim only monthly providers?

redux

sasparillo wrote: »

Does one always have to have access to the Internet to make phone calls with Freedom Pop? Ta!

Yes, but it can be another type of internet connection, such as wifi. However things can be a little more complicated.

If the SIM is in a dual SIM phone, it needs to be in position 1. Ok, that might not be a problem on its own.

However at the moment the FreedomPop app takes charge of all outgoing call attempts from the phone's own ordinary calling app, even for the other SIM card, and it still tests if there is internet.

So there can be the odd case of even the other SIM being blocked from calling if there is no data connection. Incoming calls on that SIM would still work.

I asked about this, and they described it as a bug. Maybe they are working on it, but I wonder how fast.

It leaves me a dilemma, as it is more than half removing the utility of having 2 SIMs.

I wonder if it is possible to temporarily disable the FreedomPop app when wanting to use the other SIM, but I havent yet checked. I could end up deciding to just dump this product, as I don't make loads of fully mobile calls at the moment anyway, and can use other VoIP apps in wifi (or 3g mobile Internet).

SnowTiger

redux wrote: »

However at the moment the FreedomPop app takes charge of all outgoing call attempts from the phone's own ordinary calling app, even for the other SIM card, and it still tests if there is internet.

I bought a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 a few weeks ago. It's a single SIM phone.

Oddly, the FreedomPop app doesn't take over outgoing calls.

I'd guess the phone uses a non-standard dialler. I make very few calls, so I haven't looked closely.

Perhaps installing an alternative dual SIM dialler would allow you to make calls using your other SIM card.

d123

In my tests, with my Galaxy S5 it does use the standard dialler (the FreedomPop app is even just called "Messages") and calls are made straight from the normal dialler.

With iOS it doesn't, you have to dial via the app dialler or calls fail (because it's a single sim phone).

I also haven't tried it in a dual sim phone so can't comment on how to fix that, as a guess, allocating the data connection to the other sim should stop the FreedomPop sim from working.

sasparillo

d123 wrote: »

In my tests, with my Galaxy S5 it does use the standard dialler (the FreedomPop app is even just called "Messages") and calls are made straight from the normal dialler.

With iOS it doesn't, you have to dial via the app dialler or calls fail (because it's a single sim phone).

I also haven't tried it in a dual sim phone so can't comment on how to fix that, as a guess, allocating the data connection to the other sim should stop the FreedomPop sim from working.

Oh that's not good if I've understood correctly? So people with at least the Samsung model you have can have free calls without the internet but not those with iPhones?

d123

sasparillo wrote: »

Oh that's not good if I've understood correctly? So people with at least the Samsung model you have can have free calls without the internet but not those with iPhones?

No, you can still have the free calls, it's just a little more clumsy in that you actually make the calls from a dialler in the app, rather than by pressing the green phone icon and using the stock dialler. It also means you don't have any control over how the phone rings or the noise a text makes. You are stuck with their less than wonderful default sounds.

Zebrdee

They must be getting desperate now, just had an email; Free shipping, activation, 500mb plan trial and 2gb data bonus. Then
Plan includes 1000 minutes, 1000 text, 500mb data and premium voice.
Won't be taking them up on it. :money:

SnowTiger

Zebrdee wrote: »

They must be getting desperate now, just had an email; Free shipping, activation, 500mb plan trial and 2gb data bonus. Then
Plan includes 1000 minutes, 1000 text, 500mb data and premium voice.
Won't be taking them up on it. :money:

I did. After the application I was offered another free SIM too. I already have two.

That means I'll have four SIMs offering 800MBytes of data a month in total. I only use my phone for text chatting, email and a bit of light web surfing, so it'll be more than enough data for me.

I can't see it lasting long if their other customers are free-loaders like me. :rotfl: