Line2 has been a powerhouse app on the iPhone for quite a while. As of yesterday, the company released its services for Android users.
“We are so excited to bring Line2 to Android devices.” said Peter Sisson, Founder and CEO of Toktumi. “We designed Line2 for Android from a clean slate, rather than just porting over the user experience from our Apple version. We kept all the features, but we adopted UI conventions familiar to Android customers, and took advantage of some cool Android capabilities.”
What does this mean for us? Well, Line2 does exactly what it says. It gives you a second number attached to your Android device. I know this has been a repeated question asked by consumers when I worked for T-Mobile. Many people really want or need a second phone number for business purposes or just because. It was always a headache and a hassle to try set up call forwarding on many land line carriers. All that stops now.
Set up is simple, download the app from the market, it’s FREE. Follow the on screen instructions and you are ready to rock a second number in less than 5 minutes. The app allows you unlimited calls and texts through Line2 using Wi-Fi or 3G/4G data services. Using VoIP services to allow you to call and text an unlimited amount of time without the need for cell coverage.
Some key features about the application:
* Your own unique phone number
* Make calls over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G cellular data networks using VoIP
* Make calls using cellular voice calling when VoIP isn’t an option
* Call waiting, call hold, call transfer, and conferencing
* Visual voicemail on your phone or by email
* Text messaging (SMS) in portrait or landscape mode
* Low international rates
Now I told you the app is free, I am sort of right. The Line2 application is a free download in the market. They offer you a 30 day free trial to test out the service. Once the 30 days is up then you can sign up for a simple monthly cost of only $9.95 a month to continue to use the service, which really isn’t a bad price for unlimited calls and texts in the U.S. and Canada plus all the above mentioned other perks.
Something that might interest our international travelers, since this is a VoIP service, you don’t have to worry about those pesky international roaming charges anymore. Simply make sure you are on a a data connection, and you are good to go. I am not sure how well it works personally but I am certain it should work really well. You can learn more about the international costs on their website.
I set this application up today with minimal difficulty. It integrates into your phone book, so no worries of trying to add you contacts or anything. You can either open the application and make your call or even go through your normal phone book, when you try to call someone, it will prompt you to use your phone or Line2. Makes using the feature very easy.
Click or scan the QRCode below to find out more information about the Line2 application.
Summary and Downloads:
Application: Line2
Developer: Toktumi, Inc.
Cost: FREE
Doesn’t google voice do this for free too? And you don’t need to pay $10
Google Voice isn’t a VoIP client. You still have to pay your phone carrier bills. With Line2 you can cut back on your minutes to a cheaper plan and use VoIP when available.
Not to mention that Google Voice still needs some work on the call quality.
google voice does not give you an incoming voip number. It uses your existing number and redirects to it. But this plan is still too much..see my other post.
Maybe I’m missing something, but what difference does that make?
ok so basically:
when you get a googlevoice number, when people call that number that number redirects to your existing cell number and rings on your phone, It is not sip based and it does not use data to receive the call. Although googlevoice is using voip for its service it does not have anyway to set it up as data. you will still get charged for minutes for incoming and outgoing calls.
line2 (and more importantly the service i recommended which is NOT 10/month) are pure data. when you receive a call it uses only voip and DOES NOT dial your cell phone, instead it goes directly to the app…you can even purchase a voip router which will take the sip settings for such services and plug a regular phone to them and the router will ring where ever you are. As pointed out in the post above, you can be in any country and through data be receiving and making calls with these services at no charge to your cell phone bill.
But still, Ive been using these sevrices for years…10/month is way to much…even skype is more expensive then the services i use.
10 bucks a month is wayyyy too much for any voip plan.
http://www.sipgate.com offer a truly free incoming number which you can add to your phone with any sip app. I use sipdroid free on the market. The first month you also get 60 minutes free for outgoing calls and then it is just a free incoming number. If you want to make calls through it then you can add credit to it like a pay as you go number…but it doesnt expire..and rates are cheaper than skype.
if you just want outgoing calls (which is the case in europe since providers do not charge you for incoming calls) then http://www.voipdiscount is your best bet. Also compatible with sipdroid and prices are extremely cheap..especially for international calls. With about 15 bucks you get 3 months of free credit to several destinations (U.S. and Greece are two that I care about) for 300 minutes a week. Once your free credit expires you start using the 15 bucks credit (its actually about 12 left after tax and fees) at about 1.5 cents a minute to severqal landlines around the world. it can also be used with a local access number like a calling card..you just need to register the incomin numbers so it automatically recognizes your account.
those two are the voip/sip services I use an recommend..line2…nope..
It says free hete but the app says free for 30 days.. will we have to pay after 30 days