Following our reviews for Android, BlackBerry, and Windows PC, we have decided to turn our Tru App reviewing eye toward the iPod version next.
To put it simply, Truphone’s Tru App for iPod transforms your second or third generation iPod Touch into a phone. Though it has a number of differences that separates it from its iPhone counterpart (which we will be reviewing shortly), both apps are very similar in both form and function.
Specifically, the differences between the iPod and iPhone versions consist of the iPod version’s lack of support for TruAnywhere and 3G calling (Wi-Fi only, no mobile network support). Other than that, the two apps are essentially identical.
For our tests, we used a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The app itself functioned smoothly immediately after we opened it. We started at the dialer screen and made a few test calls before testing the social networking aspects of the app. We used our Wi-Fi hotspot in the U.S. to call our recipient in Australia. Our test calls were all successful, and were clear and crisp. It worked perfectly every time.
We were very happy with the social networking aspect as well. The Tru App for iPod was leaps and bounds better than its Android-flavored cousin. Unfortunately, the Android app had been plagued with a number of issues (you can read about our Android review by clicking on the Android link in the first paragraph of this article). The Instant Messaging worked very well and we were also pleased to be able to call our Google Talk and Skype contacts for free, also something the Android app had issues with due to the lack of a Tru Contacts tab (shown top center in the photo above).
The biggest downfall of the iPod app was the lack of 3G/TruAnywhere support, but really, it was a very minor thing. The application itself was solid and worked exactly as it was supposed to. In fact, the biggest complaint we saw on the iTunes app store from customers was the fact that calls made to cellular phones weren’t free, but that is true for most any VoIP application on the market today, including Skype and Fring.
All in all, we were definitely pleased with the app for iPod and look forward to the day when the Android app will be on par with it.
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