It’s no secret that Tru is working on a new version of their VoIP application. But what about the current application? Will it still be supported after the new app comes out or will it simply cease to exist? We decided to take a deeper look into the current-gen VoIP app and answer a few questions along the way. What works? What doesn’t work? We’ve decided to touch on as much as we can.
If you want to learn more about the new, upcoming version, don’t miss our exclusive interview with Adam Linford of Tru Labs and a discussion between RIM and Truphone on how the app will change the way people communicate on BlackBerry 10.
The current application is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry devices. The application stands as a great way for enterprise and individual consumers alike to stay in touch with those who matter most without the pains of dealing with a high phone bill, no matter where in the world they happen to be.
The legacy BlackBerry application is the most bare-bones version. It’s lacking the IM (which will be removed in the next version anyway according to our sources) and it’s lacking the Tru Contacts tab, so no free Tru-to-Tru calling here. The app also doesn’t work with version 6.0 devices from what we hear from users (and thus, may not work with version 7.0 devices either). Other than that, the app seems to do what it was designed to do very well on legacy BlackBerry devices — which is good, because legacy BB devices will not be getting the new app.
We touched on the Android application in our review way back in February. What the review failed to mention, however, was the fact that Android tablets such as the new Nexus 7 are not currently supported by the app, something Tru is looking to include with the next version according to our sources.
The current Android application has had some minor troubles when attempting to connect via 3G networks according to some users, but these seem to be random occurrences and we’re assuming the next version will be more stable (as the currently available application hasn’t been updated since early 2011).
The iPhone application seems to be the best built out of the three mentioned thus far, with the ever-important Tru Contacts tab for free Tru-to-Tru calling, which was omitted completely from the BlackBerry app and was found to be lacking in later Android devices as well. We have yet to complete our own tests with the app on our iPhone 3G, but so far our experiences haven’t been too bad, though we still find it impossible to connect over 3G networks. Tru has told us that the new app will indeed connect over both 3G and 4G networks as well as Wi-Fi, so we definitely look forward to using this functionality when the new app becomes available. Aside from the connectivity issues, some slight freezing, and a dropped call or two every now and then, the app is perfectly functional on Apple’s smartphone.
Users on iPad and iPod Touch have been the least vocal about their experiences so we haven’t heard too much in the way of issues — nor have we experienced anything major on our devices — but we have heard that some users are experiencing periodic crashes when using the app on iOS 4.3.
The application does not currently work on iOS 5 or later, which is quite possibly the biggest flaw we’ve experienced. This leaves a potentially large audience out of the Tru circle and forces them to find alternatives instead. Tru’s GSM SIM service can act as an alternative, but the device has to be unlocked and it is not a VoIP service.
However, Tru promises the new version will work on iOS 5 and above, as well as BlackBerry 10. We haven’t received word yet on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but we’ve contacted Tru to see if we can’t obtain a bit of information. That being said, we’d be very, very surprised if Tru wasn’t planning to incorporate Jelly Bean into its future.
In the meantime, we hope this quick overview has helped answer any lingering questions about Tru VoIP functionality that you might have. If not, please post any additional questions (or any additional experiences) in the comments or shoot us an e-mail!