If you’re planning on traveling or moving abroad, you’ll find that your regular mobile phone bills can suddenly skyrocket. From Skype to Whats App, there have been many new apps on the market over the past few years designed to minimize long distance costs and allow users to stay in touch with friends and family overseas. The following are a few of the most current apps, using today’s technology to facilitate cheap international calls and provide other fun features.
HeyTell
There’s nothing worse than using up your minutes or paying costly connection fees, only to find out the other person is unavailable. You can record and send messages to friends and family using HeyTell and avoid these charges, because the app is free. It works as a personal voice mail service, allowing you to send a message quickly and easily. The messages only use up a small amount of data; comparable to sending an email. You can also take part in group chats with your friends and place interesting layered effects over your voice.
Couple
Long distance relationships can be challenging to say the least, but new apps like Couple allow couples to stay in touch even overseas. Developed by TenthBit, this app allows you to create and share intimate video, audio, and photographs to share with your loved one. You can also touch the same spot on the phone as your partner to make both phones vibrate, to share a virtual kiss.
NetTalk
Available for iOS and Android, NetTalk allows users to make free calls to any North American phone number. While you can’t receive incoming calls, you can record your calls or take part in group chats. NetTalk requires you to sign up for an account, but there is no charge for the service and you also benefit from a free automatic 411 directory to find the correct number that you’re looking for. You can import your contacts directly from your phone for an easy integration process.
Viber
Although it’s not brand new, Viber continues to grow in scope and has become one of the most popular communication apps out there. It allows users to place calls, send photos, share locations, and send text messages for free. Unlike similar programs, there are no limitations on the device or network that you use, as it’s compatible for Blackberry, Android, and iOS systems. You don’t need to have any special log-in or password, which streamlines the process of using it. Users can simply use their regular phone number as an ID and no registration is required. Furthermore, when you download the app, it automatically synchs up with your contact list.
Whether you’ve used up your monthly minutes or want to save on international calls, you now have several options to choose from. The apps mentioned above, international calling cards, and prepaid SIM cards from Lebara.de and other providers are some of the top ways to stay in touch. There’s a growing demand for new methods of long distance communication, making it cheaper than ever to call friends and family overseas. We can expect to see this technology continue to grow in the future, for faster connections and more unique features.
