It seemed like a good idea at the time.
After all, why shell out the potentially thousands of dollars to own an iPhone
when for considerably less you can have all the thouchy goodness without being
tethered to a contract with an iPod Touch. But as the days and months go on, more and more you
feel something’s missing. And then one day your pants catch fire as the friction from your Touch and your cell phone create an inferno in your Levis. Thank goodness for
Jajah.
The first iteration of this VoIP app was
for the iPhone and it simply racked up minutes on your mobile plan just like a regular usage. Well,
that’s old news now. With the new Jajah the wide world of cost-effective VoIP is
at your fingertips, assuming you have wi-fi access that is. JaJah has shifted gears,
placing its service squarely in the wireless internet market, which means the
iPod Touch is now able to hop on board with the voice over IP movement. What’s
more, they’ve added the ability to send and receive SMS messages, giving them
an exclusive edge over the competition.
With its newfound reliance on wi-fi JaJah
has effectively and efficiently done away with the need to be on a carrier’s mobile plan. But
this also means that iPhone users won’t have the added advantage of EDGE or 3G when
it comes to placing JaJah calls.
The app itself keeps things plain and
simple. The interface mimics that of the iPhone so the keypad as well as the contact
navigation should seem very familiar. Dialing up a number is as easy as
selecting a contact or entering a phone number. Ditto for SMS messages.
However, there is the small matter of
finances. JaJah offers the VoIP service at 3 cents/minute for calls within the US and
relatively similar rates for calls to Europe. Interestingly, JaJah has no intention of cornering the VoIP service
market. They’re actively pursuing mobile carriers so that they can provide their
own, branded, VoIP service.
And if you’re wondering where the mic is on
your iPod Touch, you can stop looking, there isn’t one. You can, however,
purchase some nifty ear buds, like these*, that will pick up your mumblings.
The JaJah app should be hitting the App
Store shortly at a staggering $0!
*Note: In-Ear Headphones with Mic will only work for 2nd Gen iPod Touch
