Best app for texting and making VOIP calls and calls to landlines?

[fuzzybabybunny]

Basically an app that does EVERYTHING via WiFi/3G/4G. Voice and text and video (maybe). A way to completely replace having to have an actual number and voice service, which is a huge issue for travelers. Cell voice service and traditional phone technology is just too fragmented. Data levels the playing field for everyone, no matter where you are.

I know that Skype does all this but Skype sucks for a number of reasons.

1. It needs to constantly be logged in and running on the phone to do anything. Push notifications aren't used. Dumb.

2. The integration with the phone's stock dialers/messengers are non-existent.

3. The app itself sucks. I can't even copy and paste numbers into the Skype dialer. I can't put a cursor in the middle of a number to edit a typo. I have to delete all the proceeding digits to get to the digit that I want to edit.

Viber is great but is only for mobile phones and can't call to landlines.

Google Voice is tied to a mobile number and can't be used for international numbers.

Anything else?

 

[abaez]

This does not exist.

If it does, it's probably something that both sides have to have installed.

 

[nickbits]

No app will integrate with the stock messenger. There isn't an API for it.

Pinger (old TextFree) is pretty close though.

 

[SunnyD]

You've already asked this a month ago and it was already answered for you.

But anyway, CSipSimple as your SIP app (since you're on an Android phone), use Anveo as your SIP provider. I should do what you want it to do (though I'm not 100% sure if it integrates text messaging into the native phone client or not).

And Google Voice is NOT tied to ANY number other than its own. You can have a Google Voice account and NOT have it associated with ANY phone number whatsoever, only using it with Google Talk if you so desire.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You've already asked this a month ago and it was already answered for you.

But anyway, CSipSimple as your SIP app (since you're on an Android phone), use Anveo as your SIP provider. I should do what you want it to do (though I'm not 100% sure if it integrates text messaging into the native phone client or not).

And Google Voice is NOT tied to ANY number other than its own. You can have a Google Voice account and NOT have it associated with ANY phone number whatsoever, only using it with Google Talk if you so desire.

None of your solutions work for international travel and don't answer my question.

Why is it that I can't text numbers other than US ones with Voice?

CSipSimple and SIPDroid have a number of issues. They're not working for me internationally, are a bitch to figure out for the average Joe, heavily fragmented (good luck getting a random international friend to figure this out so that they can keep in contact with you), and their audio codecs suck. Skype's codecs are beautiful. Viber isn't bad.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

This does not exist.

If it does, it's probably something that both sides have to have installed.

I think Skype would have it down if they would just focus more of having an app that doesn't suck balls.

Push notifications instead of having to have a constant data connection and having to be logged in all the time.

MUCH better dialer app and integration with the OS.

Better integration with the contacts list.

Skype is so close but it has so many fatal flaws that I can't use it as my daily dialer.

No?

 

[SunnyD]

None of your solutions work for international travel and don't answer my question.

Why is it that I can't text numbers other than US ones with Voice?

CSipSimple and SIPDroid have a number of issues. They're not working for me internationally, are a bitch to figure out for the average Joe, heavily fragmented (good luck getting a random international friend to figure this out so that they can keep in contact with you), and their audio codecs suck. Skype's codecs are beautiful. Viber isn't bad.

The apps aren't the issue, it's your comprehension of VOIP, international communications and whatnot that is.

CSipSimple and SIPDroid are just SIP clients. They do what you tell them to. They're dumb apps. They don't define your phone number, they don't determine what codecs you have to use, they just facilitate and implement the using of those services.

You want VOIP, pick a VOIP provider. Again, I suggested Anveo, I know they have an international presence, and I know they support SMS over SIP, which is why I suggested them since you seem interested in that.

Once you pick a VOIP provider and do your research on them, you determine what technologies and codecs they offer. Some offer only one, some offer more than one. Then you set up your SIP client to use whatever codec you prefer (or let it automatically negotiate one for you). Then you're done.

There is nothing for random friend to figure out - VOIP is VOIP. You get a DID number, or multiple DID numbers in countries of your choosing (yes, you have to pay for them), and give them to your friends. Your friends call that number just like they would any other person on their phone/provider of choice. There, it's done. It doesn't get much simpler.

The problem is you're trying to make it more complicated than it needs to be. You need to worry about a solution for YOU, not everybody else, when it comes to VOIP. That's it! VOIP interacts with the rest of the world's traditional phone services as intended. Find a solution that works for you.

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I put the break in here because on the flip side you seem to want a fully integrated service similar to Skype, but something that integrates with your phone. Sorry, like others have said, nothing like that even remotely exists.

You have Skype, you have your Viber thing. I would say in terms of a more "ubiquitous" service, you may simply want to look at GoogleTalk as an option. It does IM, Voice (on supported devices), and Video (on supported devices) much the same way Skype does, and because it's integrated so tightly as a google service it directly winds in with your contacts, etc. Given Android's worldwide popularity, and the fact that it's pretty much integrated in on every Android phone by default, it may be an option for you to keep in touch with people a little easier than having them move to Skype or whatnot. Only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to get Google Voice to forward voice sessions to GTalk sessions on Android clients (it works for desktop clients, but not for Android - yet).

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Lastly, as much as I give you shit fbb, I honestly hope this helps somewhat. I know you're genuinely trying to find a solution to your problem, but I think the main issue you're currently having is that you're not quite defining the problem correctly due to a lack of understanding about the potential solutions/technologies you're using. I hope I may have cleared some of that up.

 

[arod]

I think Skype would have it down if they would just focus more of having an app that doesn't suck balls.

Push notifications instead of having to have a constant data connection and having to be logged in all the time.

MUCH better dialer app and integration with the OS.

Better integration with the contacts list.

Skype is so close but it has so many fatal flaws that I can't use it as my daily dialer.

No?

Actually the windows 8 client does have push notifications.... should be coming to the other platforms as well and the integration with wp8 looks like it will be very integrated.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/29/skype-for-windows-phone-8/