Fring is perhaps the most practical and economical VoIP solution for the iPhone I’ve come across. If you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can install Fring as a native app and use it to dial and receive phone phone calls, without using up those precious minutes on your AT&T/T-Mobile phone plan.

I’ve tried Jajah and other supposedly cheap VoIP services on the iPhone, but found these to be only worth using if you’re making a lot of international calls. Fring is different because to use their basic Skype/VoIP services, it’s free of charge. Calls or chats to other Skype users are free. The only time you have to pay is when you want to call others who are not Skype users or you want non-Skype users to call you. But you would pay Skype, not Fring, for these additional services. For this to be a practical, working VoIP solution, I knew I would have to spend some money upfront.

I also like Fring’s IM interface as you can connect to Skype, GoogleTalk, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo (chat only), SIP, Twitter (chat only), and AIM (chat only). Only bad thing is that you can’t change your status (available, away, etc) on Fring yet.

Here’s my recommended setup for Fring:

1. Get a SkypeOut subscription (allows you to dial out using your computer or iPhone; one drawback is the lack of CallerID if you’re in the U.S.). Plans are fairly inexpensive (less than $3/month)
2. Get SkypeIn (a local number you can purchase from Skype for others to reach you at), which will run you about the same as the cost of a SkypeOut subscription, and
3. Enable Call Forwarding on your Skype account.

This will allow you to dial out (SkypeOut via Fring) and receive phone calls (SkypeIn) using Fring. The only time it will use up your phone plan’s minutes is when you don’t pick up when someone’s calling you through your SkypeIn #, and it forwards to your actual cell phone number, and you pick up.

The two biggest drawbacks with this more economical way to call or receive calls are: 1) no CallerID when you call someone through Fring (because of SkypeOut’s limitations), and 2) cannot make voice calls on Edge network (must be on WiFi to make or receive a call through Fring). However, let’s say you’re not on WiFi but on the Edge network. if you have call forwarding enabled on Skype, the good news is that if you get a call through Fring, your Fring won’t be able to pick it up (not until the 3G iPhone comes out), but your regular cell phone number will (call forwarding). Also, if you don’t pick up, it will go straight to your iPhone’s voicemail.

Here’s what I’d like to see in the next release:
-Integration with Contacts.
-Ability to add buddies/contacts instead of having to punch in all the digits (i don’t have a photographic memory).
-Ability to dial extension numbers or pause (”,,”).
-Vibrate when phone is set to vibrate.
-Skype Voicemail integration (right now, the only way to get voicemail is to have the calls forwarded to your regular cell phone #, and have it go to that voicemail).
-Ability to change IM status.

Thanks to Fring, I can probably save 200 minutes or so a month and have these minutes rollover. Glad I have the basic AT&T phone plan.

Bought some new shoes on eBay for $44 (includes S&H).  Wanted something plain-looking and comfortable enough for walking, but also not something that everyone’s got.