Mobile application provider fring said today it now offers a full suite of video and voice services via 3G wireless broadband for the iPhone. fring thus becomes the first developer to offer such 3G options for the popular handset from Apple, the company claimed.
Apple (AAPL) began allowing 3G-based VoIP programs in the iPhone App Store last October. Previously, users of mobile communications and social networking hubs, like fring, could only access such services via Wi-Fi.
Earlier this month, the mobile Internet community and communication service upgraded its version for the Android and Symbian mobile operating systems, offering the ability to hide and show address books, live links within fring chats, enhanced privacy features for IM messages, and other upgrades.
The iPhone ecosystem remains tightly controlled and largely inaccessible to many third-party VoIP providers. This week Google Inc. (GOOG) began offering a Web app that functions like Google Voice on the iPhone – several months after Apple and AT&T (T) effectively banned the popular voice, call management and text message service from the device.
With the new application, iPhone users can now use fring to make free voice and video calls over 3G or Wi-Fi internet access, switching seamlessly between the two to stay connected regardless of their location. fring users can also make calls and send text messages using Skype, GoogleTalk and MSN plus hundreds of SIP services.
