FriendCaller Blog

FriendCaller App missing from iTunes App Store

A bit of a shock for all of us today. All of our FriendCaller apps just suddenly disappeared from iTunes app store. A search for the word “FriendCaller” does not show any result. We got complaints from potential users who could not find the apps anymore.

What happened? We are not sure, the apps are still available in the store, and they were also climbing up steadily in popularity, but now it seems that this sudden disappearance will result in a bad aspect. So far we have received no response to our inquiry with Apple Inc.. Suspiciously, iCall (another app featuring VoIP over 3G) disappeared as well.

Right now the only way to find us is to search for C2Call and click on the result under developers http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/c2call-gmbh/id308292800

FriendCaller developer: C2Call

Or till the problem is figured out, please download our apps here:

FriendCaller Instant VoIP
http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/friendcaller-instant-voip/id308292797?mt=8

FriendCaller 3
http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/friendcaller-3-free-calls/id325034351?mt=8

FriendCaller 3 Pro
http://itunes.apple.com/my/app/friendcaller-3-pro/id320369555?mt=8

Talking about vanishing freedom of mobile VoIP, seems to be very fast!

Most of the people in US who bought iPhone with an AT&T contract are found complaining all the time about the network coverage and unavailibility of the service due to network load and congestions. The carrier that was overlooked once as to be the major future success in wireless telecom industry on the launch of iPhone, is now seems to be a burden for those who wish to buy the new Apple iPad. Apple revealed its iPad in the last week of January with the usual AT&T contract proposal.

Despite so many complaints filed by subscribers against the AT&T, it is quite surprising why Apple still wishes to coninue the partnership with AT&T in the US till the end of this year, and maybe it will extend to next year too.

As far as the other countries are concerned, during the Monday’s quarterly earnings conference call, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook explained that Apple would inevitably adopt a multi-carrier strategy in all the countries where the company believes a multi-carrier system would happen anyhow. But, for US, everyone wonders why a single carrier strategy is embraced?

“We think iPhone customers are having a great experience from the research we’ve done,” Cook answered when was questioned with the very same.

On the other hand the situtaion is quite different to the satisfaction displayed by Cook. VoIP app developers and service providers are facing huge problems satisfying customers with AT&T plans. Subscribers say that even with a full signal bar and the 3G icon displayed on their iPhones, they are unable to connect via VoIP apps. Not to forget that very recently Apple lifted up the restriction of VoIP calls over 3G network, and most of the iPhone users have tried to use the VoIP apps to cut down the huge network call rates from their service providers.

Burdening a single carrier in a country with more than 7 million iPhone users might be good for the corporate culture, but maybe Apple needs to consider the problems VoIP developers and service providers are facing in comforting their valued app users. In short, users should have a freedom of choosing the carrier they are comfortable with.

Our Community is growing bigger and bigger and therefore we want to  start a little movie contest to make you more happy.

All you have to do is to make a short video clip showing how you feel using FriendCaller on your iPhone or iPod Touch. It does not matter how you record it (with a digital camera, or with a webcam, cellphone … ), we just want to see how you feel about it. You can also make a video of yourself using the FriendCaller WebPhone.

The movie should howsoever follow one small guideline: A playtime from 2 minutes to 3 minutes would be perfect but please not longer then 3 minutes.

When you are done, please send the video or the link ( e.g. youtube, myspace ) to video@c2call.com

We are now checking all incoming mails and will rate all the movies with the help of an honourable Judge, thus chosing the best three video producers. These top three will get the follwoning prizes:
1. 30$ FREE Credit for your FriendCaller account (i.e. upto 18 Hours of FREE Calling Credit to your favorite landline/mobile)
2. 20$ FREE Credit for your FriendCaller account (i.e. upto 12 Hours of FREE Calling Credit to your favorite landline/mobile)
3. 15$ FREE Credit for your FriendCaller account (i.e. upto 8 Hours of FREE Calling Credit to your favorite landline/mobile)

So that´s it! No more limitations or conditions. You have a free hand to create the clip/movie and win one of these three wonderful prices.
We will be glad to see what you have got for us

~ Best of Luck from the FriendCaller Team

P.S. All clips will be hosted on our Youtube page. We don’t want to disappoint anyone, so whatever you make, it will be honoured!

Image: Salvatore Vuono

Sadly, our FriendCaller iPhone apps allowing free calls with everybody on the Internet and low cost to phone numbers are no longer available in Hungary, Poland and Greece. Is the freedom of mobile communication vanishing already that fast? Apple Inc. informed us about this limitation through the iTunes approval process. Let us hope the sanction will be limited to these countries.

Three countries are back to the VoIP dark ages, while others start talking.

Image: Michal Marcol

On this Valentine Day say more to your loved ones with our 25% FREE credit. Just use the Valentine’s Day Promo Code: PROMO25 and get FREE 25% Calling credit on your next purchase. This coupon is valid on all credit top-ups till 28th February 2010. Coupons are limited and can be claimed on first-come-first-served basis.