VoIP solutions available on Android phones like HTC Hero
There are already plenty of mobile VoIP software on different smartphone platforms: Fring available on Windows Mobile, Symbian, iPhone and Maemo, Nimbuzz are available on Windows Mobile, Symbian, and iPhone. And the list can be a quite long. However, if you search mobile VoIP software on Android phones like HTC G1, Magic or Hero, there is hardly a working solution. What is the reason?
Of course, the development history of Android platform is much short than Windows Mobile, Symbian or even iPhone and Maemo, it needs some time to port existing mobile VoIP software on other smartphone platforms to Android. However, the Nimbuzz already has Android version but it doesn’t support VoIP. There is also Skype mobile version on Android, but it uses call in mode (access number) to make VoIP calls, which is not a real mobile VoIP over data connections implemented as Skype on Windows Mobile and Symbian (via Fring or Nimbuzz). Even the Android version of Gtalk — Google’s own desktop VoIP software — doesn’t have VoIP feature.
The root cause of difficulty to have native mobile VoIP software on Android is its architecture. In short, applications on Android platform are Java ME based and have no direct access to hardware, such like audio codec, which limits the speed of software on Android phones. The direct access audio codec is crucial for mobile VoIP software as they need do voice compression to transfer it over a limited bandwidth with an acceptable delay.
For users who are not loyal to “real” mobile VoIP software, Google Voice maybe a more attractive solution than Android version of Skype because of better integration with system, free SMS/call to continental US numbers and more extra features. The disadvantage of Google Voice is that it is only good for US customers.
To make VoIP calls with call in mode, you even don’t need a software like Google Voice or Skype installed on your Android phone. For example, as long as nonoh or other VoIP brands from Betamax has access numbers in your control, you can make VoIP calls from any number registered under your account.
For Android users who want “real” mobile VoIP software badly, there is a good news that the latest Android version opens the access to hardware to developers such as mobile VoIP software companies. And there is already a SIP client for Android called SIPdroid available, though I think as a software developed by open source community average users may need some time to get familiar with it.
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Hi, is there native SIP client for Android yet? (11 September 2009)
I want to buy the HTC Hero because it is based on Linux, but it seems like Nokia/Symbian are the only guys with native, built-in SIP usability.
If SIP clients cannot run on Android, will this change in the future?
Can someone please Gmail me (rykel98) an answer as I cannot find the “Notify me with email” in Comments on this blog.
Hi, SIPdroid is the native SIP clients you are looking for.
If somebody want to ask for more information from me, please post your question on my twitter page
SIPdroid is not a native Android app. It’s definitely Java.