Last year, Vonage created the pretty cool Vonage Time-To-Call™ app for the iPad. And we even gave away an iPad2!

Now, they have taken mobile app-to-app calling, added text messaging, mixed in international phone calls, and made it a whole lot easier.

With the new Vonage Mobile app, available immediately for iPhones,Vonage has once again demonstrated why it is the product to beat when it comes to voice calling.

Vonage Mobile utilizes HD voice codecs, which promises to improve the fidelity of calls placed over the Vonage network. Moreover, Vonage is advertising international calling rates that are supposed to be 30% less than Skype, and about 78% less than going through mobile telcos.

In addition to the features listed above, Vonage Mobile brings seamless in-app purchasing to the table,allowing users to purchase (top-off) more minutes for their Vonage account right from within the app, suing their Apple App Store credentials and account.

Improved User Experience
The 800-lb. gorilla here is (Microsoft’s) Skype with it’s reported oodles of centimillion users. To play in this ballpark, Vonage has to bring a much better user experience to bear.

I believe they have.

For the past 10 days, I have been using both Vonage Mobile and my resurrected Skype account on a loaned iPhone. No, I did NOT take itwithh me to last week’s 2012 HP Global Workstation Event/Global Partner Conference!

In every facet of use, Vonage Mobile outshone Skype, and some features deserve special mention.

Address Book. The Vonage Mobile address book is an integrate part of the app. In use, it was fluid, and all parts meshed well. Contrasting it to Skype where it seemed like a mishmash of its components, with differing views presented for get this: online, Skype, and other categories. Making the initiation os a call rather arduous.

Text Messaging. This is another win by Vonage Mobile. Here, text messaging is presented in a nice conversation view reminiscent of that of Windows Phone. Quite cool. On the other hand,Skypee is just bland.

Invite Process. TheSkypee invite process requires nothing less than seven, yes seven steps.Whereass on Vonage Mobile, the invite process allows for multiple invites in one blast.

In-app purchases. This is a feature that sets Vonage Mobile apart. You don’t have to leave the app to top off your account.

Vonage Mobile in use
I foundVonagee Mobile to be quite a cool app to use.

It is user-friendly, and setup was quite easy.

I was able to make calls effortlessly, and with exceptional clarity.

It is well designed, and well thought-out app, with the call workflows truly optimized for mobiles.

Definitely recommended.

* I understand that there is a version of Vonage Mobile for Android devices. But, alas, I would never know…

 

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