Cellphone bills are getting more and more expensive every month. There always seemed to be texts coming in and out and long distance calls to make. Even after changing the available features to include additional usage time, issues can still occur with the amount on the bill.
With the help of an iPod touch approximately $20 can be shaved off an average monthly cellphone bill. It takes time to find the right applications and equipment to make the adjustment feasible. Using these easy steps will solve that problem as well.
Checklist For Turning An IPod Touch Into A Cellphone
All a user needs to get started is two free applications from the app store, Text Plus and TruPhone for iPod, and a $20 headset with a microphone. With these apps an iPod can text, call and instant message from the palm of one's hand without running up a large phone bill. The headsets can easily be found online or at many electronic accessory stores.
Text Plus, Available On Apple's App Store
Text Plus is a handy little app that allows direct texting to cell-phones or to other IPods that are assigned as ‘friends’ under the program. It’s free to text other iPods and for texts to other cellphones, standard message rates apply. This app doesn’t solve everything but all users with an iPod touch or iPhone can text back and forth free of charge. This should offset some of the costs accrued by texting or at least ensure overage fees aren't accrued.
Truphone, Available Through ITunes
TruPhone is a little more complicated but twice as useful. Once downloaded and registered on TruPhone the application gives a few different choices of how to communicate. The main function it replaces, of course, is phone calls. Calls from TruPhone are free to other TruPhone users and Google Talk users and makes any phone number in the world a cheap call. It even has a little money banked upon downloading to let users test out the call function to land lines or cellphones. What expenses are built up can be billed to the credit card connected to an iTunes account.
A brief long distance call on your phone can cost as much as 5 dollars depending on where, and when, you are calling. The same call from TruPhone can cost as little as 5 cents.With the additions of free calls to MSN and Skype users coming soon to the application TruPhone is rapidly becoming an adequate alternative to the expensive calls made on your cell-phone.
Instant Messaging On Your IPod Touch
The other aspect of TruPhone that becomes appealing is the instant messaging service. Users can log on to a number of instant messaging accounts from the five major messaging services; Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo and AIM, and load all contacts from each individual service onto a master page that shows all available friends in one large list. This is much more convenient than opening multiple services, apps or pages on the internet.
Headset Extras
As an added bonus, once the headset is purchased users will be able to use some applications that were exclusive to IPhone such as Shazam, the song recognition app, and voice recording programs which are also free. The possibilities are endless with a little effort.
It takes a little work to get everything set up and operating correctly but it is worth it. In the immediate future a user stands to save a little money, but over time the amount will become much more significant. Get connected.
For more IPod Touch and IPhone stories check out The Best Time-Wasting Apps here on suite101.
Mike Sheeler - Mike Sheeler is a bright new talent emerging in the world of journalism. He has a passion for news and politics and remains a strong ...
