Voice chat has been in the chatting industry for ages however due to bad Broadband conditions in India not many people don’t use it. However, today things have changed because 256 kbps broadband is available for as low as Rs 649 (Airtel Delhi) which is sufficient enough for voice chat.
Few days ago I used my Nokia N79 for voice chat over Internet using WiFi. It was just a test but it proved that with a Smartphone like Nokia N Series or Windows Mobile & WiFi Internet you hardly need a PC anymore. You can very well use a Mobile phone with a WiFi or unlimited Internet plan to talk to anyone on Skype or Google Talk (so far) using a simple setup at both ends. I was able to talk to a friend of mine in Bangalore over WiFi using Fring after signing into Google Talk just like any other phone call. This is actually a better experience then sitting in front of a computer & talking to a Monitor, you are no longer bound to the computer desk. To do this you need to setup your PC & Phone both….
How to setup the PC
1) You need a software which can let you voice chat. Today all the IM networks support Voice chat such as Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk but the best one out there made for this particular task only is Skype. Talking on Yahoo & Windows Live through a phone isn’t possible yet but talking using Skype or Google talk is. I recommend installing Skype as it is available for all the Operating Systems out there, but even if you use Google talk on PC, the procedure is exactly same.
2) You need a wireless Mic connected to the PC so that you are no longer bound to the PC desk only. The best solution for this which I recommend is using a simple Nokia, Sony Ericsson or similar Bluetooth handsfree. They are widely available for as low as Rs 1,000 in the local phone market & they provide enough range for you to walk around in other parts of home, & they will also work with your mobile phone. If you want something of even higher range then you can try Microsoft Lifechat ZX-6000 headset.
3) If you need a webcam then they are available for as low as Rs 500 from Frontech. If you are using a PC then it is not a problem. If you are using a Mac then you already have iSight inbuilt & if you are using Linux then I recommend you have a look at your distribution website for compatible driver, however ideally it should already be there in the distribution. You can also go for Microsoft Lifecam VX-1000, which is what I personally recommend. If you leave the marketing words of Microsoft then VX-1000 is the cheap & best solution which provides enough quality for normal webcam chat. These webcam come with a Mic inbuilt just that you will not have the freedom to roam around, but this is cheaper as you don’t need to buy a Wireless Headset.
4) Install everything on the PC & check if they are working. After this, it isn’t that hard to configure them to use on the PC side. Just read the manual first
How to setup the phone.
1) You need a Smartphone running Windows Mobile or Symbian Series 60 with WiFi support. If you don’t have a WiFi enabled phone but do have EDGE or 3G supported Smartphone then consider opting for an unlimited data plan for your service provider.
2) The software you need to install on your phone is Fring or Nimbuzz. It is available for Windows Mobile, Symbian Series 60 & iPhone right now. Follow the instruction on Fring website to configure according to your phone.
3) You need to make a free Fring/Nimbuzz account first which is quite easy & can be done from the phone itself. Once done, select the service of your choice from the Fring menu, either Skype or Google Talk & sign in to Fring. It will automatically show all your contacts. You can either text chat with them or simply select to make a “Fring Call”. This way you will be making an Internet based call to anyone anywhere in the world sitting on a PC running Skype or Google talk, which is cheaper then a usual call’s rate. You can also leave Fring running the background & do your work fine & the moment someone tries to call you on your logged in network, you will get a call just like any other call in your phone.
Now comes the best part. You actually don’t need a PC at all. Using Fring/Nimbuzz & this tutorial you can talk in the following scenario over Internet
1) PC(broadband) to Fring(WiFi/EDGE/3G)
2) Fring(WiFi/EDGE/3G) to PC(broadband)
3) Fring(WiFi/EDGE/3G) to Fring(WiFi/EDGE/3G)
Right now you cannot do webcam chat using Fring, although if Fring can support Skype Video chat then it will be an experience just like a 3G Video chat as many 3G enabled Smartphone today come with a secondary camera.
hi.
firing site bloked in UAE so i kindly request you , pls give more site or another method for using voice chat from mobile wifi/3G
regards
Try using Nimbuzz then, it is a similar software for phone
Did you try VZOchat mobile for videochat ? available for PDA
It isn’t available for Symbian Series 60
Hi saurav
Did u know any 3G wifi softwares to call India to UAE
Try Fring
heay saurav, you go a great blog with good stuff..
i have N79, do u know any software with which we can do video chat (using front camra as webcam).. i tried with octrotalk but no luck.. if u knw any pls let me know
Sorry, I don’t know of any such.
hii saurav cud u pls tell me which ph will support Fring/Nimbuzz for voice chat either Samsung CorbyPlus or Samsung Star 3G.. or if u can suggest me sum other model…
I don’t think both support native apps & fring or Nimbuzz are not available for JAVA phones
hey! fring now supports video chat through skype… install latest version. Now use ur phone to do video chat..
@ Somesh Fring doesn’t support the feature on Symbian S60 3rd edition
ACTUALLY I WANT TO BUY USB DEVICE OF WORLD CALL.OF SPEED 256KBPS.I WANT TO DO VOICE CHAT.SO I WANT TO ASK THIS SPEED WILL B SUFFICIENT FOR VOICE CHAT,THANX
yes, it will be
Hi Saurav,
I am planning to buy a smartphone that will allow me to make free voice / video calls to my gmail contacts using fring. Can you tell me if Airtel gprs supports this feature and also can you suggest options for a good phone that supports fring voice / video chat. Thanks!
Sanjay
Airtel GPRS would be insufficient. Voice chat needs more speed then what GPRS can provide.
Could you please tell me whether I can use Voice chat using Gtalk in SE G705 model. I am in UAE, here the above mentioned sites are blocked, so please tell me if I install the Gtalk only whether I will be able to make voice calls using Gtalk
SE G705 is Java based, The J2ME version of Nimbuzz might help but I am not sure
i am in uae. i have samsung wifi i want to voice chat , what i required
pls reply
Does your phone supports Java apps?
yes , my phone supports java apps- i can send messages through google talk
Hi am using LG GW525 my cel supports nimbuzz but i can send only text chat in it.. How can i voice chat with it??
@venkat left click on any contact in nimbuzz, it should give an option to call. Fore more info, check nimbuzz.com
i cant find fring for my device (nokia 6600) yet..if u have it then plz mail it to me..thank u
I don’t think Fring is available for such an old friend
but it is a symbian phone ,,then why it doesnt work ??
@rahul, there are different versions of symbian, & apps r targeted at them,
Is there any voice chat application available for bada platform. I just bought Samsng Wave.
@Amit, I haven’t used Bada OS yet so don’t know about it
hi Saurav,
can u confirm whether i can use skype or nimbuzz thru Android phones like HTC wilfdire or may be Samsung Galaxy and talk to someone using nokia e 72, both of us ve wifi broadband.
also can u confirm whether i can use Samsung Wavw with BADA platform and use gtalk for voice calls thru wifi with someone using gtalk thru e72?
thanks!
@arjun, I cannot confirm about Samsung Wave. With Android you can do very well do what u mentioned. Check the vendor’s website for official app