A sort of sideways work-around for GV post-Obi...maybe ??
vtsnaab:
I was reminded of a cool trick here...
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=7500.msg48229#msg48229
Where Gigcass mentions using wifi for phone stuff.
I looked into this a while back, but it was still in it's infancy - so I looked again and found that=>
Mobile phones with Android & Wifi abilities are able to be used WITHOUT any cellular activation to make calls & do texts wherever there is an available wireless internet signal.
(Like at many stores, public buildings & most peoples homes.)
So to test this I've bought a really cheap Android phone - and if it works well enough then that will solve 1/2 of my phone concerns. (It's a Huawei Inspira SIM 5.)
What is cool to me about this is that it can easily & very cheaply solve not one but SEVERAL problems for me=>
- What to do with incoming GV calls post Obi;
- How to keep using SMS post-Obi;
- How to have nearly free cellular-like abilities if I am out & about;
- How to keep & use GV (for now) while having other VOIP options via the Obi.
IMO, being able to keep using GV for calls & SMS is well worth the $40 phone even if it gets killed off somehow in 6 months or less - and even so I suspect there will be other free/cheap Wifi VOIP options that work well with an Android phone even if/when GV shuts that conduit down as well.
Now all I have to do is wait for the phone to arrive...
vtsnaab:
Hmmmm....maybe...maybe not ??
"After May 15, 2014. Google is shutting down ALL third party VoIP apps that integrate with their Voice services."
And here I thought it was only an XMPP thing - good thing I can return that phone then if need be.
But then I see this=>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qM-xAU-dt4
Which makes it seem like it'll work fine via Hangouts ??
And this, suggesting that it uses GV via PBXes.org:
http://thedroidguy.com/2014/04/setup-wifi-calling-android-device/
And this:
http://www.engadget.com/discuss/replacing-google-voice-1pks/
And...
http://www.upptalk.com/
Anybody know what is really the story with these methods as pertains to Android phones via Wifi ??
Thanks.
SteveInWA:
Most of what you read on the internet about Google Voice is simply wrong, misinformed, outdated, or just plain dumb.
I've already described the background behind the May 15th changes, what will change, and what won't change, in my post here:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=7750.msg50190#msg50190
Aside from that, the single most misunderstood thing about the mobile Google Voice app for Android or iOS, is that is not, and never has been, a VoIP (internet voice calling) app. It cannot make or receive calls over WiFi/3G/4G. It only manages calls over a working mobile phone's active voice network connection.
After May 15th, the mobile Google Voice apps will continue to be able to make and receive voice calls over the voice network carrier's connection, and they will continue to be able to send and receive SMS texts over the internet (so, those are two completely different functions, provided by two different gateways).
Today, the Google Hangouts app for Apple iOS devices can make and receive voice calls over the internet (VoIP). At some TBD (hopefully soon) future date, the Android Hangouts app will also be able to make and receive voice calls over VoIP, but it doesn't have that capability today.
Finally, at some future TBD date, the Voice and Hangouts, confusingly different, and somewhat overlapping user interfaces (the apps themselves) will merge into one app. The underlying services provided are expected to stay the same or improve. In other words, the Google Voice service isn't going away, but the way you use it on a device or web page will look different, as it is integrated with Hangouts.
ianobi:
If you download the free app CSipSimple onto your android phone, then you can configure any SIP provider on CSipSimple for use on your cell phone. This works very reliably when connecting via wifi. If you forward your GV calls to the SIP provider, then you now have incoming GV service via the SIP provider at least for voice calls. For outgoing you would need to use the SIP provider.
giqcass:
I was on this track back in December and it can work.
What SteveInWA says is accurate BUT there are 3rd party apps that use Google Voice in a different manner. No XMPP and no outbound call. There are apps that log in to your Google Voice account and initiate a callback. One of these apps can be placed on an Android phone paired via Bluetooth. You would pick up your phone, dial a number, and hang up. An incoming call would ring the phone number you specified during setup of the app then your call would be connected to the number you dialed. Because this type of app does not use XMPP I expect it to continue to work post XMPP. One such app is Voice Plus. I have tested this setup[/url] with a free Callcentric incoming DID and it worked. Since the Obi can use separate outbound and inbound routes the return call does not need to use the Android phone but if you use an app like CsipSimple it could. Based on my tests the Obi may reject sending a call to the Android phone if it has never been activated. That may only pertain to certain firmware versions. If you activated the phone on Prepaid for one month an let the service expire I believe that would suffice.
As SteveInWA mentioned we expect the Hangouts app to support pure VOIP eventually. IF/When it does it's likely to simplify the whole process and work seamlessly.
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