iLounge

Internet telephony provider Vonage has released Time to Call, a new iOS application allowing users to place short international calls at flat, per-call rates. Vonage Time to Call allows users to make individual calls of up to 15 minutes in duration for a fixed price for each call rather than a per-minute price. Calls are purchased directly from within the application via an in-app purchase linked to the user’s iTunes Store account with per-call prices ranging from $1-10 depending on the destination, with the majority of countries being priced in the $1-2 range. Users simply select the country they wish to call and are then prompted to make an in-app purchase via the iTunes Store for the required per-call price; once the call has been purchased, the user can then dial the number from either the iOS address book or simply by entering it directly.

Unlike direct international calls to many countries, the same per-call rates apply when using Time to Call regardless of whether the user is calling a landline or mobile phone. Vonage Time to Call can be used over a Wi-Fi connection from any country or via a 3G wireless connection in the U.S. and Canada. No Vonage subscription is required; users simply use the iTunes in-app purchasing system to pay for calls as needed. Vonage Time to Call is available from the App Store as a free download; the app currently includes one free call of up to 15 minutes to any one of 100 countries.