Expert's Rating
Pros
- Trouble-free and inexpensive way to add voice calls to 2G iPod touch
- no additional software required once Truphone app is installed
- it works.
Cons
- Service on the move is reliant on a stable WiFi connection
- good sound quality requires decent headphones
- with adaptor and headphones connected lead is ridiculously long.
Our Verdict
Macworld Awards 2009 nominee Truphone clearly has a winner with the latest 3.0 software update for iPod touch. The addition of the Truphone Microphone Adaptor then, proves a simple and cost effective way to make free and economical calls when an iPhone isn’t an option.
Truphone is a mobile Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that routes calls across the internet. Calls to other Truphone users, and those with Skype or Google Talk via WiFi, are free, while calls to worldwide destinations are offered at what the company promises are competitive prices. Truphone also adds the ability to instant message Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk contacts free, within a streamlined interface.
Available as a free iTunes App Store application it works with both iPhone and second-generation iPod touch, although the later and cheaper option requires a suitable headset to make calls. At under a tenner, the Truphone Microphone Adaptor proves an economical and stress free way to do just that and turn your iPod into a cut-price iPhone. Well, almost. There are limits to VoIP, but a good, consistent WiFi signal, along with some quality headphones, help ensure you won’t sound like a Dalek when you call across cyberspace. Truphone has recently updated the application especially for the iPod touch. Version 3.0 offers improved call quality, among a range of enhancements.
Setting up the Truphone Microphone Adaptor proved a lesson in simplicity. It sits between your iPod and headphones and even matches Apple’s iconic white headphones; plug the iPhone headphones into the adaptor and then into the iPod touch and that’s it. You can clip the microphone part to your shirt or jacket but the combined length of adaptor lead and headphones will require some reining in.
For once, we sounded clear and intelligible making calls using the Truphone Microphone Adaptor. The experience is significantly enhanced by the application’s intuitive interface that requires little or no learning curve to start making calls. As an additional incentive the adaptor comes with a ‘Double Credit’ scratchcard included as part of the deal. When you top up £5 and enter a code an additional £5 is added to your credit.