Robert made his position on Apple’s rejection of the official Google Voice application clear in his post on the subject, and while we’re sure many of you feel the same way, plenty of others are always on the lookout for alternative dialers and communication tools to either make life simpler, cheaper or both. Here are six such Apps which do exactly that:
Line2.
It’s not Google Voice, but it’s very close! A measly $0.99 purchase price does hide a $19.95 monthly subscription, but for this you’ll be able to add a second number, complete with voicemail, onto your iPhone. It doesn’t use your bill, it doesn’t require Wi-Fi and international calls cost as little as 2c per minute, however, developers Toktumi say Line2 suits the business user rather than anyone looking for a strict cheap call alternative, thanks to services such as call screening, routing and an auto-attendant. We took a closer look at Line2 when it was first released.
Skype.
Offering free Skype-to-Skype calls, easy instant messaging over 3G and the ability to make VoIP calls or send SMS – over Wi-Fi – to anywhere in the world, all inside a free to download App, makes Skype one of the must-have communication tools on your iPhone. No 3G calls is a pain, as is the current lack of push notifications, but it’s bright, easy to use, massively popular and as we mentioned; free!
Skype Forward.
If you use Skype and pay for their Forwarding service, then you need this. It does use your Skype Credit, but it’ll forward your call to your iPhone without the need for a Wi-Fi connection, handy for anyone who has a Skype work number or for someone wanting to give out a Google Voice-style single number.
Truphone OS 3.0 for iPhone.
Working in a similar way to Skype, Truphone also offers calls and IM over Google Talk and their own service as well as Skype, though still via Wi-Fi. Also like Skype it requires credit to make VoIP calls, but unlike Skype it gives free voicemail with a push-style notification when someone leaves a message.
IsaDial.
If you use a cheap rate calling card, IsaDial automates the process of entering your account information and those frustratingly long activation numbers, before calling the person you want to direct from your contacts list. You can also set up multiple profiles in order to select the cheapest service for the number you wish to dial.
textPlus.
Yes, it’s ad-supported, but if you and all your friends have textPlus on your iPhones or iPod Touches, then your SMS conversations will be completely free. Push notifications let you know when a new message arrives, it works over 3G and Wi-Fi and even supports multiple recipients for group conversations.
Despite the lack of Google Voice – or even GV Mobile – it takes just a little effort and occasionally, convincing your friends to all use the same service, to find an app which saves money or increases communication efficiency. These are just a few of the options out there, and we would love to know if you use a specific app we didn’t mention, so share them in the comments section.

September 22nd, 2009 at 6:43 am
Check out Smart Caller Calling Cards too. It’s an easy to use calling card app for making cheap international calls at very good prices using a calling card. It features an interactive calling card pricing guide to help you find a calling card with the best prices for calling your countries. Smart Caller