Apple approves VoIP over 3G app, finally

True mobile VoIP on the iPhone has been a long time coming. A few months ago we were awash in announcements from various software-based VoIP vendors that they had VoIP apps for the iPhone only to find that those apps worked over WiFi and nothing else. Well, that may be changing ASAP.

In fact, there is already an iPhone app in the iTunes App Store ready for you to download and try out called iCall. The app's page explains the new functionality: "3G 3G 3G 3G! You can now use iCall over 3G networks!!!"--which I think shows the excitement is both on the user and developer side. Initial reviews say the app works great.

The shift to allow 3G VoIP came yesterday with the Apple iPad announcement (which presumably has this VoIP functionality as well) and the release of a new version of the iPhone SDK. The new SDK has made the new cellular network access features available to developers and it will be only a matter of time before we see Skype, Vonage, 8x8, Truphone and the rest of the gang launching VoIP apps (and presumably crashing AT&T's 3G network.)

For more:
- read this ZDNet article [1]
- check out the iCall app in the App Store [2]

Related articles
Skype for Apple iPhone [3]
Skype for iPhone saw two million downloads [4]
Nimbuzz releases iPhone [5]
JAJAH puts out iPhone [6]
Vonage submitted its iPhone App and its stock was sent soaring [7]
AT&T claimed it would allow VoIP over 3G to iPhone users [8]