voip on iphone 4

When I first got my iPhone I thought to myself oh, good now I can use the data plan to connect to Google voice. That way I don't have to worry so much about going over on minutes. With that in mind one of the first apps that I downloaded was the Google voice app. You can imagine my surprise, after getting it all set up. Google voice calls my cell number and then calls the other number, thus using my minutes.

A few months later, my wife is complaining about being almost out of minutes so I started looking for a way to get true voice over data.

Here are my requirements:

• Free
• Must be able to call landline and cell phones
• Use data over wifi. 
• Be able to receive as well as make calls

iCall free version: Has a 5 minute limit, and is ad supported. The pay as you go plan is 2 cents a minute. I did not install this app.

Wistle: This has a 20 minute time limit and is audio ad supported. I installed this app on my phone and made a short call over wifi. If you want to remove the adds and the 20 minute time limit it is 1.7 cents a minute for sent calls and 1 cent per minute for recieved calls.

Talkatone: This app you to use your Google voice account and number to make and receive calls. So the Same calling plans that apply to Google voice apply to this. Free calls nation wide, and low rates internationally. I have installed this app and made and receive short calls with it. I already had a Google voice account so set up was easy. I will probably use this as my go to app when my minutes are running low, as I have already been using a Google voice number and I use it for my voice mail.

**UPDATE**
I have been using Talkatone over the last few weeks off and on. I like the interface. It seems to work good. I would like to try making some longer calls with it to see if it will maintain call quality through out the call. I have magic jack at  home and this seems to work as good or better then magic jack. After all you can't expect land line quality calling over any voip service, much less a free one.