It has been a long, long time since the Microsoft crowd heard from Fring – a relatively popular VOIP/IM app for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile back in the day. It was back in October of 2012 that we got word they had no plans to support Windows Phone 7 due to the lack of camera access. Since then the access developers have to the camera with Windows Phone 8 has changed dramatically and Fring is coming back!
TruTower recently had a chance to speak with the folks at Fring and was able to get a comment on their future plans regarding Windows Phone. The company plans to release an application for Windows Phone 8 sometime in the future, but has no specific release date yet. But what can you look forward to with Fring? Quite a bit if they make it similar to their iOS and Android app. You can expect a plethora of VOIP and instant messaging features like:
- Free calls, group calls, texting, video, group video, and more.
- You can fring your friends on Symbian
- Use your phone number for registration instead of username/password
- Group calling with 4 friends at the same time
- Free calls, messaging, and video calls to other fring users worldwide
- Almost free calls to mobile and landline numbers with fringOut
Bad news for the BlackBerry crowd though, as Fring has no plans to work on anything for BlackBerry 10 at this time. A good showing for Windows Phone as it shows where developers prioritize their resources – could shape how the battle for third works out with Windows Phone and BlackBerry in the coming months.
As usual, we’re always stoked to see popular apps join the apps available in the Windows Phone Store. One app that may not be important to you, could be also be holding someone else back from jumping on board. Learn more about Fring at their website.
Source: TruTower; Thanks, Paul R., for the tip!
Reader comments
VOIP client Fring making a return to Windows Phone in the future
I love the shade(The dig at blackberry) in this article haha.
I used to use this often on android before tango and Skype.
Anybody use this anymore? Thought it was long dead.
It's very popular on Symbian - they have millions of users.
Does Symbian itself have Million users left?
Is it still breathing?
I guess better late than never. But more importantly, this will add one more count to the number of apps so at least it's useful in that sense :/
Not an app only,better than Skype,Skype has no group video calling features
didnt fring also support icq irc and jabber?
My eyes!!! Burning!!!
Better than Skype
Fring had also been on Symbian for a long time.
What makes it different than Skype?
Fring allows (apart from Fring-out, chat and fring-to-fring calls and messaging) to do SIP voip calls. That is why (and the only reason) that I wait for Fring (or better Nimbuzz, or anything that will be a SIP Voip client integrated with WP8)
Forgetting the group video call that Skype doesn't support for all mobile versions???
How about a VOIP app like Bria from Counterpath? Something that can be tied into existing VOIP systems, that's what is really needed.
For consumers users this is a good app. Considering the non existent VOIP client capability in Windows Phone 8 Fring would definitely fills some gaps.
I have a SIP number with Sipgate and Fring would come really handy as "softphone". I've already used Fring on Symbian and it worked well.
I agree with Ninny1176, we need competition in this area as there are several business requirements to fill. I bet, Microsoft will be waiting such competition before updating their OS to VOIP.
What happened to Tango and Viber? I hear no news of their return to WP8.
Microsoft is not interested in bringing such apps,or the developers not interested due to complexity of it's operating systems.They want wp users to bound to Skype only.so android is best.we are fool to buy Microsoft is mobile.
Where is Tango for WP8?
This is an app I missed when moving from Symbian. Glad it is coming.
Nobody uses it anymore. Symbian only hahaha nobody also don't use Symbian. BlackBerry dead no need be worry wp8 is 3rd ever since wp7.5 came out.
Excelente noticia, esperemos q llegue pronto a Colombia.
Need third party sip client, any idea what app?