Looking to switch to VoIP...

[retKHAAAN]

I'm looking at different options to get rid of my current phone bill. My wife and I share a grandfathered voice plan with Sprint. No data as neither of us have or want smartphones.

I'm currently considering a couple different VoIP options via my iPod Touch 5g. Talkatone looks pretty promising for my needs using Google Voice. I have constant wifi access at home and my job provided me with an iPhone which I can use as a mobile hotspot when I'm on the road.

My question relates to how Google Voice works... I know I can port my current cell number from Sprint to Google Voice. Once that is done, will calls made to that number will be answerable on my iPod Touch?

As stated before, I will have a constant internet connection and will only be making/receiving calls in/from the US. Also, I'm really not all that concerned about being reachable at all times as I still have the work phone in case of an emergency. This is more to keep personal and work calls separate.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Magsor]

What kind of grandfathered plan do you have exactly?
I would discourage you to use your ipod touch because you will not be able to use the ipod while someone wants to use the phone.
It is not clear what you have and what you want; as you say you don't want a smartphone and you have an iphone. How many phones do you have now? only 2 including the iphone?

 

[retKHAAAN]

What kind of grandfathered plan do you have exactly?
I would discourage you to use your ipod touch because you will not be able to use the ipod while someone wants to use the phone.
It is not clear what you have and what you want; as you say you don't want a smartphone and you have an iphone. How many phones do you have now? only 2 including the iphone?

There are two cellphones on my current Sprint plan. My wife's phone and my phone. It is voice/text only. No data. The plan is 10 years old and hasn't been on contract for a long time.
The iPhone was provided and is paid for by the company I work for, however, I'm allowed to use the iPhone as a mobile hotspot if/when needed. I just want to keep my work and personal phone numbers separate.

My wife's phone is on its death bed and my plan was to give her my phone, remove my line from our current plan, and port my current number to Google Voice so I could use my iPod touch mostly as a "home phone" with the option of using the work phone as a mobile hotspot to receive calls on it when I'm on the road (or to just forward calls from my personal number to my work number via Google Voice).

Being able to remove a line from our plan would effectively drop our bill by $30 to $40 a month. That is the goal here. I'm just looking to see if the above scenario is possible.

 

[mrtofu]

deleted

 

[LightyKD]

I'm looking at different options to get rid of my current phone bill. My wife and I share a grandfathered voice plan with Sprint. No data as neither of us have or want smartphones.

I'm currently considering a couple different VoIP options via my iPod Touch 5g. Talkatone looks pretty promising for my needs using Google Voice. I have constant wifi access at home and my job provided me with an iPhone which I can use as a mobile hotspot when I'm on the road.

My question relates to how Google Voice works... I know I can port my current cell number from Sprint to Google Voice. Once that is done, will calls made to that number will be answerable on my iPod Touch?

As stated before, I will have a constant internet connection and will only be making/receiving calls in/from the US. Also, I'm really not all that concerned about being reachable at all times as I still have the work phone in case of an emergency. This is more to keep personal and work calls separate.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Switch to Virgin Mobile!

Instructions...

1) Setup a google voice account and gain your local number

2) Buy a Virgin Mobile Android Phone (preferably one with Android 4.0)

3) Buy the virgin Mobile $35 plan (this includes unlimited texting, 300 minutes and Unlimited Internet).

4) Download the Google Voice app for texting through your Google Voice Number

5) Download the app Groove IP to have calling via your Google Voice number over the 3G data



Edit: Silly me, I should have read the whole thread

 

[retKHAAAN]

Well, the goals right now are to save money and to not purchase another device. There is not a single android device in my home.

 

[Magsor]

Sorry to hear that about your wife.
Its is clear that this path is possible but very unpractical. Having mobile hotspot on just drains the battery out its the worst so on the go its a nono.

Relying on your ipod for your home phone can be a pain also you have to make sure it never run out of battery so unless its always plugged in its not a very good option.

There is a lot of businesses that offer voip for cheap as an alternative for a landline like nettalk or magicjack for 50$ a year or les and they provide the hardware you only plug into the router would look into that if i were you.

 

[retKHAAAN]

I may have worded that poorly...

Not looking for a "home phone" as much as I'm looking for a way to maintain my current phone number without paying for a plan. If I port it to Google Voice I can make outgoing calls from home if I need to, but more importantly, people can still reach me at my current number. Calls to/from that number can be answered/placed from my work phone and will be over 3G/Wifi via Talkatone rather than using minutes or showing up in my work phone history when I'm on the road.

I might spend 5-10 mintutes on my phone per day so battery drain isn't much of a concern. My current phone's charge lasts up to 4 days with what few calls I make...

 

[LightyKD]

SNIP

My question relates to how Google Voice works... I know I can port my current cell number from Sprint to Google Voice. Once that is done, will calls made to that number will be answerable on my iPod Touch?

SNIP

With the right app, YES, calls made to your GV or "connected to GV" number can be received from your iPod Touch. I'm not familiar with Apple app Store so, I'm not sure if there is a proper app on iOS. I know that in Android it's highly possible. The setup I listed above is my current setup. Alternatively, you could just pay for a phone number from Skype and last time I checked, unlimited minutes is $2.99 monthly (the price for a phone number is extra). Yes, Skype can call out to traditional phone numbers. -you have options

 

[Randamin]

I'm more active in a different forum related to cell phones so this is a topic I encounter frequently. Yes their recommendation of porting your number to google voice after an initial payment of $20 seems like a good option. The only limitation would be MMS but I'm sure you didn't send/receive any anyhow. Talkatone remarkably while on standby does not use too much battery I keep the app running all the time in the background for my Iphone that I use as an ipod and still manages to last for days without any other use. Just remember to launch the app once every few hours to make sure it hasn't disconnected.

 

[retKHAAAN]

I'm more active in a different forum related to cell phones so this is a topic I encounter frequently. Yes their recommendation of porting your number to google voice after an initial payment of $20 seems like a good option. The only limitation would be MMS but I'm sure you didn't send/receive any anyhow. Talkatone remarkably while on standby does not use too much battery I keep the app running all the time in the background for my Iphone that I use as an ipod and still manages to last for days without any other use. Just remember to launch the app once every few hours to make sure it hasn't disconnected.

Thanks. Yeah, I can send pictures/files a number of different ways from my iPod. I use SMS once in a while but that's included. I tried a few different VoIP apps but Talkatone sounded surprisingly well, even via speakerphone on the iPod.

 

[retKHAAAN]

Well, we finally went through with it a couple weeks ago. Have to say, it's going swimmingly so far. My wife ported her number to a cheapo Virgin Mobile phone and I ported mine to Google Voice. We've cut our combined phone bills down to $30 a month and aren't missing Sprint in the least (well, she is still on Sprint's towers but somehow her coverage is much better).

All of the savings add up to an extra payment on our house a year plus some!