Despite what you might have heard, Voice Over IP (henceforth known as VoIP) service is not just limited to traditional computer and video game systems. The most recent crop of smart phones have ushered in a wave of programs allowing you to use your fancy phone without dipping into your mobile minutes. But which one should you be using? That’s where we come in, of course. We tested them all (sort of), and we know exactly where we stand on each one. Joining us in our “VoIP Showdown” are the wonderfully understanding Mike and Sue Mancini. Our guinea pigs product testers received a grand total of six calls, all emanating from a fairly new iPhone 3G S. Each of the apps used in today’s Showdown were loaded from the iPhone Apps Store for free. With that said, here we go … in a moment:

Note: As you’ve probably noticed, Google Voice is the proverbial “talk of the town.” We wanted to give it a shot, but sadly, it doesn’t seem like it will be happening in the near future. Google Voice is still catering to a very exclusive clientele and … well … we were stopped at the velvet rope for not being “on the list.” We will review it as soon we’re granted access.

Program #1: Skype

Website: http://www.skype.com
Developer: Skype Limited (developing house); eBay (parent company)
Countries of Origin: Luxembourg (primary); Estonia, Sweden, and the US (secondary)
Mike: The call was dropped ten seconds after it started. The clarity was good for that ten seconds, however. Once the call was stable, the sound quality was nearly flawless.
Sue: “It sounds like you’re talking to me from the garage.”
My Thoughts: In many ways, it sounded better than a regular phone, both traditional and cell based.
Overall: 9 — Skype is the standard barer for the VoIP industry for a reason.

Program #2: iCall

Website: http://icall.com/
Developer: iCall, Inc.
Countries of Origin: United States (primary); United Kingdom (secondary)
Mike: Despite its claims to the contrary, the iCall session was not nearly as clear as the Skype call. The voices were rather muffled and fairly hard to understand properly. On top of it all, fits of nominal background noise seemed to invade the conversation at a moment’s notice. There also seemed to a be slight, yet completely audible, delay when speaking.
Sue: “It sounds like you are talking to me from the neighbor’s garage.”
My Thoughts: Extremely tinny. It sounded like I was listening to the call through the world’s worst pair of headphones.
Overall: 3

Program #3: 12Connect

Website: http://www.12connect.com
Developer: 12Connect
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Mike: The voices were not only muffled, but also slightly distorted. The physical phone call was so loud that anyone standing near to the “callee” could hear the conversation loud and clear.
Sue: “It sounds like you’re talking to me in a wind storm.”
My Thoughts: Extremely tinny and overall not very pleasant.
Overall: 2

Program #4: Truphone

Website: http://www.truphone.com/
Developer: Software Cellular Network
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Mike: Not bad, though it did feel as if something was missing. The voice was clear, for example, but not nearly as clear as it could have been.
Sue: “It’s good, but I like the Skype call better.”
My Thoughts: The call was a bit muffled at times, but nothing to really to write home about.
Overall: 7

Program #5: MyGlobalTalk

Website: http://www.myglobaltalk.com/home
Developer: i2Telecom International, Inc.
Country of Origin: United States
Mike: The overall sound quality was extremely nice, if not a bit soft at points. Aside from that, there really isn’t anything to complain about.
Sue: “You sound far away. I like number one [Skype] better.”
My Thoughts: Instead of directly connecting me to my number, MyGlobalTalk connected me to an operator-like “middle server” first. The physical call sounded fine, but it was a tad muffled when compared to Skype.
Overall: 6 — Not bad in a pinch.

Program #6: Vopium

Website: http://vopium.com/
Developer: Vopium A.S.
Countries of Origin: Luxembourg and Denmark
Mike: Not bad. It’s not necessarily good, either.
Sue: “This is okay, I guess. It sounds like I’m talking to you on a regular phone. Go back to the Skype phone again.”
My Thoughts: Loads of background noise. The movie playing in the background was amplified so much that I could actually hear the dialog clearly.
Overall: 4

…And the Winner Is: Skype. As we said above, it’s number one for a reason. That said, Truphone and MyGlobalTalk aren’t bad little services either. Sure, neither are as good as the behemoth from Luxembourg, but both are still worth the old “once over.”