Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Important and exciting updates from Fongo!
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Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_Announcements »

Hi everyone,

You asked. We listened.

Today, we're launching a new version of the Dell Voice mobile application. This new version includes free unlimited Fongo Messaging, unlimited text messaging (SMS), better call quality, and less bandwidth usage.

"Every day, tens of thousands of Canadians are using Fongo to call across the country for free," said Dave Bullock, President of Fongo. "While many of our customers have reached out to thank us for free calling, they've also been asking us to help them reduce their messaging costs. They are the reason we're adding free unlimited messaging to our service."

Canadians locked into a carrier contract can save by downloading Dell Voice to their smartphone. In fact, non smartphone users may be able to justify the purchase of a smartphone based on the savings they will realize by eliminating messaging fees, local voice minutes, Canadian long distance minutes, and premium services fees. Dell Voice can also be added to an iPod touch or tablet, turning it into a mobile phone and messaging platform when in WiFi -- an inexpensive option for pre-teens who do most of their texting and calling from home.

For those of you who are currently Dell Voice customers, be sure to update to the latest version, and enjoy!
And for those of you who are not yet Dell Voice customers, the app is available for easy download on the Fongo website, the App StoreSM, Google Play and BlackBerry App WorldTM.

Product Highlights

The Dell Voice free calling and messaging app is available for iPhone / iPod touch and Android and now includes:
• A free local Canadian phone number so local contacts can call back without incurring long distance charges, even if they don't use Dell Voice.
• Free Dell Voice to Dell Voice calls, no matter where people are calling from.*
• Support for 911 emergency calls, providing an additional option for reaching out in case of emergency.
• Free incoming calls from anywhere in the world.
• Free unlimited outgoing calls across Canada, covering 85% of the Canadian population. All calls to our Free Calling Cities are free, no matter where people are calling from.*
• Free unlimited Fongo Messaging to text any Fongo friends.
• Unlimited Text Messaging (SMS) to Canada for $1.99/month or to Canada & the US for $2.99/month to text all friends, even if they don't use Dell Voice.
• Free premium features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting and Call Forwarding so people can stop paying their mobile carrier for these expensive add-on features.
• Competitive pay-as-you-go rates for worldwide calls, so people can call their loved ones without worrying about the cost.
BlackBerry and Windows PC versions of Dell Voice are also available.
Thank you for your ongoing feedback. You're making us better.

Talk Freely,
Team Fongo

* It's free to call and message with Fongo on WiFi. If users are not on WiFi, they will need a 3G/4G data plan and international roaming costs may apply. When travelling outside of Canada, users should call from a WiFi hotspot for truly free calls back to most of Canada.


Please note it can take up to an hour for the updates to appear as available.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

As a heads up, here is a little more information about the v1.4 release (these are not all the changes, but some of the biggest):

Other feature notes:

-Date usage is now down from 1Mb/minute to about 0.5Mb/minute on calls.

-Users can now swipe (iOS) or hold (Android) to delete individual items from history, messaging and visual voicemail

-Users can hold down on a list item in Visual Voicemail to bring up the options menu

-The FAQ link from the apps now goes to support.dellvoice.ca filtered by client type (iOS or Android)

-Supported Android versions are now 2.2 and higher.

-From the contacts screen, users can now identify fellow Dell Voice users with the Fongo butterfly to which calls and messaging are always free.

-users will now have the ability to set the following preferences in v1.4:
Messaging tone
Show my caller ID
Call forwarding (follow me)


Bug fixes with v1.4 release:

-Android: Screen layout for for different resolutions (as long as phone meets minimum screen resolution requirements)

-Android: more support for OS 4.x (ICS)

Android: fixed occaisional freeze on answering calls

-iOS: can now answer a call or return to a call with the DV icon

-iOS, Android: give message if check rate button pressed, but no number to check

iOS: WiFiéDate indicator shows correct state after network type change

-iOS: incoming call ring notification repeated to give more time to answer since iOS does not allong long notification tones.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

Texting is what a lot of us have been waiting for I think. $1.66 a month (if you take the 6 month option) is well below what others charge, good job!

BUT, I don't seem to be able to receive incoming texts to either of my numbers. Do I have to buy the package to enable incoming text?

Texting DV to DV is fine and very fast, just not incoming texts from my normal cell #

Great job on the improvements though. Much better :D
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

hi Jake,

Once you have downloaded the update, make sure the person is in your contacts and then log out of the app and back into it so that it can update

You may also want ot try and add them through the messaging section of the app.

when first launched, there was a hiccup with the messaging but that has since been fixed (it was on our end and not an issue with the app)
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

Thank you Mike, I think I understand now. I have to have a plan to get texts.

Is there any plans to add in the SMS function to the desktop App? That really would be very handy!
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

It has been discussed, not sure about the if or when it would happen though
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by seagame2001 »

Yes they have been impove
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by adriankemp »

Are you aware that attempting to open the add ons page crashes the app on iOS?

I've been trying for an hour in every possible way to buy the messaging and it crashes the instant that page opens (coming from any way). I've tried on my iPhone and iPad.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

adriankemp wrote:Are you aware that attempting to open the add ons page crashes the app on iOS?

I've been trying for an hour in every possible way to buy the messaging and it crashes the instant that page opens (coming from any way). I've tried on my iPhone and iPad.
I bought without problem on my daughters iPod. I have noticed it did crap out a few times though. Once I got a black screen, and another time I clicked on a message and it actually dialled the voicemail. When I clicked again it dialled again so I had two calls to the voicemail running at the same time with no way to shut it off. Bit weird as she didn't have any problems like this before.

Off track a bit, but I could buy through her iPod
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

Does she have the beta version os iOS6 by any chance?
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by puravidagirl »

Hola Mike & Dell Voice team!

This new sms-enabled dell voice app really got my attention. It does seem to be the absolute best available CDN answer to the highly useful US GV/talkatone offering. I immediately re-downloaded the app to my samsung galaxy s2 world phone and bought the unlimited cdn sms and visual voicemail. The only problem I have found so far - and this is a BIG issue - is that the text message history is deleted/wiped-out/erased/disappears when the app is logged out of. So if your phone battery ever dies you're out of luck if you had a txt msg that included important info - because you'll lose your record of that text. Is there no way to keep a history for all text messages sent and received through the dell voice app + my account/number? I NEED to keep a message history for all my sent and received texts or the sms feature of the app really loses its value. Or is there a way to forward our sms messages to another number so we can at least keep a history on another phone/txt-app outside of dell voice? That would be better than no sms history at all.

Thx for all your help! - m*

ps - in the foreseeable future do you think picture/voice or even video texts/attachments may be added to the sms feature?
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

Hi puravidagirl,

those are some very good points! I will pass the request along, and see if i can find any ways to to forward or save the messages for now. I can not guarantee it will be implemented, but i will most certainly make the request!!

As for picture/voice i know it is being taken into consideration. It will most likely be a matter of getting the costs down to be able to offer it (it is actually quiete expensive to offer that ability)

Again though, i will pass along this information and inquire, even on my own behalf to see what i can dig up for you.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by puravidagirl »

Thanks Mike!

When you do inquire, please do post back here to let me know if you don't receive a reply that resembles a confirmation of sms history or at least sms save/forward feature being implemented at the moment. Honestly I just assumed/expected that an automatically-saved sms history would be a basic feature of the app just like incoming/outgoing call logs are. For me saved sms messages are more vital than saved voicemail messages - but I do really like the visual voicemail feature of dell voice. But yes, I'd really appreciate an honest straight forward reply as to whether or not the folks behind dell voice are CURRENTLY planning/working on including sms history (or save/forward options for sms messages) or not. Dell Voice would be the perfect solution for me if it included sms history. But if sms history isn't currently planned/in the works for dell voice then it seems my best bet is to use the magicjack app for reg phone calls (voicemail & unlimited us/cdn calls included $40/yr w/cdn#) and text+ app for free unlimited (voice/photo) sms w/cdn# (as an alternative to dell voice, text+ would also be a perfect solution for me if it only included voicemail - but you do see a record of missed calls even if received when you're not logged into the app). aaaaaahhhhhh... USA users have it so easy with gv/talkatone :p Though I haven't tested voice quality differences between the new Dell Voice and Talkatone, I suspect that DV will have an advantage (so far Nettalk was the best for quality I've tried but I haven't tested the quality of text+ calls yet either... #1 priority is to find sms/calls in one app and since sms history is more important than voicemail for now text+ is in 1st place). Thanks muchisimo Mike for checking into this for us both! :) Take Care - m*
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

I tried this on my daughters iPod with regards to it not keeping text messages. I sent a message, then force quite the app. It was still there when I went back in. I shut the iPod down and restarted, it was still there. I even updated to IOS6 and it remained. So I thought this might be an Andoid problem you are having, so I have a message on my DesireHD, then pulled the battery. No shut down, exit or anything, I just pulled the battery. When I went back in, the messages are still there.

I can't replicate the DellVoice app NOT keeping my messages after shutting down, exiting, or violently exiting the phone.

Could it be a setting on your phone somewhere?
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by puravidagirl »

Thanks for testing Jake - OK, so maybe this isn't a difficult technical fix for the Dell Voice crew then, since at least in my case the SMS history is only erased when I completely log out of the app. Jake could you try completely logging out of the application and then re-signing/logging in with your account credentials and let us know if the SMS history is still there for you (with IOS6/Android-DesireHD) or if it has all disappeared as it has for me (with Android-GalaxyS2) pretty please? Graciasssss - m*
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

If the app is closed, but you don't log out, the messages remain. So, if you go to Settings > Exit, kill the app, or the device loses battery, the user credentials and messages are still there when the app starts up again.

So, if people want to close the app, they just need to Exit, not Log Out. (Logging out does not close the app anyway. It keeps it open at the Login screen.) We figure it is pretty rare that people will explicitly log out. Most phones are used by one user only, so people can stay logged in.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

I think actually logging out is about the only thing I didn't try :roll:

Well Mike has your answer, just don't log out. I guess that is the only way to do it for security reasons. If someone else is using your phone, then you don't really want them reading all your messages.

It's not like you can switch accounts on other free text apps, so exiting the app when not needed should be OK.

At least we know the texts won't be lost if the phone dies for some reason.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

Not sure about if the phone dies, have not testedthat theory yet 9phone is part of everything i do, i keep it charging at my desk. Only time it is not on charge is when not home)
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

FONGO_mike wrote:Not sure about if the phone dies, have not testedthat theory yet 9phone is part of everything i do, i keep it charging at my desk. Only time it is not on charge is when not home)
I pulled the battery Mike. I would have thought that would simulate the battery going flat or the phone dieing. I'm prett sure the messages will be kept, as long as I don't log out. On the iPod I was actualy told they would be deleted if I logged out, so the warnings are there.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by netyang »

Great update. Thanks you all for your work. It is possible to buy amount of SMS for some price that no expire date(ie. $2/200 SMS). Nowadays, more and more people use Vibe, line, what's app etc. to send messages. we only use SMS occasionally. It seems the monthly plan for SMS is not a good idea for most of people.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

Hi netyang, that is a great idea! I will pas it along to the powers that be.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by pedor »

I think the reason the messaging apps grew to be popular is because the carriers charged so much for SMS plans and users were afraid of going over their allotment. With a monthly subscription of only $2 within Canada, you are allowed an unlimited number of messages so it seems like a good deal to me - plus you can reach anyone with a mobile number, rather than the app-to-app limitations of those other messaging apps.
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by Jake »

Just get everyone loaded up with DellVoice, then it becomes a free messaging client between everyone without having to buy credits! Plus you get to do things old school and actually talk to them, for free of course.

You missed out there Mike :D
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by FONGO_mike »

pedor wrote:I think the reason the messaging apps grew to be popular is because the carriers charged so much for SMS plans and users were afraid of going over their allotment. With a monthly subscription of only $2 within Canada, you are allowed an unlimited number of messages so it seems like a good deal to me - plus you can reach anyone with a mobile number, rather than the app-to-app limitations of those other messaging apps.
This one of the reasons we brought it out. Now, not only can you make your calls free, but you can text for free!!! (to other Dell Voice users) and for a small fee (most carriers charge more then $2 a month for unlimited texting) you can text anyone in Canada for free!!


Jake wrote:Just get everyone loaded up with DellVoice, then it becomes a free messaging client between everyone without having to buy credits! Plus you get to do things old school and actually talk to them, for free of course.

You missed out there Mike :D
Ok Jake, i am sorry i missed it lol Thank you for adding to it though!!!
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Re: Reasons to ♥ Dell Voice: We've added free messaging.

Post by queenisha »

I keep trying to purchase my unlimited package but every time I click add ons the app crashes. I am an iphone user on iOs 6.0 HELP PLEASE!!!