Calling across the borders can be very expensive especially if you have someone close like your brother in the other part of the world. You know that there will be daily calls and with charges ranging upto $1.5/minute for different destinations, most of your earnings will exhaust up talking. There are some solutions like Skype or Viber which allow for cheap calling solutions internationally, but the problem is that both the users must have a Smartphone and that too with the application installed. Alternately, if you buy credits on Skype, then you must possess an internet connection and that too with good speed like 3G/4G or Wi-Fi or otherwise the voice will not be clear. But now you have one more option, ChatTime!

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ChatTime is an iOS app that has been developed by SmartRoam. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and requires iOS 4.3 or any later version of the OS. It has also been optimized for iPhone 5. The app has been in the store since past few years and has been very successful worldwide. Let’s find out the reason for so much success.

First, ChatTime is not a VoIP call app as most of you would’ve thought. It has some features of the same but not completely. For example, ChatTime allows you to call internationally at much cheaper rates than traditional networks but it doesn’t require any internet connection. So there is no question of low voice quality as there is no such disturbance involved. But then you must be wondering of how the call takes place! Actually, what ChatTime does is gives you a local access number of the particular place you’re calling from. Then every time you call, the call goes to their local office from where it’s transferred internationally. For each call, you pay local call rates plus your international call rates as per your subscribed plan. However, if the call duration exceeds one minute, then you’ll be paying a connection fee of 8.9 cents as well.

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There are different call rates for different countries. So at some places, the prices may go very high and therefore you’ll have to first check whether it’s affordable or not. But at most places, rates are reasonable and in line with those of Skype, of course without any internet connection. Also, you don’t need the other phone to be having the same app. And even they can call you at your local number if they want to. So your ChatTime number works just similar to a Sim Card.

The app is available for free in the App Store. To better understand the overall process, the developers are providing a $1 trial for all new customers. So you can check the voice quality and prices and if everything works out for you, you can subscribe to any plan you wish.

Pros: no need to add contacts; internet connection not required; call to any phone without ChatTime installed on it; $1 trial pack available.

Cons: call charges may be high at some places.

I will give this app 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Worth Having Application :  Download the App