The July 27, 2009 comparison covered iCall, Vopium and Truphone as alternatives for making calls through internet-connected mobile devices. Its focus was long-distance cost and the different account models offered at the time.
The service model shaped the choice
The article described iCall as offering several plan types, Vopium as a prepaid approach that could also use a mobile network, and Truphone as combining calling plans with messaging features. It distinguished their SMS support, included destinations and call limits. These are historical descriptions of the reviewed services, not their current terms.
Those differences explain why a headline rate was only part of the comparison. A plan could include certain destinations while charging differently for others, or place limits on an apparently unlimited allowance. Internet access and the route used for a call were separate factors from the app’s download price.
The old article also summarized user opinions and store ratings. Those figures were a small, time-specific snapshot, so they are not reproduced as current quality scores or as our own call tests.
The historical prices are obsolete and omitted here. Current availability, rates and account operation have not been verified. No voice-quality or billing test was performed; this is a record of how early iPhone calling services were compared, not a present-day purchasing recommendation.