Both Truphone and Skype have iPhone clients now. Both claim to have ‘unlimited’ packages. So who should you go with? Putting narrowband-versus-wideband, open-versus-closed codecs, shiny websites and PR spin aside for a minute, let’s look at pricing and terms and conditions. For comparison, prices are in British Pounds and include VAT where applicable.

Service

Truphone Unlimited

Skype Unlimited World

Monthly Subscription:

£9.99

£7.99

Landline calls:

38 countries

36 countries

Mobile calls:

9 countries

4 countries

Limits:

60 minutes/call

3,000 minutes/month

6 hours/day

50 numbers/day

10,000 minutes/month

Skype are clearly the winner when it comes to limits – Truphone’s lock-down at 3,000 minutes a month is pitiful compared to Skype’s 10,000 minutes. In addition, there is no call length limit at 60 minutes. They’re also the winner on price by a whole two quid. Admittedly Truphone beat them by two countries on the places you can call landlines, and five on mobile, but if you take into account the extra cost and much lower limits, it’s negligible.

I won’t do my usual rant about the word ‘unlimited’ and it’s use to describe something with limits – apart from it being a contradiction in terms I believe telecoms and Internet companies (the guiltiest parties in this dictionary redefining debacle) have been allowed to pull the wool over consumers eyes for too long.

Update/disclaimer: I haven’t tried either service on an iPhone as I don’t have one – although I’m a self-confessed Mac fanboi I’m still happy with my E71 thanks. Oh, and I have previously worked with Truphone on non-iPhone-related projects.

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