Cell Phones

Phone for Fongo at home

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  • Aug 14th, 2017 5:02 pm
Deal Addict
Feb 18, 2016
1808 posts
530 upvotes

Phone for Fongo at home

Might be able to go to US in the fall, am looking for a basic smartphone I can use as a "home phone". I used to have VOIP with ATA and using cordless handsets around the house. I ported over to Fongo earlier this year. I find it's great except that I have a tablet and if a call goes on for more than a couple minutes, it's kind of annoying to hold the tablet to make sure my voice gets captured by the mic.

Am looking at the Alcatel Ideal AT&T prepaid at BestBuy
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-prepai ... Id=5443800

I'd be using it as a wi-fi device as my home phone basically, just running the Fongo app. I think it'll be ok for that. Or should I stay away from Alcatel?

Also, I have FreedomPop sims, so I'd like to be able to use them when I'm in the US. I have a Moto E2 as well, and I've used the sims in that when I was in the US earlier this year, worked great. I figured this new "wifi home phone" ought to be able to also be used with my FP sims so I could use it to call the Moto E (eg we are split up for the day - edit: I'm referring here to when travelling outside Canada). Since it's an AT&T phone, I'm assuming the Freedompop LTE sim will work fine as is (since that service is on AT&T), but I would probably have to unlock it if I use a Global sim? My Moto E2 is unlocked so I could put a Global sim in that phone and the LTE sim in the other phone. From a quick look on ebay, it looks like unlock codes are cheap too.
9 replies
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
38392 posts
12019 upvotes
East Gwillimbury
Get a cheap cell phone, leave it plugged into the charger and pair it to a Bluetooth cordless phone.

You can then use multiple handsets
Deal Addict
Aug 20, 2008
2097 posts
971 upvotes
notfromqc wrote: Might be able to go to US in the fall, am looking for a basic smartphone I can use as a "home phone". I used to have VOIP with ATA and using cordless handsets around the house. I ported over to Fongo earlier this year. I find it's great except that I have a tablet and if a call goes on for more than a couple minutes, it's kind of annoying to hold the tablet to make sure my voice gets captured by the mic.

Am looking at the Alcatel Ideal AT&T prepaid at BestBuy
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-prepai ... Id=5443800

I'd be using it as a wi-fi device as my home phone basically, just running the Fongo app. I think it'll be ok for that. Or should I stay away from Alcatel?

Also, I have FreedomPop sims, so I'd like to be able to use them when I'm in the US. I have a Moto E2 as well, and I've used the sims in that when I was in the US earlier this year, worked great. I figured this new "wifi home phone" ought to be able to also be used with my FP sims so I could use it to call the Moto E (eg we are split up for the day - edit: I'm referring here to when travelling outside Canada). Since it's an AT&T phone, I'm assuming the Freedompop LTE sim will work fine as is (since that service is on AT&T), but I would probably have to unlock it if I use a Global sim? My Moto E2 is unlocked so I could put a Global sim in that phone and the LTE sim in the other phone. From a quick look on ebay, it looks like unlock codes are cheap too.
Your assumptions are pretty much right the only thing to look out for is the battery life, fongo will drain the battery on your new home phone while on standby. For that reason I would go for ATA+freephoneline or even a hardware VoIP phone, but still what you intend to do is very much doable. It would be much better if the handset supported inductive charging but it won't be that cheap then :)
Deal Fanatic
Sep 23, 2013
5047 posts
638 upvotes
NORTH YORK
notfromqc wrote: Am looking at the Alcatel Ideal AT&T prepaid at BestBuy......................................
I'd be using it as a wi-fi device as my home phone basically, just running the Fongo app. I think it'll be ok for that. Or should I stay away from Alcatel?
I assume your unlocked tablet can accomodate a carrier SIM. While you stay in the US, maybe you can get a SIM from either roammobility or T Mobile and you can direct your Fongo to forward all calls to that particular US#. Job done.
Nowadays the centre of universe of most RFD members , as far as I can see , is to have a smart phone. Tablets works but its market is somewhat taken over the smart phone and netbook/chromebook/laptop...
Gee's suggestion above is solidly based
Daniel

Fido $0 3Gb LTE + overage plan until Feb 2019
Deal Addict
Aug 20, 2008
2097 posts
971 upvotes
danieltoronto wrote: I assume your unlocked tablet can accomodate a carrier SIM. While you stay in the US, maybe you can get a SIM from either roammobility or T Mobile and you can direct your Fongo to forward all calls to that particular US#. Job done.
Nowadays the centre of universe of most RFD members , as far as I can see , is to have a smart phone. Tablets works but its market is somewhat taken over the smart phone and netbook/chromebook/laptop...
Gee's suggestion above is solidly based
Why would he pay the ripoff roam mobility rates when his suggested setup with Fongo+freedompop will cost exactly $0?
Deal Fanatic
Sep 23, 2013
5047 posts
638 upvotes
NORTH YORK
elwebmaster wrote: Why would he pay the ripoff roam mobility rates when his suggested setup with Fongo+freedompop will cost exactly $0?
The OP does voice out some issues definitely at #1.Also that is the reason why I am not ditching my $20 Fido voice SIM. Yet.
YMMV of course.
Daniel

Fido $0 3Gb LTE + overage plan until Feb 2019
Deal Addict
Aug 20, 2008
2097 posts
971 upvotes
danieltoronto wrote: The OP does voice out some issues definitely at #1.Also that is the reason why I am not ditching my $20 Fido voice SIM. Yet.
YMMV of course.

I find it's great except that I have a tablet and if a call goes on for more than a couple minutes, it's kind of annoying to hold the tablet to make sure my voice gets captured by the mic.


Makes sense. OP, just get a roam mobility ripoff SIM to put in your tablet, at least your wallet will be lighter so you can hold your tablet with two hands.
Deal Addict
Feb 18, 2016
1808 posts
530 upvotes
Hadn't thought of mentioning initially... the tablet is wifi only, can't take a sim.

In terms of the Fongo app making the battery drain, how bad are we talking?
Deal Addict
Aug 20, 2008
2097 posts
971 upvotes
notfromqc wrote: Hadn't thought of mentioning initially... the tablet is wifi only, can't take a sim.

In terms of the Fongo app making the battery drain, how bad are we talking?
Depends on what battery the phone has but my guess would be 2 days max standby.
Deal Addict
Feb 18, 2016
1808 posts
530 upvotes
That's not too bad, I can live with that. I have a few months before I go so I have time to do a test with my Moto E.

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