fring Goes Universal, Brings Cross-Platform Group Video Chat to iPad
Posted 06/28/2011 at 5:13am
| by J.R. Bookwalter
While a recently revealed YouTube video shows that Skype is about to unleash a native app for the iPad at long last, competitor fring is not content to rest on its laurels, with a new universal update that finally brings the video chatting fun to iPad users.
fring has announced the release of their latest iOS update, version 5.1.1.2, on Monday. The seemingly modest version number holds a long-awaited feature for the free video chatting app, which has finally gone native, allowing iPad 2 users to join in the fun.
According to the company, fring’s new update is the first group video calling app for the iPad -- and it’s cross-platform, allowing users on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, Nokia and others to video chat with up to four friends at once, all over a Wi-Fi or 3G data connection.
The new version also touts drag-and-drop navigation and a “unique combo communication” for true multitaskers, allowing users to have a text chat at the same time they’re doing simultaneous voice or video chat. iPhone users haven’t been forgotten either, with Bluetooth support in the latest update and connectivity improvements across the board.
As always, fring is a free app, but the 18.2MB download also offers in-app paid packages for the company’s fringOut service, allowing you to make inexpensive calls to any phone number worldwide, with rates starting as low as a penny per minute in the United States. fring is now universal and compatible with all iOS devices, but requires iOS 4.0 or later.
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