Google offers free calls within Gmail
Whew, what a week. Among many important news items, Google has just unveiled voice support for Gmail, allowing you to make free calls to landlines and cell phones. Is Google going after Skype’s jugular?
Guess what? Gmail isn’t just about email anymore. It’s also a phone.
Yesterday, Google announced it’s now possible to use Gmail to call someone on their landline or mobile phone from their computer. This is not to be confused with Google Voice, which allows you to make calls using your cell phone, nor is this the same thing as Google Chat, which is from computer to computer.
Still with me?
Gmail calling works — for free — to and from Canada and the U.S.
How to get going? If you have a free Gmail account, simply download the plug-in, which takes a couple of seconds to install, and then log into Gmail and you will then see the “Call Phone” option listed as a contact on the left-hand side. Click it and dial a number.
While I haven’t tried it yet, calls to other countries, such as the U.K. and France, are 2 cents a minute.
Here’s an entertaining little video related to this announcement:
And here’s a video that walks you through how it works:
Readers, what do you think of this Google calling feature built into Gmail?
Is this the same Google that believes and seems to advocate privacy is dead? Don’t think I’ll take them up on any offers Google.
I have been using Skype for years, love it, have never had a major issue with the service and calls all around the world are free via computer. The rates for computer to landline is extremely cheap, never paid yet.
I just tried it out yesterday, and it works amazing. I felt that it had even better quality than Skype. I even called from the GTA to my Grandmother in Sault Ste. Marie, ON and the quality was still great.
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