Voice Calls for Java is here

January 16th, 2009

If you have ever browsed through our supported handsets on the download page, selected your mobile phone, and noticed an annoying little red notification message saying: “This phone supports chat, sms and sending files, but not voice calls” – Well, then we have very good news for you.
We will remove this little annoying message, so you will never have to see it again – Yes! Barablu does now support voice for Java (J2ME) devices listed on our download page, so you can now call your friends on barablu for Free! Java voice is available for Nokia and Blackberry and other platforms like LG, Samsung and SonyEricsson will follow very soon.

How does it work?
The calls are handled a little differently on Java compared to our other platforms. Basically, all calls from Java will be routed through a local number – We call this an “Access Number”. This means that your operator will charge you for a local call, or use up any free minutes you may have.

All initiated calls from the Java client will require that you are routed through our access number, so all Java calls will be charged by your operator at local rate.

You will not be charged by your operator or from barablu when you receive calls from other barablu users.

The first thing you should do!
Is to make sure that you update your barablu profile so your mobile phone number is the same as the number of the SIM inside your phone. This is very important. If the SIM number and the mobile phone number in ‘my profile’ are not the exact same then the voice calls will not work.

Where does it work?

You can use barablu java calls everywhere in the world but we can only route you through access numbers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and UK, so it will only make sense to use it in these countries. If you select any other country than those listed above, and make a call you will automatically be routed through our Austrian access number and your service provider will charge you the applicable rate.

Call Schemes
To help you understand how it works we will go through each possible scenario and tell you how the call is handled and how you will be charged.
There are 4 different call schemes – Here is how it works:

1) Java call to any other user (PC, Nokia, WM)
If you are signed in to your Java phone and calls someone else who is logged into barablu on another device, then neither one of you will be charged by barablu – This is treated as a normal barablu call.
Your operator will charge you for a local call to our access number.

2) Java call out to landline/mobile phone
If you want to make a call to someone to their landline phone, barablu will charge you the applicable rate.
Your operator will charge you for a local call to our access number.

3) Other barablu user (PC, Nokia, WM) call Java
If you receive a call on barablu from one of your friends who is logged into barablu on another device, then you will not be charged by barablu or your operator.
The user who is calling you will be charged by barablu because the call will be treated as a ‘barablu out call’.

4) Java call to Java
If you are signed into barablu on your Java phone and want to call another barablu Java user then (like in scenario 3) the call will be handled as a ‘barablu out call’. This means that you will be charged by barablu and your operator will charge you for a local call to our access number.
The Person who receives the call will not be charged at all.

Other users
As you can see in point 3 barablu users signed into barablu from other devices will be charged at barablu out rates to call users who are online from Java phones – Therefore we have created a new icon for our Java users, so you can always see if a person is signed into his Java phone and this way know if you will get charged.
The new icon looks like this If you call someone with this icon you will be charged by barablu.

Happy Calling!
The Java installers are available from our download page. Find your phone on the device list and try it out!

For further info see our userguide.

Written by
michael thomsen

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Filed under: barablu
Tags: access number, barablu, blackberry, J2ME, java, java calls, java phones, Java Voice