T-Mobile's Bobsled Messaging and VoIP service has been slowly expanding its reach. The calling features were originally Facebook-to-Facebook, then to outbound calls from the desktop to regular phones. Now the service allows for free calls from your Android or iOS device to landlines, in addition to the PC and Facebook calling, and the group messaging features, which were originally T-Mobile-specific, now work from the desktop "in the cloud" or from the iOS and Android mobile apps. While we're not thrilled to have another BBM / FaceTime / ChatON / Skype / Google Voice competitor, but Bobsled's inclusion of free calling and cross-platform compatibility is at least an improvement. We also like that Bobsled can be tied to a phone number or to another ID (pretty soon T-Mobile will even be able to give you a free unique phone number if you'd like, just how Google Voice does), and of course the fact that this doesn't burn minutes doesn't hurt. In addition to T-Mobile's existing Wi-Fi calling functionality, Bobsled makes the carrier look great for people looking to cut costs and rely more on IP and multi-device communications. Like most of us.
T-Mobile Bobsled adds free calling for iOS and Android, expands group messaging

There are 9 Comments. Add yours.
If you had asked me 5 minutes ago what I thought about T-Mobile, I’d have told you that they’re doomed. Now… I see light at the end of the tunnel! Way to go!
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 8:10 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
FaceTime, BBM, Skype, Google Voice, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter Direct Messaging, Tango, iMessage, Hundreds of random apps and now what your carrier likes.
Can we just have one service to rule them all please?
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 8:17 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
gTalk is surprisingly becoming useful now that half of my friends are on Android, and another chunk is using iMessage, if only those two could chat to each other I’d be happy.
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 8:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I’m pretty sure the ball is in Apple’s court on that one. Gtalk is federated and anyone can set up an XMPP-compliant service.
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 9:34 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
You know what they say about standards to rule them all, right?

Posted on Jan 11, 2012 | 2:26 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I got to ask. Does the IOS support mean a future app or dire I say a T-Moble iPhone or iPad!
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 8:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
WHY IS THAT NEXUS S RUNNING SENSE UI?!
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 8:39 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
umad bro?
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 9:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Making outgoing calls to anyone in the US is fine and what not but incoming is where its at. Can someone at The Verge go as T-Mobile when they are going to add incoming calls?
Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 10:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
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