Hangouts

Last year I began an experiment in which I tried to free myself of an actual cell phone service by using Google Voice (along with some third party apps) for VoIP. I had the best results with Skype, but even that was not very convenient. Ultimately I gave up because I don't have a home phone, so I had to be able to rely on my mobile phone. 

When I went back to a "normal" plan on T-Mobile I felt like I had failed in my attempt to change, but was still glad I had tried, and for the experience and what I learned.

That experience makes me appreciate what Google is doing now with the Hangouts app. We can make phone calls that use data, but don't use minutes. I have noticed some hiccups typical to VoIP. For instance yesterday I made a call and when the voicemail picked up, instead of being able to leave a message, the call dropped. But overall the service is much better than anything I was able to accomplish in my attempts. 

So now I am wondering if T-Mobile will let me back onto the so called "secret" prepaid plan that I used in the past. And I wonder if it is even worth the trouble. I should probably make a few more calls with Hangouts to get more comfortable with it before changing things around again.

I appreciate Google for what they are doing to keep things interesting. I'm looking forward to the Nexus 6 (or Nexus X) phone and the Nexus 8 or 9 tablet. Maybe this week they will be announced. The Nexus 7 is pretty much sold out and it looks like the Nexus 5 is heading that way too. I'm excited to see what new devices will be released in the near future, and how they will be priced.