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Google Rolling Out Free Calls to/from Gmail

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Google announced that its users will soon be able to place calls directly from Gmail. The VOIP service will be rolled out to U.S. users over the next few days.

The service looks like a nice companion for Google Voice as calls placed from Gmail.com will use your GV number for caller ID purposes. Calls placed to your Google Voice number will ring through to Gmail.

According to Google’s blog, calls placed to U.S. and Canadian numbers will be free, for at least one year. Like Skype, Google will offer cut-rate international dialing.

The feature isn’t live in my Gmail account yet, but I do look forward to trying it as soon as possible. I will give up my paid Skype services if Google’s new service works as advertised.

Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com tried out the Gmail Call Phone feature  and seems to like it so far.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. chris

    08/25/2010 at 11:43 am

    Not to be a pessimist, especially when this seems to be great news…but does this foreshadow a time when Google charges for this, along with Google Voice calls? “Calls to the U.S. and Canada will be free for at least the rest of the year…” I don’t like the sound of that statement.

    I love my FREE google voice!

    • Xavier Lanier

      08/25/2010 at 11:48 am

      I wouldn’t be surprised if Google started charging for minutes/SMS at some point, but the company generally offers services for free in hopes that you’ll click on the occasional ad- that is after all how Google makes almost al of its $.

  2. Bryce

    08/25/2010 at 4:30 pm

    I’d rather it wasn’t Google doing it, but this will spell the end of phones for me.

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