Flashphone is a Russian based service that offers users free phone calls over the Internet using their Flash web-based software. Free calls can be made towards a limited number of countries, listed on the site. The list is quite large, although I couldn’t find Serbia on it, even though it’s listed in the country list when registering to use the service. The service is still in Beta so there will be more developments over time, and I’m guessing the list of countries available for free phone calls will expand.

There is a limitation to using the service. Each user gets three calls per day, with each call limited to three minutes, for now according to the site. The interface is quite simple - it looks like standard mobile phone layout (numbers and function buttons). Even though the design is a bit too simplistic, I don’t find it to be disagreeable. The fact that it’s web based and relies on software (Flash) available on almost all computers attached to the Web, makes Flash Phone quite interesting. Having to have your browser open all the time in order to make calls may be a small negative characteristic, but at the same time I don’t think that is a big issue. In the end, you have to launch something to use the service, so it may as well be a browser, why not? Skype is different in that aspect as it is a separate application that requires installation on the system, and is platform dependent (special versions for different OS), while Flash Phone is web based, and thus platform independent. All you need is a properly setup headset and microphone, and you’re set.

The service currently has some 1850 registered users. I’m expecting this number to grow drastically as the services gets coverage over the coming weeks. If it proves to work ok, I see no reason for it not to gain a lot of popularity. Well, of to use my three calls for today!

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