Even with certain carriers getting more aggressive about attacking roaming fees, it’s possible to rack up big cellular bills when traveling if you’re not willing to hop from hotspot to hotspot.
The Strone Roam may be an alternative. To use it, users connect the cylindrical, Amazon Echo-like device to Wi-Fi and leave it at home with their SIM card inserted. Doing this routes all incoming and outgoing calls through their own number at local rates using the Strone iOS, Android, or Web app — no matter where they are in the world.
For this functionality, users will still need to buy Strone credit with which to make these calls or browse the internet, but that’s still far less expensive than alternatives such as Skype or aninternational packages direct from a carrier. Calls between Strone app customers are free.
Google Voice-like features of funneling calls to different numbers to a single handset or the creation of a virtual phone network round out the package. $150 gets backers a Strone by its expected ship date of February 2016 if its $50,000 campaign goal is funded by November 13th, 2015.
While no CDMA, Windows, or Blackberry compatibility is a deal breaker for some, the number of users that can take advantage of the Strone Roam are far greater. Its ease of use will certainly attract them, aiding in other problems like poor reception even back at home, for example. In many ways, the Strone Roam is the spiritual success of the Anqor, although unfortunately not as ambitious.