Description: Spikko is an app and service that allows you to create virtual phone numbers from a massive list of countries all over the world. In essence, Spikko would allow you to call from the US to someone in Spain with a Spanish phone number yourself. The idea behind Spikko is that it’d be great for those relocating, as well as those that run global business with a head department in one place. It’s also a great way to ring international numbers without the associated costs. Spikko’s rates are both competitive and the app is incredibly simple to use, with everything spelled out in plain English. For those looking to speak to customers, friends and family abroad, without having to give them an international number, Spikko can help. So, lete’s take a look and find out what Spikko is all about and how practical it can be.
How it Works: You’ll need a Spikko account to use the service, but luckily you can sign-up for one through the Android app, which is just a small download from the Play Store. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’re given a nice introduction into just what Spikko has to offer you.
It’s pretty simple to create a Spikko account from within the app, but you can also create and then manage your account from the Spikko website if you’d prefer.
The kind folks at Spikko put together a test account for me, with two numbers, one in Spain and another in France. If you’re looking to try it out, there are free credits available for a little time as well.
The above shot is of the Dashboard, which is where you’ll be able to see how much remaining credit you have as well as being able to manage your numbers from the next screen.
You can adjust where incoming calls will be forwarded to as well, which is a nice touch. I decided to test this out by calling my Father at work, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much the call would cost me per minute before I hit the dial button.
From there, the stock phone app takes over and my phone call works just as I expected, and I didn’t ever feel that the call quality was impacted in any way. Using my Spain number, my Dad informed me that his Caller ID said “Madrid”, so it definitely worked as advertised. If you have more than one virtual number with Spikko, you can choose which one to use just after you decide to place a call, which is an exceptionally nice feature for those with a lot of different numbers.
Opinion: While I thought that Spikko would be an app that people could use for nuisance calls or sales calls, after using it I can see that the developer had something more personal in mind. Sure, this is great for small businesses with one office in say, Madrid, that needs to call the US all the time but would rather do so with a US number, but it’d be difficult to do a mass scale. For family and friends however, this makes it really simple to keep in touch with everyone all over the world. You don’t need to remember to dial a country’s code for instance, just call their French number or whatever and everything goes nice and smoothly from there. I found the app was nice and easy to use, but I’d prefer it not to look like an iOS app on Android, but that’s not a dealbreak by any means and it runs brilliantly.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Spikko runs well, and there’s no waiting around to connect a call or anything like that.
- Features (5/5) – Everything is laid out really simply, and it just works. It’s simple and easy to use while offering international travelers or business owners a way to reach their customers or friends in a more personal and friendly manner.
- Theme (4/5) – It’s a shame that the app looks more like an iOS app than an Android one, but that’s just a minor annoyance, and it does look good.
- Overall (4.5/5) – A great option for frequent travelers and small businesses with distribution centers all over the world, but with just one central office, Spikko is a more modern approach to international calling.
Pros
- Spikko is easy to get to grips with and everything is laid out in simple speech.
- Rates are affordable and will help those needing to call abroad avoid massive charges.
- Easy to switch between numbers when placing a call, and you can access all of your contacts directly from within the app.
- Great for those that travel a lot or those that have family all over the world, and it’ll also be a big help for small businesses, too.
Cons
- App does look and feel more like an iPhone app than an Android one.
- Could be used as a way for offseas salesmen to act as if they’re local, but we doubt many will do so.
Conclusion: All-in-all, it’s refreshing to see a modern approach like Spikko make international calling so easy to do. Not only that, but it makes things a lot easier for those on the other end, too. It’d be a lot easier for your Mother in Madrid to ring a Spanish number than remember how to dial a UK one, for instance. The same can be said of customers all over the world, I have no problem buying internationally, but calling a Hong Kong or German number isn’t my idea of fun, with Spikko I could easily just call a UK one and have a care-free experience.