Earlier this month, we heard about Fring kicking off a beta-testing program to bring group video conferencing to its VoIP app. The idea seemed grand, letting you and three other friends video chat in real-time, with cross-compatibility between Android and iPhone users. After seeing how much personal information Fring wanted from those attempting to sign up for the program, though, we grew concerned that the requests might harm interest in the testing, delaying the eventual release of group video support. Apparently our concerns were unfounded, as just three weeks later Fring has updated the public releases of both its Android and iPhone apps to let you make group video calls.

Like Skype, Fring makes its money by offering discounted rates on calling outside of its VoIP network, but so long as you just want to connect with other users online, you can video chat to your heart’s content with only mobile data usage to worry about. Speaking of which, four video streams at once could end up demanding a lot of bandwidth, but Fring manages things by dynamically compressing video using its in-house DVQ system, aiming to squeeze as much fidelity as it can out of limited-bandwidth situations. Obviously, if you can connect over WiFi, so much the better.

Fring with group video chat is available for download in the Android Market and Apple’s App Store.

Source: Fring