Earlier this year I mentioned the HulloMail visual voicemail service and how some T-Mobile UK customers were petitioning for T-Mobile UK to stop divert charges just because they didn’t want to use their default voicemail. T-Mobile UK was probably charging their customers for using services like HulloMail because they want them to keep using their own service, but default carrier voicemail is very inadequate when it comes to features and ease of use.

That’s why there are services like HulloMail and YouMail (one of the first visual voicemail services). These services allow us to do more with our voicemail rather than just calling in, listening to annoying prompts and then our voicemails.

• HulloMail lets you:
  • Receive and play voice-emails directly in your inbox, mobile and the web
  • Get notified of any missed call, even in areas with no mobile reception
  • Take control of your voice-emails – it’s up to you, not the operator
  • Share, delete and keep your voice-emails forever, within a click
  • See who’s calling you instantly from your email contacts
  • Access, view, and manage your voice-emails, all from one place
• The HulloMail mobile application also gives you:
  • One click access to all your voice-emails
  • An enhanced single view of your voice-emails
  • Embedded rich contact information from your phone or your Gmail contacts

The HulloMail visual voicemail app is available for the Curve 8900, Bold 9000 and Tour 9630 with support for other models coming soon. To download it directly to your BlackBerry visit hullomail.com from your BlackBerry Browser for “early access”. Both the web service and app are available free.

More info in the full press release after the jump.

(If you’ve used YouMail and try HulloMail, let me know which you think is best in the comments!)

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Last week I posted about @asacco’s article where he goes over the upcoming AT&T BlackBerry Bold OS and what it will bring. Here is a recap of the features mentioned:

• AT&T Visual Voicemail (optional feature)
• General handset software optimization and improvements
• Capability to set the device to “2G only” for better battery life and coverage in some international roaming situations
• Additional VPLs including My-Cast Weather, Wiki Mobile, Mobile Banking, a few games and more.

Some more features (courtesy of BGR):

• Store up to 40 voicemails for up to 14 days
• Archive voicemails to device memory or on a microSD card
• Forward voicemails as an MMS to other users or an email address
• Save phone numbers in your Visual Voicemail inbox to your address book
• Setup your voicemail including greeting right from the application itself

Last week the actual application number was unknown, only it’s package version number (v4.6.0.508) was known. Bla1ze over at CrackBerry posted the image above and mentioned that the new OS version’s application number will be 4.6.0.297, which will make it the latest official release once it is made available this August 25th via the AT&T BlackBerry downloads site.

All we have to do is wait less than a day . Hopefully this OS release will be on time.

I’m sure some of you have already heard plenty of rumors that a new BlackBerry OS will be released for the AT&T Bold 9000 and the Tour 9630. My buddy Al Sacco is reporting that this is indeed the case, along with BGR also mentioning the new Tour 9630 OS.

The new AT&T Bold 9000 OS is supposed to be version 4.6.0.508, probably the package version and not the application version, which is supposed to be made available at the AT&T BlackBerry downloads site August 25th. Here is what this release will include:

• AT&T Visual Voicemail (optional feature)
• General handset software optimization and improvements
• Capability to set the device to “2G only” for better battery life and coverage in some international roaming situations
• Additional VPLs including My-Cast Weather, Wiki Mobile, Mobile Banking, a few games and more.

The latest available OS for the Bold 9000 is v4.6.0.291 (package version 4.6.0.499) from T-Mobile UK, so the new AT&T OS might be a slightly higher application version.

As for the new Tour OS, BGR is claiming that v4.7.1.42 will be getting released by Verizon, followed by a possible release from Sprint. Right now the Tour OS release is just a rumor.

Anyone else hear anything you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!

My buddy Troy over at BlackBerry News is reporting that he is having issues with the YouMail Visual Voicemail Plus application for BlackBerry that was released yesterday.

Check out what he had to say:

We reported yesterday about YouMail launching their visual voicemail application. After 24 hours it is safe to say a lot work still needs to go into the application before it is ready for prime time much like the transcription service they charge for now. Many users including myself have experienced nothing but problems with the application.

If you want a great Visual Voicemail solution I still recommend the third party application VyMail that we previously reported on.

As for YouMail maybe with all the ad revenue from placing ads on every aspect of your messages they can now put a little more money into their projects and refine their service. Time will tell.

Looks like VyMail has more loyal users .

I don’t get too many voicemails but it seems to work fine except for uploading contacts, which freezes after the first few. Is anyone else experiencing problems with their YouMail Visual Voicemail Plus application?

• Download: http://m.youmail.com/ota [OTA]
  
• Info: http://m.youmail.com/ymmobile/

Some highlights from the press release:

• YouMail, Inc. (http://www.youmail.com), the mobile industry’s premier consumer voicemail service, today announced the availability of Visual Voicemail Plus, its free, visual voicemail application for BlackBerry phones including the Pearl, Curve, Bold and Storm.
• “YouMail’s Visual Voicemail Plus allows BlackBerry users to enjoy the speed and convenience of visual voicemail, for free, in addition to having access to all of the other voicemail enhancements in YouMail’s award winning voicemail service.”
• YouMail’s time-saving Visual Voicemail Plus, gives BlackBerry clients access to a voicemail inbox right on their mobile phone.
• In addition, customers that currently use YouMail’s free and premium transcription services will also be able to read their voicemails directly from the new application, saving even more time.
• YouMail’s BlackBerry application was built entirely on top of its open API. The API allows developers to write their own applications that extend YouMail’s offerings to handset applications, browser plug ins, widgets, and more.

Read the whole press release after the jump.

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