If you're looking to call Cuba with your iPhone, you might find that the high taxes can create extra costs and frustration when trying to reach friends or family. Luckily, having a smartphone at your fingertips gives you a few additional options when looking to make an international call. Learning the ins and outs of calling Cuba with your iPhone will help you figure out the easiest, most economical option for you.

Using Your iPhone to Call Cuba

If you want to call Cuba directly from your iPhone one option is to arrange for an international calling plan from your carrier. Whether your plan is for a certain number of minutes or depletes from a cash balance, it can still be costly to call your loved ones back home.

Traditionally, AT&T and Verizon haven been among the more competitive services but prices have still been shocking compared to calls to other countries.  This article explains a little more about why this is, but fortunately, since the re-opening of the US embassy in Cuba in August 2015, trade barriers are gradually being knocked down.  As a result we can expect, or at the very least hope, for prices to fall as tariffs and extra taxes are reduced.  Check with your local operator for the best current deal, or look into the app market where you can often find something much more economical.

Call Cuba with iPhone Apps

A popular alternative to making traditional calls to Cuba involves the use of iPhone Apps. The most common among these are VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services, which often allow users to make cheap or even free calls over Wi-Fi or 3G. Unfortunately, free and cheap rates do not apply to Cuba.

- Skype has been made famous by their cheap and easy VoIP service that allows you to call from PC to PC, or PC to phone. Their iPhone app allows you to access all the features of Skype as if you were using it from your PC, but their rates for calling Cuba are still high.

- Google Voice is another app you can download to make comparatively cheap international calls, but the rate to call Cuba is remains rather high. In addition, if the iPhone App Store reviews can be trusted, there are several complaints of dropped calls and poor reception.

- As noted previously, since the positive steps taken between The Obama and Raul Castro led administrations in improving US-Cuban relations, we have the potential for prices beginning to fall.

Making iPhone Calls to Cuba with the Rebtel App

If you're sick of paying an arm and a leg to call Cuba with your iPhone, the Rebtel app might offer you some much-needed relief. Enjoy a variety of benefits when you download the free Rebtel app in the iPhone App Store, including:

- Among the cheapest rates on the market, both to landline and mobile/cell phones, with high call quality and an available customer services team should you need them.

- Use your regular contact list instead of having to build a separate list or remember usernames.

- Rebtel is completely transparent – with no monthly fees or hidden charges. The rates you see are the rates you get.

- The Rebtel iPhone app allows you to switch between 3G, Wi-Fi, or a local access number to make your call. The app will suggest the best connection to choose, or you can try each one yourself to find out which option offers the most consistency.