eFax (for Android)

One would think that e-mail, FTP, instant messaging, and other methods of transferring files would have killed the fax machine, but the antiquated tool is still alive and kicking, especially in the business sector. Fortunately, you no longer need a dedicated fax machine (and the associated phone line and ink) to send and receive paperwork. eFax (Various prices 4 stars), an Internet-based fax service available in over 3,500 cities and 46 countries worldwide, gives you a real fax number that you can use to send and receive faxes?using your smartphone. The electronic faxing service's new Android app keeps most of the desktop version's functionality by letting the business-minded send messages from their Google-powered smartphones. ?You may not be able to apply digital signatures as you can with the desktop version, but it's a competent and capable business-friendly mobile app.

Simple Setup
eFax' Android app has a simple set up process for those who are new to the service. You simply input your name, email address, area code, phone number, check the Customer Agreement box, and tap Start Faxing. I inputted it into the app so that I could log in after receiving the fax number and pin in an email. I then arrived at the home screen that featured four main sections: "View Inbox," "View Folders," "Search Faxes," and "Send A Fax." Each section's function is self-explanatory. Naturally, existing eFax users can simply log in with their credentials.

Cost
There are three different types of eFax accounts: Free, Plus, and Pro. The free account lets you receive (not send) just 10 faxes per month, so it's a good match for those who very rarely fax. Next up the ladder is eFax Plus ($16.95 per month), which includes 150 pages of incoming and outbound faxes, and a 15-cent per page coverage fee (there's also a $10 one-time set up charge). eFax also offers a Pro model ($19.95 per month, $220 per year) designed for large businesses and individuals with heavy faxing needs. There's a $19.95 one-time set up fee, but with the higher cost comes 200 pages of incoming faxes and a cool voicemail feature that sends left messages to your inbox. There's also a 10-cent per page overage charge, which is five cents cheaper than the basic plan.

The Plus and Pro accounts are relatively expensive compared to Send2Fax' Home Office and Small Business plans which are $8.95 per month and $12.95 per month, respectively. MyFax has three plans, one of which starts of $10 per month for 100 faxes sent and 200 received.

The eFax Experience
Firing off a fax required that I tap "Send A Fax," key a phone number into the address field, and optionally fill in cover letter information. At the moment, eFax for Android only allows you to send photos snapped with the phone's camera or stored within the image gallery?no other file types. So, if you want to send a document, you'd have to shoot it with your phone's camera and then send it (which is what I did to test the service). You can, however, use eFax' email-to-fax capabilities (outside of the mobile app) to send files of any type.

The recipient contacted me stating that he received the fax five minutes after it was sent. When he responded with a fax of his own, it arrived in my inbox seven minutes later?not bad considering the money I saved on a dedicated machine, ink, and paper. Faxes can be tagged and archived, or forwarded as faxes or email messages, but you can?t add digital signatures as you can with the desktop version. Note: Fax quality may vary depending on your phone's camera.

Should You Subscribe to eFax?
eFax for Android works because it makes the fax process simple?you don't need to own a machine or visit Kinkos. All that's needed is a Web connection, which means you can fax from nearly any location. eFax for Android may only let you fax photos , and it doesn't support digital signatures, but there's an extremely high convenience factor. All in all, eFax is a solid companion for the for business customers who want to save on paper and ink.

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