The popular iPhone (News - Alert) app for international calls just got a little better. ChatTime is able to make international calls without any data connection – neither 3G nor Wi-Fi – a technology that is patent-pending.

The latest feature of the app includes free calls between users, so that means if you have ChatTime buddies also using the service, you don’t pay a time to talk to them, no matter if you’re in the USA and the other person is in Italy.

“ChatTime delivers the highest voice call quality available for international calls,” said Dan Currie, CEO of SmartRoam in a press release on the announcement. “ChatTime is offering its customers free calls when they connect with another ChatTime customer, without restricting where calls are made or answered. Our customers are the only ones who can make free mobile international calls without Wi-Fi or 3G on either end of the call.”

Users just have to go to the Contacts tab in ChatTime and select the name of the person they want to call and then press the ‘Free call’ button. ChatTime will automatically check to see if the number selected belongs to a ChatTime user.

ChatTime enables free international calls by automatically and transparently connecting 2 local calls together, eliminating the need for VoIP, Wi-Fi or 3G data for carrying the call.

ChatTime still offers low-cost international calls over cellular networks from any country in the world to any phone number in the world without the need for Wi-Fi or 3G. Rates for these begin at just a few cents per minute or you can sign up for one of the company’s unlimited packs that start at just $4.99 per month.

ChatTime is a finalist for Red Herring's (News - Alert) 2011 Top 100 Global award, an announcement that comes after winning the Red Herring Asia 100 award in October 2011.

“ChatTime is honored to follow up its Asia 100 win by being recognized alongside hundreds of innovative companies from around the world,” said Currie. “This acknowledgement speaks not only to the pride of our company, but the trust and loyalty of our users. We have years of growth ahead of us, and we are proud to be honored at such an early stage of the company by Red Herring and our peers.”