Technology

WhatsApp Voice Calling On Its Way

by Brendan Byrne

At the recently held Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, WhatsApp’s CEO Jan Koum promised that voice calling would be coming to its fantastically popular messaging app: “We’re adding voice to WhatsApp so people can stay in touch with friends and loved ones no matter where they are in the world,” said Koum.

WhatsApp Voice Calling On Its Way

Hindi translation

WPCentral was recently contacted by those contracted for Hindi support and translation for WhatsApp telling the website that they had received requests for the following phrases,“Hang Up”, “Incoming Calls” and “Outgoing Call”.

This has led many to speculate that voice calling is on its way. The thinking clearly being that one of the last steps towards introducing voice calling would be to have the app translated. There are certainly a number of other things that would need to be done before that step is what many are writing today.

The rollout

It’s expected, not surprisingly, that Android and iOS will see voice calling prior to Windows, Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V), and BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) devices.

Perhaps even more telling were the screenshots released by iphonetalia last month that claim to show a beta version of the new WhatsApp iPhone app which purportedly shows a new display that is meant to be used for voice calling.

When Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) acquired WhatsApp, numerous news sources reported that things were on track for a Q2 launch of voice services, and now it’s presently the second quarter of the year.

“We use the least amount of bandwidth out there, and have optimised the hell out of it. We’ve made sure the quality is there though, just like the messaging functions of WhatsApp. We’re focusing on simplicity,” stated Koum at MWC.
It seems to be only a matter of time now.

Author: Brendan ByrneWhile studying economics, Brendan found himself comfortably falling down the rabbit hole of restaurant work, ultimately opening a consulting business and working as a private wine buyer. On a whim, he moved to China, and in his first week following a triumphant pub quiz victory, he found himself bleeding on the floor based on his arrogance. The same man who put him there offered him a job lecturing for the University of Wales in various sister universities throughout the Middle Kingdom. While primarily lecturing in descriptive and comparative statistics, Brendan simultaneously earned an Msc in Banking and International Finance from the University of Wales-Bangor. He's presently doing something he hates, respecting French people. Well, two, his wife and her mother in the lovely town of Antigua, Guatemala. To contact Brendan or give him an exclusive, please contact him at theflask@gmail.com