Just before the weekend hit, Verizon quietly announced that it will finally begin rolling out support for Wi-Fi calling on select Samsung devices — the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge — this coming week. Unfortunately, iPhone users hoping to take advantage of Wi-Fi calling will have to wait a bit longer as the nation’s largest carrier said iOS support is slated to roll out sometime in early 2016.
DON’T MISS: Sorry, ‘Fallout 4’: ‘Witcher 3’ is Game of the Year and it’s not close
As the name implies, Wi-Fi calling lets users make calls over an Internet connection rather than routing them through cellular networks. This is an especially useful feature in areas where cellular connectivity is spotty and unreliable. What’s more, users with Wi-Fi calling enabled don’t have to worry about eating into their allotment of voice minutes. Another perk of Wi-Fi calling is that it provides users with higher quality audio transmissions.
Verizon’s press release reads in part:
“To activate Wi-Fi Calling on Android, customers must first download and install the latest software update and turn on Advanced Calling from the settings menu. Once Advanced Calling is enabled, customers can activate Wi-Fi Calling. When a customer uses Advanced Calling on our 4G LTE network and travels outside of coverage, the call will seamlessly transfer to a known Wi-Fi hotspot when available. Advanced Calling has been available for more than a year and enables HD Voice (on 28 smartphones) and Video Calling (on 21 smartphones) on the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.”
Specifically, Verizon said that Wi-Fi calling will roll out on Tuesday, December 8.
While Wi-Fi calling isn’t exactly a new feature (Apple introduced it in iOS 8), it’s nice to see Verizon finally following Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T’s lead and hopping on board the bandwagon.
