WhatsApp first hinted it would let users make free calls to each other early in 2014. Its CEO Jan Koum hinted that WhatsApp will integrate voice communication features via VoIP. And on February 2015, the popular messaging app is starting to roll out the feature.
In a brief lookout, there is nothing new on WhatsApp. But if you look into it a bit more, the messaging app is putting another tab at the top of its screen to show 'Calls' in addition to the existing 'Chats' and 'Contacts' options.
From that tab, users of the Facebook-acquired messaging platform can select a contact and make a voice call using an internet connection.
The feature is somehow pretty similar to how Skype connects to web-based calls, a service known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Days before officially releasing the feature, experts have found some changes in the app's codes. When the experts extracted the layout files, they uncovered the clues about WhatsApp voice calling feature.
A Year for a Change to Compete with Mobile Operators
WhatsApp took more than a year to deliver what Jan Koum said on Mobile World Congress 2014. After a multicountry beta trial and an invite-only version of the feature, the company has enabled VoIP, starting on its Android app, for all users, as an update.
WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton told Facebook's F8 developer conference in late March that VoIP would roll out to iOS in a matter of weeks. With 700 million monthly active users of WhatsApp globally, the inclusion of VoIP has the potential to significantly affect mobile operators' voice revenues.
WhatsApp begins the long-delayed process of officially adding the calling feature. The company reported that it spent most of the year to fine-tune and test the feature. And as it finally revealed the feature, WhatsApp that has caused a decline in SMS traffic and revenue for a number of operators, would make it a powerful competitor.
But WhatsApp has as a disadvantage: its VoIP came out rather late. Before WhatsApp announced it would add VoIP, competitors in both telecommunication companies and OTT markets had introduced VoIP services - and even more companies did so in 2014.
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), Viber, LINE, Skype and many other messaging apps have offered voice calls for some time. This means that WhatsApp is entering an already crowded market.
Although given the size of WhatsApp, Koum announced that it's important for the service to maintain its rapid growth by offering a feature set comparative to its rivals.
Despite WhatsApp having a lot of active users, mobile operators had more time to prepare their responses, including evolving their communications services and/or using bundling strategies. Since they're powerful as they always were, they can lobby regulators for the right to block WhatsApp calls if they want to.
What makes WhatsApp popular is its continued focus on providing key elements of communication at the easiest way possible. The app is known for its simplicity, and its approachable because it replaces SMS without bolting on too many peripheral, experimental or money-making features. During a panel at Mobile World Congress, Koum said these "core values" would be preserved when voice calling is patched in.
The focus continued with WhatsApp calls where the company enabled one-tap calling of contact via the app's new Call tab.
VoIP calls is very much dependent on connection speed. In the nature of data transfer, it's putting a load on the network, and that's an industry-wide challenge. However, as internet is more widely available, VoIP call lags and dropouts can be put to a minimum, improving quality.
