iOS 8.3 released, includes native WifiCalling for EE customers

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Apple has released iOS 8.3 for iOS devices this evening, amingst the improvements is native WifiCalling for the iPhone 5c/5s/6/6+ for EE customers (other networks should be launching it later in the year, Vodafone have announced its coming for their customers in the near future).
 
Interesting development. Whilst the handsets no longer seem to step change in what they offer, there have been quite a few developments with OS and apps that allow us to use the phones more seamlessly and for better effect (y)
 
I think the inbuilt WifiCalling is going to be a big deal when people realise it means you get a signal anywhere you have wifi, and being native to the OS there are none of the problems that have been found with the apps some networks have tried (which just seem to produce angry users).

EE claim it will function with all the main public wifi providers as well.
 
Just realised the annoying incidence of the select/copy/paste pop up disappearing and needing multiple attempts to get it to work on the forum has now stopped happening since the update.

that's one less stressful thing with the iPad :).
 
Excuse my ignorance but how is WifiCalling different to a Facetime phone call?
 
TopBanana said:
Excuse my ignorance but how is WifiCalling different to a Facetime phone call?
Click to expand...

WifiCalling is a standard call or text, made as you would a conventional call on the phone and can be made to any phone in the world. All that changes is instead of going network mast -> switch -> PSTN the call goes wifi router -> switch -> PSTN. Network coverage no longer matters, as long as there is an available wifi network your phone will still work as normal.

It's also available on some Samsung Android and a windows mobile phone (more makes and models will follow).
 
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Dave1 said:
WifiCalling is a standard call or text, made as you would a conventional call on the phone and can be made to any phone in the world. All that changes is instead of going network mast -> switch -> PSTN the call goes wifi router -> switch -> PSTN. Network coverage no longer matters, as long as there is an available wifi network your phone will still work as normal.

It's also available on some Samsung Android and a windows mobile phone (more makes and models will follow).
Click to expand...
Ah I see, I thought that (in the usual apple fashion) it would only work iphone-to-iphone. Does it seemlessly revert back to using GSM mast if you walk out of wifi range?
 
TopBanana said:
Ah I see, I thought that (in the usual apple fashion) it would only work iphone-to-iphone. Does it seemlessly revert back to using GSM mast if you walk out of wifi range?
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Yes, it's a general protocol as opposed to an Apple only thing.

Currently it will connect and revert without a problem but won't hand a call over from wifi to CS network (or vice versa) as it needs VoLTE to do that(voice over LTE or 4G is part of the LTE protocol but isn't launched yet, it's due for launch later this year).
 
Dave1 said:
It's also available on some Samsung Android and a windows mobile phone (more makes and models will follow).
Click to expand...
Yes, been using this via Three on my Xperia for a few weeks now. Does have issues there though, in that texts are not necessarily kept in the same thread. End up with two threads. Hopefully that will get sorted eventually and won't happen on the iPhone.
 
Bythesea said:
Yes, been using this via Three on my Xperia for a few weeks now. Does have issues there though, in that texts are not necessarily kept in the same thread. End up with two threads. Hopefully that will get sorted eventually and won't happen on the iPhone.
Click to expand...

No, Three don't have WifiCalling active, they do have an app that allows calls over wifi called InTouch(which isn't the same thing). Your InTouch app has more in common with WhatsApp or Viber.

Native WifiCalling is all in the phone as you would expect, calls and texts in the standard places, no need to activate or deactivate or have an app hang or crash, nor does it have the possible battery drain issues of the apps.

This is true for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

Here's an article that tries to explain what it is and the difference to the apps.
 
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Fair enough, hadn't read too much about it - just know I was making calls over wifi :)
 
Bythesea said:
Fair enough, hadn't read too much about it - just know I was making calls over wifi :)
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No problem, you should be pleased to know that proper WifiCalling is coming to Three, hopefully sometime this year (along with VoLTE).
 
Not just Apple though - a colleague is on EE on Android Lolipop and it's been announced it's also available for that
 
Byker28i said:
Not just Apple though - a colleague is on EE on Android Lolipop and it's been announced it's also available for that
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As is said in post 6 and post 10 ;), it's currently available on iOS (5C, 5S, 6 and 6+) and certain handsets on Android (Galaxy S5, S6 and S6 Edge) and a handset on Windows Phone (the Lumia 640). More handsets will follow.
 
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Teach me for not reading it fully then :D

Whats the difference compared to apps like Viber, Skype?
 
Byker28i said:
Teach me for not reading it fully then :D

Whats the difference compared to apps like Viber, Skype?
Click to expand...

It's completely built in and seamless, the phone just treats the wifi router as another network base station.
 
In these days of unlimited minutes, what are the advantages of this compared to Virgin and BT's smartcall app?
 
admirable said:
In these days of unlimited minutes, what are the advantages of this compared to Virgin and BT's smartcall app?
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It doesn't have anything to do with minutes, it really as simple as it treats any wifi network as another cellular base station.

Any call or text is still from your allowance as a normal cellular call or text will be. The advantage is that it will give you network signal anywhere that you can get a wifi network (basements, thick buildings, the Underground, not spots etc).

Technically it also means that in the future you would connect as normal to your home network from anywhere in the world where you could get a wifi signal (so far it's only UK though).
 
Clever idea as it basically allows the mobile companies to add millions of new 'masts' for free, and will provide nearly unlimited good coverage.

Surely though it won't be a big step for the ISP's to realise they should just run out a load of wireless AP's and offer their own mobile contracts based on data usage rather that minutes..........

A seamless SIP environment that covered the entire world could be possible :)
 
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About the same as Viber then only Viber is worldwide. Viber to Viber is free, if you need to make calls to non viber it has a service called ViberOut which has cheap rates but you have to buy their credits instead of it coming off your phone bill. https://account.viber.com/rates/ I've not bothered with that though, just talk to overseas friends viber to viber for free.

Skypes also had that ability for ages. I can remember buying credits to call from the B&B house when we went to Skomer years ago :)

Nice though - need more integrated capabilities like this as wifi is rolled out in public areas
 
So when EE is subsumed into the vast BT conglomerate, it will follow for BT customers?
 
Obviously....

Look forwards......

BT has long been reported as regretting it sold off the O2 network so integration with the EE mobile network is the future?
 
shreds said:
Obviously....

Look forwards......

BT has long been reported as regretting it sold off the O2 network so integration with the EE mobile network is the future?
Click to expand...

EE might become BT EE or BT Mobile, but the network won't change a great deal, just like Cellnet didn't change a huge amount when it became O2. The change of ownership will probably be good for EE, going from 2 reasonably disinterested foreign owners to a domestic owner eager to expand its sphere of operation in the UK.

BT already have an MVNO operating on EE called BT Mobile that already undercuts some EE tariffs.
 
Umm, the thing I notice is, when entering an area where mobile phone signal is weak, the first thing to go is......wifi

I can't recall an instance where I had good 3 or 4G.....but no voice calls service, when does that ever happen
 
joxby said:
Umm, the thing I notice is, when entering an area where mobile phone signal is weak, the first thing to go is......wifi

I can't recall an instance where I had good 3 or 4G.....but no voice calls service, when does that ever happen
Click to expand...

Are you sure you are talking about wifi?

It's nothing to do with 3G or 4G. It's the router box from Virgin Media/BT/Plusnet/TalkTalk etc at home or in the office that connects to the Internet (it's nothing to do with the mobile network). There are some public wifi networks around, like in McDonalds and pubs, or The Cloud.
 
Dave1 said:
Are you sure you are talking about wifi?

It's nothing to do with 3G or 4G. It's the router box from Virgin Media/BT/Plusnet/TalkTalk etc at home or in the office that connects to the Internet (it's nothing to do with the mobile network). There are some public wifi networks around, like in McDonalds and pubs, or The Cloud.
Click to expand...


short answer...I dunno what I'm talking about

I do know after reading your link, it just doesn't effect me at all, I've no idea where I'd need to go to not be able to make a voice call but at the same time be able to connect to an available wifi network to make that call.....but maybe there are places like that, I dunno.
A work colleague is on the Orange network, p1ss poor signal when hes at home but Orange provided him with a device that allows him to use his home internet connection to make and receive calls.....but that's been around for years.
 
looks like the wifi calling could be a good idea looking forward to that feature when it becomes available on o2

we just got 4 g in the area bit intermittent at moment as still in test period i believe but wow oh wow what a difference full bars on my phone clearer phone call and fat internet is just a few things i noticed so far
 
Interesting reading some of the comments on here. I have recently changed network providers from o2 to EE purely because of the wifi calling. I live in a rural area, not all that out in the sticks to be honest (we have fibre broadband!) with absolutely no mobile signal of any kind from any of the networks. Before now I have been using an iOS app from o2 to make and receive calls with varying degrees of success. Now I have the wifi calling enabled with EE its like living in the civilised world again! My phone makes and receives calls and texts as normal and I don't have to worry about an app letting me down and missing important calls. My only minor complaint is that EE block the service on a wifi that is detected to be outside of the UK, whereas the o2 app did not.
 
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