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There's something called 'Enhanced HD Voice' and EE supports it
Most weirdos people that actually use their smartphones to make calls will be aware of the eerily crisp connections of HD Voice. All major carriers in the UK support the standard at this point, which is technically known as Voice over LTE (VoLTE), since 4G frequencies are responsible for the improved call clarity. But apparently, there's something better. It's called Enhanced HD Voice, and EE is today boasting it's the first network in the UK to support it.
AT&T completes its first LTE calls with another carrier
You can already get high-quality LTE phone calls on multiple US carriers, but they're not all that practical when they only work between customers from the same carrier. They're on the cusp of hitting the mainstream, though: AT&T has quietly revealed that, as promised, it recently completed the first Voice over LTE calls between its customers and another network in "select areas." It's a bit late to the game (T-Mobile started cross-carrier testing a while back), but this will be a big deal when it eventually rolls out nationwide -- you'd be much more likely to get LTE quality when you call a friend.
Three's Voice over LTE launch means better signal in more places
There's more than one way to wipe out a not-spot, and to compliment Three's inTouch app for WiFi calling, the carrier has today become the first in the UK to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its mobile network. Simply put, VoLTE -- or "4G Super Voice," as Three's branding team would prefer you call it -- uses your 4G connection to handle calls (when appropriate), instead of older 2G and 3G networks. That part isn't particularly important, however, but it means customers will be able to call, text and check Instagram in places they haven't been able to before. In addition to its existing 1,800MHz slice of 4G spectrum, Three's been building out an 800MHz network to support VoLTE services. These lower frequency airwaves probe further into underserved rural areas, and deeper into buildings, lavishing mobile coverage on previous dead zones.
Three's launching Voice over LTE support this autumn
Three's hellbent on continually improving network reliability and coverage, and as part of that, the carrier has today announced it's gearing up to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its network this autumn. The provider is currently on track to switch its VoLTE service on in September, facilitated by tagging additional 800MHz spectrum onto its existing 1800MHz network. This new slice of bandwidth is expected to significantly improve coverage in problem areas, particularly inside buildings, where 800MHz airwaves can penetrate more easily than other frequencies. Three expects roughly 1 million of its 8.5 million customers to be reaping the benefits of VoLTE by the end of the year, taking calls in places 2G and 3G signals can't reach. The only catch is you're going to need a VoLTE-compatible handset, such as the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S6. Any relatively new handset should do, though.
Verizon's HD voice and video chat only works on two phones (for now)
Verizon's HD voice and video chat feature is now live, just like it promised back in August. The carrier officially calls it "Advanced Calling 1.0," and it lets you make high-definition voice calls over LTE to other Verizon phones that also have the capability. Its video chat function, on the other hand, is a combination of HD voice and real-time video feed, though it can transfer the video portion of the call from LTE to Verizon WiFi when available. Anyone with a compatible device can access the feature at no additional charge, with HD voice costing the same as your standard call rates. Video, however, will be billed as data, with one minute eating up between six to eight MB.
Verizon's HD voice and video chat nearly ready to launch nationwide
LTE isn't just about getting incredibly fast data speeds on our smartphone or tablet. Sure, that's been what the technology's been primarily used for ever since it was introduced a few years ago, but it's capable of providing crystal-clear phone calls as well through a service known as Voice over LTE (VoLTE). The catch is that it's up to each carrier to provide the service. AT&T and T-Mobile have rolled out the capability already, and Verizon announced today that it's nearly ready to flip the switch on VoLTE nationwide, and it'll happen in a matter of weeks. Whether that means two or fourteen, Verizon won't say. But when it's ready, this functionality will be pre-loaded on new devices and pushed to existing phones in a downloadable update (provided the hardware is compatible, which many devices are).
Engadget Daily: Microsoft Surface Pro 3, Voice over LTE and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Verizon's next-gen voice service still planned for this year, will come with video calling
Verizon and AT&T, the two largest mobile operators in the US, have spent the last couple years in a race to deploy next-generation voice technology known as Voice over LTE (VoLTE). With its announcement last week, AT&T was the first to deploy the fast-speed VoIP network, but don't count Verizon out of the race quite just yet: executives explained to us today that it's still on track for nationwide deployment sometime this year.
AT&T set to beat Verizon by deploying high-definition calls over LTE this month
With so many apps, services and features on today's smartphones, it's easy to forget that there are still plenty of people out there who still actually make calls. Eager to leverage the speed and efficiency of existing LTE networks, providers like AT&T and Verizon are busily trying to enhance voice call quality with a technology called Voice over LTE (VoLTE). Given the vast delays in deploying the service -- both carriers wanted to launch it in 2013 -- it's apparent that VoLTE has presented its fair share of technical difficulties. AT&T, however, is now ready to flip the switch in select markets: sources familiar with the matter have indicated that the carrier plans to beat Verizon to the punch by rolling out VoLTE beginning on May 23rd.
LG's first VoLTE Bluetooth headset revealed: Tone + packs 'high-quality' audio codec
LG isn't short of a few Voice over LTE handsets, but this neck-hugging Bluetooth handset promises to offer similarly crisp voice calls, if the feature's available, without the need to fumble around in your pockets . The Tone + headset totes a pair of in-ear buds, is available in both white and black and will even vibrate in Battle Royale terror style when you receive a call. LG has built in a "professional grade audio codec", the aptX, to improve audio performance alongside that VoLTE compatibility. The headphones can event pair to two devices (even two smartphones) and read out your received SMS messages. You can expect the micro-USB rechargeable Tone+ to last around 15 hours of talk-time, or 500 hours on standby. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but LG promise to launch the device in the US, Korea and China by the end of the month.
MetroPCS reveals Samsung Galaxy S III as part of fall lineup
Turns out the LG Motion 4G wasn't all that MetroPCS had up its sleeve for reveal today, as the prepaid carrier separately let its new fall lineup slip, and wouldn't you know it, among those devices is the Samsung Galaxy S III. Joining the superphone will be a smaller Sammy smartphone, and like the LG Connect 4G, it'll support VoLTE -- curious that the carrier isn't touting the feature for the Galaxy S III, don't you think? ZTE will also be making another go at MetroPCS, as an Android handset with a 4.3-inch screen is now in the cards, but other relevant specs remain sorely absent. Rounding out the lineup will be an import from Coolpad, which is said to wield a 4-inch screen and will retail for $149. According to Phone Scoop, we may see this one make an official debut later this week. Naturally, none of these slabs carry the same clout as the Galaxy S III, and if you'd like to get a bit more familiar with the soon-to-be premiere smartphone at MetroPCS, be sure to check out PC Magazine below, which managed to score a hands-on with the latest version of Samsung's finest.
Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August
Aren't you glad you waited to buy an LTE version of the Galaxy S III? Samsung has confirmed that the versions with faster cellular data will support Voice over LTE on appropriately equipped networks, giving them that IP-based boost to call quality. The rollout will start with the Korean LTE model receiving support in August -- we suspect SK Telecom is an early partner here -- followed by a deployment in foreign LTE markets, which would mostly limit the upgrades to American and Canadian owners. About our only qualm is with Samsung's assertion that the update makes the Galaxy S III the "world's first Voice over LTE smartphone:" we're pretty sure the fine folks at LG and MetroPCS have a thing or two to say about keeping up with current events.
MetroPCS lights up Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, starts selling LG Connect 4G
MetroPCS may not be grand in scale, but it's certainly not lacking for ambition. Just over a year after announcing its eventual transition to Voice over LTE, the carrier has officially launched its VoLTE services. Moreover, it's announcing the first sale of a VoLTE-capable handset at one of the company's Dallas / Fort Worth store locations. The Android-powered LG Connect 4G is the outfit's first (and only, for now) VoLTE-capable phone, but the operator's promising more rollouts and phone options "in the coming weeks." For the consumer, those in range of LTE signals should notice clearer calls, and it's become something of a trend to see carriers (Verizon and Sprint, for instance) moving in this direction as 2G / 3G networks start to show their age. So, DFW residents -- anyone been able to try it out? Let us know in comments below.
Fraunhofer's Full-HD Voice brings high fidelity VoLTE to Android smartphones
The audio nerds at Fraunhofer are set to raise the bar for Voice over LTE next week in Barcelona, as the company has announced a new technology known as Full-HD Voice. By leveraging the AAC-ELD codec, Fraunhofer claims that consumers will experience audio quality that rivals the experience of chatting face-to-face. Technically speaking, it's said the codec offers four times the audio bandwidth of regular phone calls and twice the bandwidth of HD voice services, all without an increase in bit rate. The technology will only be available for Android phones initially, but that seems like a fine place to start. The full PR is after the break -- presented in Full HD, of course.
Qualcomm chips complete first successful VoIP-over-LTE to WCDMA handoff
For now, voice over LTE is but an idea -- one with unrealized potential, as Verizon, AT&T and Metro PCS all still rely on their 3G networks for voice duty. Qualcomm has edged us one step closer to a completely 4G future, though, with the first successful test of a mid-call LTE to WCDMA transfer. Using one of its own chipsets, specifically an MSM8960 Snapdragon S4, the company successfully utilized Single Radio Voice Call Continuity to switch from a VoIP-over-LTE connection to a traditional voice channel over WCDMA. It might seem like a small victory, but it's one that's an essential step towards and entirely LTE-dependent network. Check out the complete PR after the break.
MetroPCS will begin transition to VoLTE early next year
US carriers were quick to acknowledge their allegiance to Voice over LTE (VoLTE), a 4G VoIP-related technology first demonstrated in February. Ever since that time, however, talk of deployment plans have been replaced by crickets. MetroPCS was the first to break the silence, as CEO Roger Linquist announced at this morning's quarterly earnings call that his company's "planning to begin introducing VoLTE-capable handsets early next year to move voice as well as data traffic to [its] LTE network." The outfit's wasting no time making the full transition to 4G, as it's already begun migrating its SMS and MMS services to this service. An increasing sense of urgency is likely hitting the company hard, as implementing VoLTE will ease some of the burden of its limited spectrum by devoting more bandwidth to 4G. What's better, the anticipated timeframe may even allow MetroPCS to beat Verizon to market -- which has also targeted 2012 as a launch date for its equivalent service -- as well as AT&T, currently aiming for a 2013 takeoff. No matter what, we're ecstatic to soon be flooded with more HD-clarity calls than we care to take.
AT&T also looking at Voice over LTE, paints a bullseye on 2013
With great bandwidth comes great responsibility is a lesson not lost on AT&T, as the cellular carrier has revealed it will follow Verizon's lead in improving call quality with Voice over LTE. Following Verizon's impressive demo of the technology this morning, Forbes cornered AT&T CTO John Donovan at MWC, who confessed that AT&T is working on something similar for a tentative 2013 release. That may sound a bit far off, but remember that Verizon won't launch its service until 2012, and AT&T won't hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for LTE until later this year anyhow. In the meanwhile, you're welcome to use your occasionally unlimited data for all the Skype you want.
Verizon VoLTE voice and video call demo at MWC 2011 (video)
There may not be a native LTE network live in Barcelona yet, but that didn't stop Big Red from hauling a 700MHz demonstration to Spain for the purposes of gloating at Mobile World Congress. We heard just days ago that the LG Revolution would be one of the first phones to support voice over LTE (VoLTE) on Verizon, and today we were given quite a bit of extra information about the rollout. For starters, Verizon's hoping that other carriers adopt their VoLTE platform, even going so far as to encourage it. It's sort of comical to hear the company that once crippled Bluetooth on dumbphones and still makes you buy a month of data just to activate a tablet talk about "openness" when it comes to communications, but we suppose the tables are turned somewhat when it's VZW that stands to gain. At any rate, VoLTE essentially acts as a VoIP lane, giving a specific amount of bandwidth to the call (which ensures call quality, unlike Skype, which is at the mercy of shared applications that are using the same bandwidth) and also enabling the phone to use data whilst the call it ongoing. The Revolution, which is slated to launch in March, will eventually gain VoLTE support, though VZW's not expecting the feature to go live in America until next year. Bilal Wahid, Verizon Wireless' Associate Director of Product Development, told us that at least initially, you may see VoLTE voice and videocalling available on Android smartphones, but there's no reason that the same apps couldn't be developed for other platforms. The call quality was on par with some of the high-bandwidth VoIP calls we've encountered, and the videocalling was particularly impressive. The resolution was tremendous, and there was essentially no lag whatsoever. Of course, this all happened over a locked, modular LTE network, so results will almost certainly vary out in the real world; regardless, it's a beautiful start, and it certainly makes the wait to 2012 that much more difficult. Hop on past the break for a demonstration as well as a lengthy explanation of the technology, where it's going, and when it'll be implemented. %Gallery-116749%
Verizon successfully completes first VoLTE call on commercial network in the world, plans 2012 availability
Verizon has just announced that it has completed the first voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on a commercial network anywhere in the world today, a 33-second dialogue between employees on LG Revolutions in the company's headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, following it up with a number of other calls where staffers were able to talk and use data services simultaneously -- thanks in no small part to the fact that LTE treats voice just as it treats any other type of data. We'd initially gotten the impression yesterday that Verizon would be starting to roll out voice over LTE (VoLTE) with the Revolution in mid-2011, but the company's press release today is saying that they'll be working to "enhance" the VoLTE experience in 2011 with commercially availability now expected next year. High-fidelity calls are expected to be part of that experience, so it'll be harder than ever to hold a call when you've got a bad cold. Remember the throat lozenges, alright? Follow the break for the full press release.
Verizon's LG Revolution to support voice over LTE mid-year
Verizon (like most operators) has thus far been coy about its plans for rolling out voice calling services on its LTE network, in part because voice isn't a core service of LTE -- everything is simply treated as data, which means carriers have needed to mull their options and decide how (and when) to add voice into the mix. We'd gotten the vague impression from Verizon's LTE launch event late last year that 4G voice wasn't in the company's 2011 plans, but it turns out that's not true: they've now come out to say that the LG Revolution -- announced at CES last month -- will be Verizon's first VoLTE device when it launches mid-year. Naturally, it'll fall back to CDMA voice when you're out of LTE range, but the move will represent the carrier's first baby step into the 4G voice realm; it'll offer higher sound quality than you're used to with traditional cellular and landline calls (akin to HD Voice, we imagine) which will be one of its selling points when it launches. Every indication is that this will be a glacially slow transition -- it'll take years for handsets to support the standard on a wide scale and LTE footprints to expand nationally, never mind inter-carrier call compatibility -- but it's a big move nonetheless. Look for more news on this at MWC next week. [Thanks, Ravi]
