Verizon rolling out Wi-Fi calling this week, but kicks off with Samsung devices only

[Wireless News]

http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6TVfLcWQYoxWFd1pCpeJLw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9ODY7cT03NTt3PT EzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/digital_trends_973/3c45107d28212612cf991192f4d1f0ba (http://news.yahoo.com/verizon-rolling-wi-fi-calling-101514389.html)It’s been a while coming, but Verizon this week finally flips the switch on Wi-Fi calling, kicking off on Tuesday with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge handsets. The company says users of other devices won’t have to wait too long to join the party, promising a wider rollout for additional Android smartphones as well as iOS handsets “early next year.” Related: Verizon Go90 brings live NBA games to your phone The feature enables a handset to automatically switch to an available Wi-Fi connection – this could be-at home or in a public space with Wi-Fi like a cafe – when it detects that the cell signal is too weak to maintain a decent connection, or if no signal is available. Such a service should come in useful for anyone who finds themselves in a place-with a lousy or unreliable cell signal, which-could be the result of being in an out-of-the-way-location or due to a building design that reduces the effectiveness of the signal. Verizon is offering its Wi-Fi calling feature as part of its “Advanced Calling” voice-over LTE service. The company said in a release that all Wi-Fi calls made to U.S. phone numbers will be free, while calls made to foreign numbers will be billed at international long-distance rates. Related: Everything you need to know about Verizon’s no-contract plans Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said last year the company had-been cautious in rolling out Wi-Fi calling because call quality is out of its control and dependent on the Wi-Fi connection. Since those comments, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint have all started to roll out their own Wi-Fi calling services, with Verizon evidently reluctant to hold off any longer. Verizon customers with a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge device can get started with-Wi-Fi calling by downloading and installing the latest software update and turning on Advanced Calling from the settings menu. Also watch: Apple iPhone 6S Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Please enable Javascript to watch this video



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