WhatsApp had initially rolled out video calls for Android users through its beta app tester platform, and now the company has decided to roll it out for all the OS platforms at the same time.
The biggest update to the app since voice calls were launched, is the new ability to make video calls on WhatsApp. A completely free to use service, and with over 1 billion subscribers globally, the messaging service has become a leader in the chat app industry.
This update is something that users have been requesting for a lot of time now, as WhatsApp has been the most popular service and is the oldest as well. This makes the app now open to all three services – chatting, voice calling and video calling.
The new feature is also very easy to use – when you press the call button on the application, you will be prompted with two options, Voice call or video call. You won’t be able to make a video call if the person on the other side does not have the app updated.
Not many other platforms can boast of such capabilities along with a huge subscriber base. Google Duo and Allo being the latest addition to such apps, have limited capabilities and break away from the notion of one app for every possible mode of communication.
“Today we’re excited to announce the next step in our efforts to connect people – WhatsApp video calling. In the coming days, WhatsApp’s more than one billion users can make video calls across Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices,” read WhatsApp blog.
Facetime, the pioneer and the most reliable video calling app on iOS, does not offer cross-platform compatibility, which has always been a pain point for Apple users. Now that Android is the most widely used operating system, it makes sense for Apple to launch Facetime for other OSes like Android and Windows.
The new update will be rolled out to 180 countries in a few hours’ time. Considering India is the largest market for WhatsApp and Facebook right now, they have optimized the app to work on Indian internet network as well. The app will continue to work seamlessly on 2G, 3G and 4G.
Will this obliterate other similar apps?
WhatsApp’s mantra has always been simple and easy for its users to understand. The company only wants to connect a person A to B through the easiest way possible. This is another reason why WhatsApp is relatively plain as compared to other services like Telegram, Messenger and Allo.
Moreover, video calling in addition to voice calling makes it all the more easy for people to connect through one app. While Duo and Messenger also do the same thing, they are unable to provide the desired privacy to users. WhatsApp video calls will also be encrypted end-to-end like the voice calls.
This gives the app an edge over other players like Messenger, Skype and Duo. WhatsApp is very committed to making the experience at par with its competitors, and continues to serve the Indian users with even more dedication.
On our tests, the video calls were smooth and there were no hiccups. We’re yet to test on slower internet speeds, but the app seems light and capable enough to carry on without any call drops like on voice calling. The video and sound were crisp and clear, as expected from a video call.
The new feature adds a whole new dimension to WhatsApp and poses a strong threat on other similar applications. Many will switch back to this app, considering the growth of video calls in the last couple of years.
This update should be rolling out to your smartphone soon, so keep a close eye on the app store for the latest version.
Source: WhatsApp
