Just days after being purchased by Facebook for a cool $19 billion and saying nothing would change, WhatsApp is promising one change later this year: “free” voice calls . Support for voice is a useful addition to any messaging platform, but remember: it won’t be free. Anytime you’re using 3G or 4G, you’ll have to pay for the data.
This is true of Skype, Facetime, Viber, BBM and any other service you can think of: “free” alternatives to voice or texting will use data connections instead. The amount of data needed for text messages is tiny. The amount for voice still isn’t enormous, but it is bigger.
Given that so many Australian phone plans now include free texting and calls but have relatively stingy data allowances, switching to voice calls over a data network can be a false economy. If you have the right prepaid plan, the main advantage will be staying in contact with other users, rather than the cost. It won’t matter if you’re using Wi-Fi at home or in the office, but outside that environment it’s worth thinking carefully.
WhatsApp Is Getting Voice Calling [Gizmodo]
Comments
6 responses to “Reminder: WhatsApp Voice Calls Won’t Be Free”
Seems like a downer attitude (and that’s coming from me..). You might as well write an article called “Nothing is free in this world”.
OMG! STFU! ORLY?!
That means Whatsapp and Facebook aren’t free either?!
Its hardly WhatsApps fault though or do you want them to reimburse you for the added data ?
You’ve neglected a major point here. International calls to other WhatsApp users will only cost the data charges. Given that Telstra revenue announced increases in inboound calls when overseas is much prefer to pay for additional data than exorbitant roaming charges.
Still cheaper than international calls.
Yet another good use for my Uni Wifi 🙂