It’s the battle of the tech giants and WhatsApp is holding its own with the latest addition to its communication arsenal: free video calls. This newest feature thrusts the Facebook-owned messaging service into direct competition with Apple’s Facetime and Microsoft’s Skype. A move everyone saw coming, WhatsApp has taken the inevitable plunge into video communication, empowering over 1 billion users around the world.
Set to roll out on Android, iOS and Windows platforms, this new feature allows users to video chat with their contacts directly from their devices. In a recent press release, a WhatsApp spokesperson highlighted the company’s commitment to user-oriented innovation, saying, “We are launching this feature because we understand that sometimes voice and text messaging are not enough. We aim to make these features available to everyone, regardless of whether they can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks.”
No longer limited to voice and text communication, users will be able to start a video call by simply launching the app, tapping on the phone icon as if initiating a voice call, and selecting the new video call option. Due to roll out the feature in the coming days, WhatsApp expects this new function to significantly enrich user experience and enhance their connectivity options.
This seemingly belated entry into video calls by WhatsApp has sparked discussion among tech circles, considering many of their competitors have already adopted this feature. However, rather than an overlooked opportunity, it seems WhatsApp’s late entry might have been a strategic decision to perfect user experience before roll-out.
In the increasingly concentrated landscape of video communication apps, Google too has been making waves with its new video calling app, Duo, which vaulted to the number one spot in Google’s Play Store shortly after its release in August this year. Not to be outdone, WhatsApp’s voice call service – which was launched only last year – has already been adopted by over 100 million people globally, representing about 10% of WhatsApp’s vast user base.
It is no doubt that WhatsApp’s latest venture into video calling is a game-changer. However, only time will tell how successful this move will be and how it will affect the current state of digital communication. We, too, along with other tech enthusiasts across the globe, are on the edge of our seats, waiting to witness how WhatsApp’s video calling feature unfolds.
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