T-Mobile brings free video calls to mobile

By David Curry Published September 3, 2015

t-mobile-video-call — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the launch of Advanced Messaging, T-Mobile is bringing video calls to mobile. Video calls will work for the dialer, allowing the user to choose between voice and video call. No app is needed, but anyone outside of the T-Mobile network will be unable to answer the video call.

T-Mobile will gradually push updates to smartphones. T-Mobile plans to work with other carriers to add them into the video calls, even if they aren’t subscribers. This is a bit of a knockback, considering Facebook Messenger, Skype, and FaceTime all offer that functionality regardless of carrier.

Recommended Videos

As with voice calls, T-Mobile will move between LTE and WiFi during the video call for the best service. It will also move from video call to voice if the connection is too slow, and allow the user to move back to video call once connection has been re-established. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 will be the first to receive T-Mobile video calls, followed by the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge next week. Android is the platform of choice for T-Mobile, probably because of iOS carrier restrictions.

T-Mobile plans to add another three phones by the end of the year. Not a major rollout, but enough to capture all of the latest smartphones running Android. The progression away from traditional calls and texts comes as more users move to WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat to communicate with friends. T-Mobile wants to remain in the conversation, even if it means cutting its own text and call services in favor of data options.

The worry is that none of the other major carriers join in with the push to Internet-friendly services like Advanced Messaging, voice chat, and video chat over WiFi or LTE. AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two dominant wireless providers, have shown no interest in implementing the new services.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…

Mobile

5 carriers you should use instead of T-Mobile

When it comes to performance, quality, and reliability, T-Mobile is undoubtedly one of the best carriers in the U.S. It offers the fastest speeds and the broadest coverage with reasonably priced plans that include quite a few perks.

However, that may still add up to more than you want to pay; top-notch performance comes with a higher price tag attached. The good news is that T-Mobile is far from the only game in town. In addition to the other two of the big three U.S. carriers -- AT&T and Verizon -- there are dozens of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that piggyback on the big carrier networks with more affordable plans that offer the same coverage and great performance at a fraction of the price. You’ll get fewer perks, and customer service may not be as responsive, but those may be reasonable tradeoffs for how much you’ll save.

Mobile

T-Mobile is buying one of the largest carriers in the U.S.

If you were impacted by T-Mobile's latest price hike and were looking for an alternative carrier, we have some bad news — T-Mobile is buying US Cellular. For those unaware, U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S. despite being a regional carrier based mostly in the Chicago area. Unlike mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Metro by T-Mobile or Visible, which piggyback on a parent carrier’s network, US Cellular has its own towers and stores.

The deal would see T-Mobile pay $4.4 billion to take over US Cellular’s wireless customers, stores, and 30% of its spectrum assets. It includes a combination of cash and T-Mobile assuming $2 billion of U.S. Cellular’s debt. US Cellular will keep control of 4,400 of its towers and 70% of its spectrum portfolio, but T-Mobile will extend its leases for 600 US Cellular towers and sign new long-term leases on 2,015 more towers. In a conference call about the deal, T-Mobile also committed to hiring a significant number of U.S. Cellular associates.

Mobile

Your next T-Mobile bill might be more expensive

We have bad news for you if you have an older T-Mobile wireless plan. According to internal company documents obtained by The Mobile Report, rates for your plan are going up by $2 to $5 per month.

Customers with a legacy Simple Choice, ONE, or Magenta plan will likely experience price increases. The increased price applies to each line, meaning that if you have four lines, you could potentially see a monthly increase of up to $20 per lmonth. CNET also corroborated the report with its own sources.