WhatsApp used the Mobile World Congress stage in Barcelona to announce plans for the upcoming launch of voice messaging.
Days after Facebook purchased the application in a $16 billion deal, CEO Jan Koum told audiences today that his company will add voice calls in the second quarter of the year.
"We are driven by the mission that people should be able to stay in touch anywhere and affordably," Koum said during a speech, as reported by Reuters. "Our goal is to be on every mobile phone in the world."
WhatsApp users can already send voice messages to contacts—just press and hold the microphone icon above the keyboard. But this upcoming addition would function more like a telephone call than a voicemail, according to CNET.
he move will certainly up the ante for global mobile network operators, who will soon have a tough competitor; WhatsApp has more than 450 million monthly active users on the Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Nokia S40, Symbian, and Windows Phone platforms.
[via PC mag]
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