Support for Verizon's VoLTE 'HD Voice' and video calls confirmed for iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2014
A few days after Verizon launched its first-generation voice over LTE (VoLTE) system in the U.S., dubbed Advanced Calling 1.0, it was confirmed on Friday that Apple's latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models support the carrier's suite of services, including HD voice and video calling.




As noted on the U.S. carrier's website, Verizon's Advanced Calling 1.0 services suite went live nationwide on Sept. 15, bringing high-definition voice calling, simultaneous voice and data over LTE and video calling to compatible smartphones. First spotted by MacRumors and independently verified by AppleInsider, Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support the new VoLTE network.

iPhone 6 owners take advantage of Advanced Calling 1.0 HD Voice and video calling by adding the free services to their account via Verizon's website. Once activated, the telecom informs users to navigate to the iPhone's Settings menu and select "Cellular > Enable LTE > Voice & Data" to turn on the feature.

With the added functionality, Verizon follows in the footsteps of T-Mobile and becomes the latest major U.S. telecom to offer advanced VoLTE services to iPhone customers.

In addition to VoLTE, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support Wi-Fi calling, a new iOS 8 feature that lets users place voice calls over Wi-Fi data networks. T-Mobile announced support for Wi-Fi calling in June, while AT&T promised its network will be compatible come 2015.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    I just hope the f_cktards at AT&T get on the VoLTE bandwagon in 2015, as they say.
    And wi-fi calling would be huge. For me, anyway.
    Rarely get more than 2 or 3 bars, sometimes "No signal" where I live.
    (But I have a 50Mbps Comcast Xfininty cable internet pipe and Airport Extreme.)
  • Reply 2 of 56
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    Simultaneous iPhone voice and data, 7 years after AT&T started doing it.
  • Reply 3 of 56
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    jd_in_sb wrote: »
    Simultaneous iPhone voice and data, 7 years after AT&T started doing it.

    Not quite a fair comparison since we're talking about CDMA v GSM. We can say that CDMA is king of shitty and archaic (even though CDMA voice on Verizon still much better than voice on AT&T's '3G'/'4G') but we really can't say Verizon was dragging their feet. On top of that, SV&D has been possible on Verizon's network for at least a couple years now providing you had enough antennas to make it work. The previous iPhones didn't.
  • Reply 4 of 56
    bingo1bingo1 Posts: 25member
    jd_in_sb. Simultaneous iPhone voice and data has nothing to do with VoLTE. Ever notice your LTE wording changes to 4G when you get an incoming call? Pay attention then you'll know you are not on the LTE network when the phone call comes in. That means your network speed instantly drops from LTE to 4G, which is not LTE. What Verizon is enabling now is a pure VoLTE function. As long as an iPhone 6 or 6 is on the LTE network, the phone can handle both call/voice and data on LTE network.

    Read more about your 7 year old AT&T network here. http://www.lightreading.com/atandts-rinne-carriers-working-on-volte-interoperability/d/d-id/710746.
  • Reply 5 of 56
    bingo1bingo1 Posts: 25member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jd_in_sb View Post



    Simultaneous iPhone voice and data, 7 years after AT&T started doing it.

    jd_in_sb. Simultaneous iPhone voice and data has nothing to do with VoLTE. You miss the terminology by a mile!  Ever notice your LTE wording changes to 4G when you get an incoming call? Pay attention then you'll know you are not on the LTE network when the phone call comes in. That means your network speed instantly drops from LTE to 4G, which is not LTE. What Verizon is enabling now is a pure VoLTE function. As long as an iPhone 6 or 6 is on the LTE network, the phone can handle both call/voice and data on LTE network.



    Read more about your 7 year old AT&T network here. http://www.lightreading.com/atandts-rinne-carriers-working-on-volte-interoperability/d/d-id/710746.

  • Reply 6 of 56
    geochiefgeochief Posts: 3member



    bingo1, you sound like you haven't talked to Verizon clients/customers in the last decade. Verizon has been unable to offer simultaneous V/D with most chipsets until the last couple years of power hungry Broadcom chipsets... The recent commitment to VoLTE allows Verizon to match or exceed ATT when offering simultaneous voice and data.

     

    BTW, I am a diehard ATT user and I hate Verizon. However, I think this is a great move for Verizon that ATT doesn't feel pressure to react to. I wish that ATT felt more pressure from VZW...

     

    To address your statement, VoLTE has a "LOT" to do with Verizon's ability to offer simultaneous V/D.

  • Reply 7 of 56
    bingo1bingo1 Posts: 25member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by geochief View Post

     



    bingo1, you sound like you haven't talked to Verizon clients/customers in the last decade. Verizon has been unable to offer simultaneous V/D with most chipsets until the last couple years of power hungry Broadcom chipsets... The recent commitment to VoLTE allows Verizon to match or exceed ATT when offering simultaneous voice and data.

     

    BTW, I am a diehard ATT user and I hate Verizon. However, I think this is a great move for Verizon that ATT doesn't feel pressure to react to. I wish that ATT felt more pressure from VZW...

     

    To address your statement, VoLTE has a "LOT" to do with Verizon's ability to offer simultaneous V/D.




    Clearly I have no clue what you are ranting about.  The point is not about whether or not you can simultaneously do voice and data.  We are talking about VoLTE here.  

  • Reply 8 of 56
    venus housevenus house Posts: 2member
    Apple iPhone 5s 16GB (Gold) - Verizon Wireless

    http://amzn.to/1qTtD5O
  • Reply 9 of 56
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Won't I be using my data for making VoLTE calls? I thought I saw Verizon planned to do that, so you were billed minutes AND data usage.
  • Reply 10 of 56
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

    Won't I be using my data for making VoLTE calls? I thought I saw Verizon planned to do that, so you were billed minutes AND data usage.

     

    That’s an important point that I hope to have a definitive answer for later today.

  • Reply 11 of 56
    geochiefgeochief Posts: 3member
    TheWhiteFalcon, they specifically exempt VoLTE audio usage from your data usage quota.


     

    bingo1, VoLTE stands for voice over data (Voice over LTE), so you sound like a dummy saying that we're not talking about simultaneous voice and data.

     

    *EDIT: changed "VoLTE" to "VoLTE audio" since it appears that VZW VoLTE video calls may still draw from the monthly data quota...

  • Reply 12 of 56
    southpawtechsouthpawtech Posts: 2member
    Quote:


     Won't I be using my data for making VoLTE calls? I thought I saw Verizon planned to do that, so you were billed minutes AND data usage.


     

    Just chatted with a Verizon rep online, and I've attached my transcript below. Hope it helps someone. 

     

    Visitor: I just upgraded to an iPhone 6 and was wondering if when making calls over the new VoLTE/4G/4G LTE network, if I will be billed for both voice and data usage?



    Rich: With the HD voice calls, you are only billed for minutes of use. If you are using the video calling, then you would be billed for both minutes and data 



    Visitor: Okay, let me just make sure I understand that clearly (oversimplifying things here)--if I am using my iPhone 6 and I currently have (in the Settings app), the Cellular Data option toggled 'On,'

    Visitor: and Enable LTE is set to 'Voice & Data', 

    Visitor: if I make a 'regular' call to someone, I will only be incurring charges for the talk-time minutes, is that correct?



    Rich: Yes, that is correct. Although the voice calls are over the LTE network, it does not bill you for data as long as you are not doing the video call.



    Visitor: And by video call do you mean Apple's 'FaceTime' calling feature?



    Rich: The VoLTE actually allows you to do video calls with any other VoLTE device. Facetime only allows you to do the video calls with other Apple users. For either of the video calls, it will use your data, but the voice only calls, just counts towards your minutes



    Visitor: If it's VoLTE to VoLTE and it's two Verizon customers, (even on the same data plan), are data charges still incurred?



    Rich: If it is a video call, the data charges will still apply no matter what carrier the other person has even if they are on your account



    Visitor: Great thanks very much.

    Visitor: You've answered all my questions for today.

  • Reply 13 of 56
    nj analystnj analyst Posts: 12member
    As I understand it, VoLTE only works when connecting to another VoLTE mobile phone. Perhaps it will only work when both parties are on the Verizon Network? If so, this service isn't going to help with most of my calls.
  • Reply 14 of 56
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    thewhitefalcon wrote: »
    Won't I be using my data for making VoLTE calls? I thought I saw Verizon planned to do that, so you were billed minutes AND data usage.

    Yes you'll be using data, but not from your allotted data. It would be unfair for them to use your data for a feature that they implemented.
  • Reply 15 of 56
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,572member
    So if voice and data are now going over the same network, why do carriers still talk about (and charge for) two separate voice and data plans?
  • Reply 16 of 56
    schrowaschrowa Posts: 2member
    What I am curious about is what this means for the iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c users as those iPhone also supported "HD Voice" as well. I remember Tmobile blabbing they were the first to enable it for their customers. Here's an article talking about how the 5 and 5s support VoLTE. Does anyone else have insight on this?

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/eliseackerman/2012/09/14/why-iphone-5s-support-for-hd-voice-will-mean-nothing-to-u-s-users/
  • Reply 17 of 56
    schrowaschrowa Posts: 2member
    Here's the answer about the older 5, 5s, and 5c's... "The chipset in the current generation iPhones technically supports calling over LTE, but Apple is yet to enable the feature in iOS." Hopefully Verizon will enable this soon.
  • Reply 18 of 56
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Now that I see the 6 Plus next to the iPad mini and VoIP , VoLTE, et al are enabled, why can't the iPads be used as phones? Besides Apples arbitrary decision to dictate the size of a device they manufacture that can be used as a phone. It seems to allow LTE voice calls, one MUST be able to use the device hands free. I just don't get it. Now that Apple has jumped the shark with the 6 Plus, why have any restrictions now on what can be used as a phone? If it has an LTE radio, let it make and receive cellular phone calls and texts. Unless Apple is afraid of cannibalization? But surely Tim Cook has assured us he's not afraid any of Apples unique products doing that?
  • Reply 19 of 56
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    Not quite a fair comparison since we're talking about CDMA v GSM. We can say that CDMA is king of shitty and archaic (even though CDMA voice on Verizon still much better than voice on AT&T's '3G'/'4G') but we really can't say Verizon was dragging their feet. On top of that, SV&D has been possible on Verizon's network for at least a couple years now providing you had enough antennas to make it work. The previous iPhones didn't.



    It's a perfectly fair comparison.

     

    GSM can do it, CDMA can't.  GSM is the world standard, CDMA isn't.  GSM uses SIM cards, making it easy to switch phones, CDMA doesn't. 

     

    There is no valid reason Verizon should be using CDMA.  They should have switched to GSM years ago.  It's why there is no chance I'd ever use Verizon.

  • Reply 20 of 56
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post



    I just hope the f_cktards at AT&T get on the VoLTE bandwagon in 2015, as they say.

    And wi-fi calling would be huge. For me, anyway.

    Rarely get more than 2 or 3 bars, sometimes "No signal" where I live.

    (But I have a 50Mbps Comcast Xfininty cable internet pipe and Airport Extreme.)



    So switch to T-Mobile.  They're better anyway, and they cost less.

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