Apple's iOS 8.3 enables Wi-Fi calling on Sprint in U.S., EE in UK
Eclipsed by an avalanche of features introduced with Wednesday's iOS 8.3 launch, Wi-Fi calling on iPhone is now available in on Sprint's network in the U.S. and through EE in the UK.
Sprint announced Wi-Fi calling capabilities would roll out to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s owners as part of today's iOS 8.3 update.
"Wi-Fi Calling is like a major expansion of our network, allowing Sprint customers to get coverage anywhere they have Wi-Fi connectivity," said David Owens, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. "Traditional wireless technology has some limitations in places like basements and high-rise office buildings. Wi-Fi expands our customer's connectivity in a big way. The addition of Wi-Fi Calling for iPhone customers is just one more example of how Sprint is getting better every day."
Aside from extended coverage, the feature lets subscribers place free phone calls back to the U.S. and Puerto Rico from more than 200 countries. Further, a carrier software update rolling out this week will let Sprint customers dial out using their cellular phone number.
In the UK, cellular provider EE confirmed iOS 8.3 activates Wi-Fi calling for subscribers using iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5s and 5c handsets. The carrier originally intended to roll out the feature to compatible Samsung smartphones on Friday.
For EE, users must first have their device provisioned for Wi-Fi calling by switching on "Wi-Fi Calls" in iPhone's Settings menu. Provisioning should take about one day.
Introduced with iOS 8, Wi-Fi calling hands off incoming and outgoing calls to a local wireless network. The wireless protocol provides ample bandwidth for reliable, stable connections with enhanced audio quality and better battery performance compared to standard cellular radio communications.
Sprint announced Wi-Fi calling capabilities would roll out to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s owners as part of today's iOS 8.3 update.
"Wi-Fi Calling is like a major expansion of our network, allowing Sprint customers to get coverage anywhere they have Wi-Fi connectivity," said David Owens, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. "Traditional wireless technology has some limitations in places like basements and high-rise office buildings. Wi-Fi expands our customer's connectivity in a big way. The addition of Wi-Fi Calling for iPhone customers is just one more example of how Sprint is getting better every day."
Aside from extended coverage, the feature lets subscribers place free phone calls back to the U.S. and Puerto Rico from more than 200 countries. Further, a carrier software update rolling out this week will let Sprint customers dial out using their cellular phone number.
In the UK, cellular provider EE confirmed iOS 8.3 activates Wi-Fi calling for subscribers using iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5s and 5c handsets. The carrier originally intended to roll out the feature to compatible Samsung smartphones on Friday.
For EE, users must first have their device provisioned for Wi-Fi calling by switching on "Wi-Fi Calls" in iPhone's Settings menu. Provisioning should take about one day.
Introduced with iOS 8, Wi-Fi calling hands off incoming and outgoing calls to a local wireless network. The wireless protocol provides ample bandwidth for reliable, stable connections with enhanced audio quality and better battery performance compared to standard cellular radio communications.
Comments
Luckily EE have great coverage wherever I go so I'll keep this off. There's also an ominous notification about information regarding each wi-fi network I join being sent to EE for billing details. It's fairly vague on what is transmitted.
But it doesn't, it still charges it as talk time.
It makes sense in big countries with flaky 3G ang 4G but The UK is fairly small and has pretty good coverage already.
The article is about Sprint having the capabilities of wifi-calling, but then the example it provides in the article is for T-Mobile. I'm confused because I am a sprint client, I did the update, and when I go into settings there are not settings for wifi-calling. So is this capability for Sprint or is it for T-Mobile?
Wifi calling is great. been using it for T-mobile since I first got my iPhone 6. Both at home and work. When it's working it's show Wi-Fi on the top bar, besides that normal Wifi icon for Data. The setting is in Settings, then Phone then Wi-Fi Calls. Then turn on Allow Wi-Fi Calls. Some people may think it would be in the Cellular or Carrier settings menu's, it's NOT, scroll on down to where it says Phone. it's just before Messages and Facetime settings. I don't know about Sprint if it's working now or not?!?! I know AT&T was supposedly going to have this ability after the first of the year and well it's 4 months past and I haven't heard anything.
I ge a very weak signal at work. It's like that with everyone. Yet I have a Wifi router about 2 feet from me in my office. No running out the door to outside trying to get a call. Now I have nice clear calls.
I keep going back and forth trying to figure out whether it's the airlines or the telecommunications companies which are the most corrupt. Today I'm leanings towards the telecommunications industry. What a bunch of crooks.
No it isn't. VOIP is used to get to the carriers switch but then unless the number you are calling is on their network then they are having to bridge your call and are incurring costs.
That said if you are abroad and calling your home country then that should only be billed as a call within your home not as an international call because the carrier is only incurring costs within your home country. I'm not sure if a VPN would get round this but will try it next time I'm abroad.
After installing Yosemite 10.10.3 on my MacBook Pro, and IOS 8.3 on my iPhone 6 Plus, my Phone hotspot no longer connects to my MacBook Pro. Anyone else experiencing a similar issue?
Enabling this on EE prevents you from using the iPhone for placing calls from a Mac or iPad. That is one of the great features of iOS 8 and Yosemite as it allows me to do everything from my Mac when I'm in the office.
Luckily EE have great coverage wherever I go so I'll keep this off. There's also an ominous notification about information regarding each wi-fi network I join being sent to EE for billing details. It's fairly vague on what is transmitted.
Damn, I was just about to turn the feature on as I have rubbish mobile reception at my mum's house. But if it disables my ability to answer calls at home on my iMac I'll not turn it on. Bloody stupid if it does remove that functionality!
The article is about Sprint having the capabilities of wifi-calling, but then the example it provides in the article is for T-Mobile. I'm confused because I am a sprint client, I did the update, and when I go into settings there are not settings for wifi-calling. So is this capability for Sprint or is it for T-Mobile?
Probably because T-Mobile was the first US carrier to offer it.
Where in Settings are you looking? Go to: Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls
I found it in the settings on my 6, but my fiancé's 5S isn't showing the option.... weird... yes, they're both updated to iOS 8.3.
Enabling this on EE prevents you from using the iPhone for placing calls from a Mac or iPad. That is one of the great features of iOS 8 and Yosemite as it allows me to do everything from my Mac when I'm in the office.
Luckily EE have great coverage wherever I go so I'll keep this off. There's also an ominous notification about information regarding each wi-fi network I join being sent to EE for billing details. It's fairly vague on what is transmitted.
That's just how it works, regardless of who your cellular carrier is.
I've been waiting 8 months for this so its fantastic. Previously I was with vodafone who sold me a device called a 'Suresignal' which provided indoor cell coverage... but it almost never worked.
Yes, its slightly disappointing that I can't pick up a call from another iDevice, but then if I choose between that additional convenience and receiving calls at all, I'd rather choose getting calls.
And yes indeed, I could use Skype, but as I'm not a millennial I have tedious old friends who only know my phone number so they can continue to phone me in the old fashioned way, with the mobile number I've had for the last 15 years, while I'm free to Skype out and save money when I need to make calls from home.
So well done EE, but darn it you really made a mess of how you announced and made this available. Having enticed new users onto your service for the iPhone 6 with this feature to be available 'soon' last August, I've had to wait until April the following year to receive the advertised service. Fine if they had been fair in communicating with iPhone users about when this would be available, but their marketing department, or management behind them, made a complete dogs breakfast of introducing this feature by telling the world yesterday that new Samsung s6 users would get it before existing customers who have been waiting 8 months.
All over now, but I'm afraid that with BT taking over EE in the UK the service will only get worse and worse.
I really don't see the point unless it only used data which could save money on calls.
But it doesn't, it still charges it as talk time.
It makes sense in big countries with flaky 3G ang 4G but The UK is fairly small and has pretty good coverage already.
Easy. Its for use in places (like offices) where you can't get a cell signal.
I work in a basement 8 hours a day with no cell signal. This has fixed that problems.
Thanks Apple and EE.
Ha ha! Which of the carriers do you work for? I'm glad some people find this capability useful, but I think it's disgusting that they deduct the minutes. The carriers should just be happy that this capability helps them to keep subscribers that spend time in areas/places that they were too cheap to provide regular coverage for.
Is this wi-fi feature limited to just placing and receiving voice calls? Or does it also provide full SMS/MMS capabilities in these poor coverage areas? Are all of the other plan features supported too? 3-way calling? Caller ID? Call Waiting?
I don't work for any carrier. Anyone who read my post in full might work that out.
As other posters have mentioned there are plenty of places where it is beyond the carriers ability to deliver coverage, eg in some office buildings.
In answer to your other questions SMS works as does caller ID. I don't use call waiting but will try 3 way calling if the need arises, I rarely use it. No idea on MMS, I haven't had/sent an MMS for several years, very expensive way to send photos!
Hi folks,
Does anyone know if this applies to MVNO's of Sprint as well? I've got a Virgin Mobile 5S that is still on 8.1.1, and I'd be tempted to upgrade to 8.3 if I can do wifi calling on it. Anyone?
Seconded - hurry up, Verizon! I'm sick of one-bar-requiring-my-phone-to-sit-on-the-windowsill-in-my-home-office signal! (I fairly regularly yank my phone off the window sill down on to my desk with my headphones.)
Edit: When WiFi calling was first announced, Verizon's CFOblasted it as "unnecessary" with Verizon's "great network", essentially saying that T-Mobile's embrace of it was because their network sucks.
Well, guess what, Verizon - ALL the networks suck in some places. In my home office, my work-provided Verizon phone gets a worse signal than my (not WiFi-calling-enabled) personal T-Mobile phone! So, ironically, the carrier that supported WiFi calling first is the one I need it least on.