Apple’s iOS 8 is full of hidden goodies that were glossed over during the keynote. One of the new features enables iPhone users to make calls via Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi calling is a great service for when you’re trying to avoid roaming charges or network congestion in crowded cities. Customers can also send texts and emails using the Wi-Fi calling service. T-Mobile and Sprint customers can use the service on their Android smartphones, but iPhone users have been left out of the fold – until now.
Shortly after Apple announced that iOS 8 will support voice calls over Wi-Fi, T-Mobile issued a statement confirming that Wi-Fi calling will now work on any iPhone with iOS 8 onboard. T-Mobile has offered the service to its customers for more than seven years and apparently, it’s very popular.
The Uncarrier says that 90 percent of its smartphones offer Wi-Fi calling capabilities and that there are 17 million Wi-Fi Calling-enabled smartphones on T-Mobile’s network. Additionally, around 5 million of the company’s customers use Wi-Fi calling each month. Now that iPhone users will also get the service once iOS 8 becomes available, T-Mobile expects the popularity of the service to soar.
Although Sprint hasn’t confirmed that its Wi-Fi calling service will work with iOS 8, too, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t. Sprint only recently added the feature and the number of devices that support Wi-Fi calling is very limited. Still, considering the fact that the iPhone is a bestseller at almost every carrier, it’s likely that Sprint will add the service for iOS 8 users. It’s unknown if Verizon or AT&T have plans to add Wi-Fi calling for iPhone in light of this development.
