Facebook launches free calls option for US iPhone users

[RaduTyrsina]

​

Are you a Facebook fan? Do you also own and use an iPhone? Is your current location the United States? Then you are in luck, since Facebook has just introduced a system of free VoIP calling, implementing it through their iPhone Messages app. All users have to do now in order to get into closer contact with their friends is to access the messages with that friend and look for the phone symbol there, tap on it and enjoy chatting. No extra cell data will be charged to your account for that. Apparently, the service only charges you when your phone is connected to 3G or 4G.

When you call somebody, a notification will appear on the recipient’s screen showcasing your name. For example “Dennis Parker is calling”. The service will probably prove very handy to people who have bad service or signal, but it will also appeal to others due to its inexistent costs.

This represents a massive benefit, as countless Facebook users will have free access to phone calls for the first time. However, what’s very interesting about this system is that you don’t really have to know somebody’s number to actually call them. We sure hope this won’t escalate.

Even if Skype and Facebook have developed a partnership, this is an independent project. There are other competitors on the market such as GoogleVoice, Vonage or Viber, but if Facebook will be successful in this endeavor and it probably will, this service will initiate one of the biggest VoIP networks on the globe.

Source: Technology Personalized

 

[willerz2]

I'm just hoping their next update's going to fix the crash issue on a chunk of the user population

 

[anjali189]

This brings Facebook stalking to a whole new level though.