WhatsApp to offer Call via Skype as it seeks to broaden offerings: reports
07 Jan 2015
WhatsApp plans to come out with a number of features to broaden its offerings. This could combine a feature like 'Call via Skype' that would come as the main attraction. Additionally there would be features like 'call hold', 'call back', 'call back message', 'call mute', 'call notifications', and 'call me in X minutes', in addition to a whole separate screen for call logs.
The new WhatsApp would also come with a 'driving mode' feature that would read out user messages and calls when the person was driving. Also it would have a 'do not disturb' feature for work hours.
There have been reports about the upcoming 'call' feature since the acquisition of the application by Facebook. CEO Jan Koum had once said as he confirmed the plan, that the service had been delayed till first quarter of 2015.
The upcoming feature is expected further agitate the competition as leading apps such as Viber, WeChat and Line already facilitate calling.
Meanwhile, digit.in reported that since Microsoft was an investor in Facebook, it might not be a surprise that the social networking giant launched the 'Call via Skype' feature. Facebook had launched the 'video chat' feature in association with Skype in 2011.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp was also working on a web client and recently hidden code had been discovered inside a WhatsApp update that had mentioned "WhatsApp Web" and references to logging in to a web service as also tracking status online.