Beginning today, Verizon customers across the US who buy the new iPhone 6 models or one of a pair of other smartphones that
support Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) will finally be able to do something AT&T has bragged about for years: simultaneously talk on the phone and use data for applications. The process will only work on a handful of phones that support VoLTE, but Verizon iPhone 6 buyers are reporting that it is on by default or easily activated in their new purchases.
Customers line up for VoLTE-supporting iPhone 6
Verizon users have long defended the fact that the CDMA standard -- which Verizon and others like Sprint have used -- wasn't capable of simultaneous voice and data by saying that call drop incidents were far lower than other networks that used 3G and LTE voice and data usage, and that the quality of the sound in CDMA phone calls was higher. Despite the limitation of not having access to apps while using the phone (for example to look up a contact or enter an appointment), Verizon has done well with the CDMA standard and is now the largest network carrier in the US by customer base.
The company is touting VoLTE as not only making simultaneous voice and data usage possible, but that it maintains and improves on Verizon's call quality and reliability. "Advanced Calling 1.0, a first-generation service suite enabled by Voice over LTE, or VoLTE technology, is now available on America's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network with XLTE," Verizon said in a press release. "With Advanced Calling 1.0, there is a clear difference. You will be able to enjoy natural-sounding High-Definition (HD) Voice and a Video Calling experience that's as simple as making a traditional voice call."
At present, the new Advanced Calling/VoLTE support is limited to the new iPhone models, the Samsung Galaxy S5, and the LG G2, reports
MacRumors.