Verizon Wireless recently enabled VoLTE, or Voice Over LTE, for the iPhone 6, Geek.com reports. During the iPhone 6 reveal, Apple announced that the service would be available on all carriers that support it, with Verizon being the first with its Advanced Calling 1.0 feature.
How to Set It Up
Currently every new iPhone 6 does not have VoLTE enabled by default. Verizon Wireless customers must first visit their Verizon account on the company website and locate “Advanced Calling 1.0” to activate the LTE service. iPhone users can then activate the technology on their phones by going to Settings, then Cellular, and then Enable LTE to select Voice & Data.
For the iPhone 5s and older, the feature is not available, while most modern Android phones on Verizon do support VoLTE. The iPhone 6 for AT&T and T-Mobile support VoLTE and the function is enabled on the phone by default, but the respective carriers have not enabled the function on their networks yet.
Why the VoLTE Hype?
VoLTE is a new technology that enables smartphone owners to make clearer, crisper-sounding calls over the faster LTE cellular network. Calls over the CDMA-based carrier currently go over significantly older wireless networks. By comparison, GSM-based carriers AT&T and T-Mobile support calls over 3G and 4G.
VoLTE for iPhone 6 also enables callers to simultaneously use data while on a call. This means, for instance, the iPhone 6 now supports making a call and checking e-mail simultaneously on Verizon. Previously, this functionality has been available on other carriers, and it doesn’t exist specifically for Verizon.
While new Verizon iPhone 6 owners set up VoLTE for their new iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or compatible Android smartphones, the service does require an LTE connection while standard calls do not. If there is no LTE network available, the iPhone 6 will default to the older cellular network.
Are you excited about VoLTE for iPhone 6, or have you been using it on another device all along? Do you notice a difference?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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