Originally Posted by
Boraxo
All of the Apps listed by Doug (plus AT&T old Wifi App) also use WiFi to make calls instead of cell towers, hence the confusion when you use a generic term. @:-)
All the US cellular carriers use the term
WiFi Calling to describe their service of connecting mobile calls via WiFi.
Originally Posted by
Boraxo
In practice I - and many others - have disconnected the "wifi" option for mobile calls due to the well known battery drain, as summarized by T-Mobile:
1.On LTE radio only battery drain is about 0.3% to 0.7% per hour with no active use of the phone.
2.On turning on WiFi battery drain goes to 10% to 11% per hour with no active use of the phone.
3.On turning on Airplane mode to shut down LTE, followed by turning on WiFi, usage is still 10% to 11% per hour.
Battery drain has not been an issue with any of my Verizon phones. I've had and used WiFi calling with LG and Samsung phones.
Originally Posted by
Boraxo
Really there is no need to enable WiFi calling in the USA if (1) You have an unlimited minutes plan (vast majority of us do) and (2) You are rarely outside of an area with sufficient cell tower coverage. Even so you could still use one of the apps listed above just as easily from a location that has wifi.
To each his own. Cellular reception at my house is iffy. With WiFi calling, I can receive and make calls just as easily as I can when I am in a strong reception area without having to resort to using third party apps. As far as I know, when someone calls my mobile number and I'm out of a cellular coverage area, the call will not ring through the Skype or Facetime apps (in addition, since I don't have an Apple device, Facetime is not an option).
Originally Posted by
Boraxo
As I noted above, the bigger draw is when traveling overseas so as to avoid heinous roaming charges on the regular mobile networks. But again, the apps serve the same purpose. The only difference with enabling the wifi calling is that you phone can automatically toggle between cell towers and wifi, but then you risk high fees on the mobile network (or limit yourself to the same wifi locations that you could access through the apps).
Well, I use Verizon's TravelPass when traveling abroad, so heinous roaming charges are not an issue. However, even if I didn't, all I have to do is place the phone in airplane mode and turn on WiFi; calls to and from the US are included in my plan and do not incur any extra charges.
I personally find Skype rather cumbersome to use and limit my use of the app to international calling (calling from the US to international destinations or calling from one foreign country to another).