WhatsApp is said to be rolling out a significant update to their messaging service this week, and reports indicate that the update will come on Monday. It’s been reported that an update – available for select users at first – will feature voice calling for the first time in WhatsApp’s history. Screenshots and a video actually show the feature was running live on an Android Lollipop device, likely the Nexus 5, and showed private screens for voice dialing, contacts, and much more. These pictures though were not the first to be leaked, as similar pictures leaked in December.
The overall function of the app looks as though it brought more simplicity with easier access to calls, chats, and then contacts – fitting in more closely with the messenger apps that exist on the market today. However, while the expectation is that the feature will launch on Monday – it’s still unclear when it will launch universally for everyone. The company is said to be still working on different aspects of the new build and have indicated that they would push for maximum function in this app to deliver an entire experience.
Originally, this update was supposed to go live in October of 2014 – but a number of delays put that on track to being during the first quarter of 2015. Here we are now, and it would appear as though were merely days away from seeing what the app will actually look like in real-time practice.
The addition of the call feature to this platform is just another strike really to boost the bottom line of the business as well as the overall impact that WhatsApp can have in the grand scheme of messaging. While it’s unclear how well this update will be received, what is very clear are the number of users this app features. In fact, it was just in January of this year that WhatsApp confirmed 700 million active users for the month – that was a monstrous number, which continues to grow by the day. With as many users as the messaging service has, it’s hard to argue with the results that they’re bringing in.
