WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum has revealed during Re/Code’s Code/Mobile conference that the messaging app’s voice calling service has been delayed and it will be launched in Q1 2015.
Koum said that WhatsApp engineers were hit by several technical issues that prevented the company from launching the voice calling service this year. Due to these issues, the service has now been delayed to Q1 2015, WhatsApp’s CEO Jan Koum stated, but if these problems aren’t solved, the launch date will be moved further through the year.
According to the CEO, one of the problems encountered by WhatsApp engineers is to do with access to smartphone’s microphones. Engineers of the messaging app have found that the app doesn’t have full access to certain handsets’ microphones because of which noise cancellation would be more difficult.
Additionally, WhatsApp is now working to make the voice calling service operational in certain situations where network coverage is poor, and in regions with only EDGE coverage.
In the same piece of news, it’s worth mentioning that the voice calling service is likely to be offered for free, but mobile data fees may apply.
The Q1 2015 timeframe spans 90 days and Koum refrained from providing a specific release date. Also, the CEO said that the company plans on making the app more memory and battery efficient rather than adding a lot of features, which may be detrimental to the performance of the app.
