It has long been known that WhatsApp will introduce voice calling feature in its app soon, but there is no word on when it will be rolled out. However, it seems that the launch of this feature may be imminent.
Now, tech website PhoneArena has reported that one of its readers has discovered a set of voice calling icons in the app. The icons were discovered in WhatsApp APK version 2.11.426 in a folder named ‘drawable-hdpi-v11 & v4’.
The delay in rolling out voice calling feature is due to technical hurdles that WhatsApp developers are facing.
The voice calling feature, which was recently confirmed by CEO Jan Koum, will bring Whatsapp in direct clash with apps like WeChat, Viber and Line that already allow users to make calls and send messages. Whatsapp is the biggest instant messaging app in the world, with 600 million active users in August 2014. In India, it has 70 million active users, according to business head Neeraj Arora.
However, Koum has said WhatsApp’s voice calling function will not clash with Facebook Messenger’s voice calling feature, as it will be strictly a mobile-only service. On the other hand, Facebook Messenger lets users make calls on iPads and other tablets over Wi-Fi also, not just mobile phones.
Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for $21.8 billion.
