T-Mobile this morning made the rumors official -- there be Wifi calling on them there Android phones. Specficially, on the new T-Mobile myTouch and Motorola Defy, and it'll be coming to more Android devices in the coming months. And -- surprise, surprise -- its done with that Kineto technology we wrote about a couple of weeks ago. So it's not quite the UMA of old, but it's close. Full presser after the break.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Oct. 6, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced
its continued innovation of Wi-Fi Calling technology with the upcoming
availability of built-in Wi-Fi Calling solutions planned for a wide
selection of Android™-powered smartphones, including the recently
announced new T-Mobile® myTouch® and Motorola DEFY™ with MOTOBLUR™.
A leader in bringing innovative and easy-to-use solutions to market to
enhance indoor coverage for consumers and provide cost saving for
businesses, T-Mobile hosts approximately 40 million Wi-Fi calls per
month, a number that has grown steadily since the company launched
Wi-Fi Calling in June 2007. In addition to consumers benefiting from
enhanced coverage, T-Mobile business customers – from small business
to multinational corporations – have long taken advantage of the
company’s Wi-Fi Calling plan offerings, enabling them to take
advantage of the enhanced coverage, as well as the opportunity for
reduced domestic and international minute usage, increased enterprise
mobility cost savings and improved productivity benefits this solution
can deliver. Currently, T-Mobile offers Wi-Fi Calling on numerous
devices including the Nokia E73 Mode™, BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520,
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 and the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 3G.
“T-Mobile’s expansion of Wi-Fi Calling to Android smartphones is an
excellent innovation, and part of our ongoing initiatives on behalf of
our customers to enhance indoor coverage,” said Torrie Dorrell, vice
president, connected family products and services, T-Mobile USA. “This
new execution of Wi-Fi Calling technology helps us ensure that our
customers’ Android-powered smartphones can keep them connected to the
important people in their lives where they work, live or play.”
The implementation of Wi-Fi Calling for Android smartphones brings a
new solution to a fast-growing mobile platform and broader range of
smartphones for consumers and business customers. Powered by Kineto’s
Smart Wi-Fi Application, T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi Calling for Android
smartphones will be ready to use out-of-the-box, providing the ability
to make voice calls and send SMS from accessible Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
access points across the globe in addition to the connectivity
available through T-Mobile’s mobile network. The application will also
include a tutorial for the benefit of first-time users of the feature.
Availability
Wi-Fi Calling for Android is anticipated to be available on a growing
selection of T-Mobile’s Android-powered smartphones in the coming
months.
The new T-Mobile myTouch is expected to be available in time for the
holidays, exclusively from
T-Mobile USA in four colors —white, black, plum or red. Customers can
visit http://mytouch.t-mobile.com for more information.
Motorola DEFY with MOTOBLUR is expected to be available exclusively to
T-Mobile USA customers in time for the holidays. For more information
on Motorola DEFY with MOTOBLUR. Customers can visit
http://www.T-Mobile.com for more information.
Reader comments
T-Mobile officially announces Wifi calling on the new myTouch and Defy Android phones
wao, this is a game changer for t mobile, good for t mobile, now sprint is your turn.
hooray....i think
Now, will theybget a wi-fi tether? Have not seen one t-mobile device to do so, hopefully the Vibrant will get it, hell hopefully the Vibrant will get Froyo!
This has nothing to do with tethering.
This is just an app in the phone. They could make this available on all their smartphones via the market.
The smarts are all in computer server farms at the carrier, not in the phone.
My G2 is patiently awaiting this OTA update...
I say we ban "ssdlin"!!!!!!
For God's sake man, hurry up and get this OTA update to my Vibrant!!!!!!!
I want it on my incredible
Does this mean I should return the g2i just got in the mail? I'm extremely disappointed that this feature is not an out of the box feature. Please tmobile make this feature standard.
Android already does wi-fi (or 3g) calling....
Steps;
1. get a sipgate account (with free unlimited incoming calls)
2. get sipdroid on your phone and configure to use the sipgate account
3. get a google voice number set up and have calls to your google voice number forward to your sipgate number
4. get google voice call back app to initiate outgoing calls via google voice web interface by having it call you at your sip number
Viola you now have free unlimited wi-fi (or 3g) calling and you didn't even have to sign on with horrible service on t-mobile
Or I can just get wait another 2-3 weeks and get one app, and even better is I don't have to worry about a company changing there mind about free calls. and using 3 different apps...
"Viola you now have free unlimited wi-fi (or 3g) calling and you didn't even have to sign on with horrible service on t-mobile"
Er, yeah, except that UMA is a bit better than that. Seamless handoffs between wifi and cell? Yeah, UMA does that.
blackberry UMA does that, but "WIFI calling" AKA Android UMA does not. Is it a PITA kinda, but will it stop me from using it... HE77 NO!!!
All signs point to it being UMA. It uses Kineto, which uses the UMA standard, which requires seamless handoffs. Note the other phones they say also has "Wi-Fi Calling" --those are UMA. They also say that T-Mobile launched "Wi-Fi Calling" in June 2007 --that was UMA. In other words "Wi-Fi Calling" is just T-Mobile's marketing name for UMA.
More about this being UMA here:
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/09/kineto-wireless-brings-uma-to-android-wil...
"Kineto Wireless has announced that they have updated their Smart Wi-Fi application, which is based on the 3GPP UMA/GAN standard capable of turning any Wi-Fi spot into its own little cell tower, giving the exact kind of coverage you would expect with other UMA capable phones. The means seamless handoffs between towers, reliable network coverage and the ability to actually hold a call in your basement!"