BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) announced yesterday that its customers will soon be able to make free voice calls over a wi-fi network. The new feature will be available as a free update for existing customers. The good news comes just a couple of months before the release of the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
BBM users will be able to switch back and forth from a text chat to a voice call. RIM also says a split-screen option will let them talk and text at the same time. Unlike regular texts, BBM messages are not charged on a per-text basis.
RIM was initially going to offer the new BBM voice feature over the wireless carriers’ own cellular networks as well, but doing so would have potentially created more congestion on cellular data networks, and deprived carriers of revenue for voice calls.
[Source: News24]
