Samsung ready to launch world’s first VoLTE smartphone

Samsung Electronics announced the world’s first Voice over LTE (VoLTE) will be available starting with the GALAXY S III LTE device.

The global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies is supporting VoLTE with the GALAXY S III LTE model in Korea in August, to be followed by availability in global LTE markets, positioning Samsung at the forefront of the LTE market and mobile communications technology.

VoLTE uses an IP packet-based service for both voice and data, allowing for new multimedia services to be introduced, such as being able to convert from voice call to video call.

It also offers more than twice the voice frequency of 3G and HD-level audio codec (AMR-WB), providing high quality voice calls comparable to having a direct conversation with someone in person.

In comparison to a regular mVoIP service, VoLTE does not require the download of an additional app for a calling service. As a result, inconveniences resulting from changes in network environment, such as call connection delay and call misconnections are significantly improved. Unlike previous LTE smartphones that use a 3G network for voice services, VoLTE enabled GALAXY S III LTE shifts the transmission of voice calls from a third generation network to a LTE one, creating a big cost saving. 

The new VoLTE enabled GALAXY S III LTE is a result of Samsung’s 20 years of mobile communication technology development and business experience. “In order to develop a product that supports the world’s first VoLTE service, we have worked closely with domestic carriers to conduct performance testing and service stabilization tasks between the GALAXY S III LTE model and the LTE network. We will continue to work to quickly roll out VoLTE enabled products globally, providing the best LTE experience for our customers across the world,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

GALAXY S III LTE devices can be upgraded to VoLTE services via a software update, without the need for additional communication chips.