Skip to main content

Verizon preparing improved voice calls, video chat with 4G LTE network

Verizon 4GVerizon Wireless says it will begin funneling voice calls over its new 4G LTE network, reports CNN. The new service, says Verzion, will allow for crisper, clearer “high-definition” voice calls, and let users to enjoy video chat functionality over its network.

Verizon announced the nation’s first 4G LTE network last December, and unveiled its portfolio of 4G-enabled devices — everything from the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot to the Motorola Xoom tablet — at this year’s CES. 

Recommended Videos

In the past, Verizon has said it will route voice calls through its standard CDMA network, and reserve LTE for high-load data transfers. But according to Verizon’s executive director for ecosystem development, Brian Higgins, who spoke with CNN, the wireless company will begin sending voice calls, text messages and video content through LTE as well.

Higgins says Verizon will unveil the VoLTE (Voice Over Long-Term Evolution) service at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, next week, where they will demonstrate the new network on LG’s Revolution 4G smartphone. (When the Revolution 4G launches later this year, however, it will not yet be VoLTE-enabled.)

Verizon’s 4G LTE network is expected to allow download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of between 2 and 5 Mbps, and will be as widely available as its current 3G network — the largest in the U.S. — by 2013.

In addition to improvements to the sound quality of voice calls, the 4G LTE network will also allow for better video chat quality. Customers who plan to use the newly-released Verizon iPhone 4 will, of course, be able to use the phone’s pre-loaded with FaceTime video chat functionality over Verizon’s current network. But LTE will make it far better, the company says.

Skype may already have an iPhone app. But the videos are grainy. Over LTE, that will be improved. In fact, Verizon and Skype are already working together on a video conferencing feature that will reportedly work on the LG Revolution (and probably other 4G devices).

Like T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, and Sprint’s WiMax, Verizon’s 4G LTE is not, technically, true “4G,” according to the strict guidelines set by the International Telecommunications Union. But for now — and for the foreseeable future — it’s as good as we’ve got.

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Android 16’s latest beta promises deeper mobile photography controls
The Android 16 logo on a smartphone, resting on a shelf.

Google has started rolling out the second beta update of Android 16 for supported Pixel devices. There are not many user-facing features arriving with this build, but Google is making a few framework changes that will enhance the camera experience for users in the near future.

The most notable change is a new hybrid auto exposure system arriving with the Camera2 API upgrade. So far, users have only had access to rudimentary controls in the auto-mode for capturing stills and videos. For deeper controls, there was no other option than digging into the cluttered Pro mode.

Read more
Why are really old iPhones suddenly so popular?
A photo of a Galaxy S25 Plus showing an Instagram page.

Depending on what you see in your social network feeds, you may have noticed a sudden rise in the use of old Apple iPhone models, along with equally ancient digital cameras, to take photos, and wondered what was going on. Why use an old iPhone, when new ones have better cameras? One possible reason is an emerging social trend in South Korea, where people are clamoring for old Apple iPhone models specifically for the cameras and the type of photos they can take.

It’s part of a trend referred to as “youngtro,” a portmanteau of young and retro, and is most popular among Millennials and Gen Z, according to a report published in English by The Korea Times, from a story in the Korean Hankook Ilbo newspaper. The interest goes beyond “vintage” smartphone cameras and even extends to dated, discontinued digital cameras, and is so popular, even well-known singers and celebrities are embracing the trend, sharing photos on social media where the old cameras and smartphones take an equally centerstage role in the image.

Read more
Possible iPhone 17 Air design looks strangely familiar
possible iphone 17 air design looks strangely familiar concept weis studio

The biggest Apple story in 2025 is likely to be the launch of the iPhone 17 Air in the fall. Design leaks about the new phone, which is expected to replace the iPhone Plus in the iPhone 17 series lineup, have gradually emerged. Now, WEIS Studio has released an Instagram video that shows what the phone could look like.

As you can see, the phone's back looks nothing like any iPhone currently on the market. This is because rumors suggest the rear camera system will sit horizontally, not vertically.

Read more