Whatsapp to add voice calls this summer
CEO of Whatsapp Jan Koum has announced that the messaging service will be introducing voice calls in the second quarter of 2014.
"We want to make sure people always have the ability to stay in touch with their friends and loved ones really affordably," Koum said.
The announcement was made at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona. The company which boasts 465m users (up from 430m last week) was recently acquired by Facebook for $19bn.
The introduction of real time voice services will put Whatsapp in direct competition with the likes of KakaoTalk, Line, BBM and other messaging apps that also offer voice services. The company will also be competing with regular carriers as an alternative to cellular networks.