Report: Sprint To Launch Wi-Fi Calling Soon On Two Samsung Phones

Image via Android Central

Internal documentation from Sprint has leaked, potentially confirming the forthcoming launch of Wi-Fi Calling on Sprint in the near future. The offering will not be without its own set of requirements and caveats, as according to the documentation, only two phones will initially be supported in the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and the Samsung Galaxy Mega, with the service eventually being expanded across Sprint phones at Android Jelly Bean 4.2 or higher.

Additional requirements also include geographical restrictions as the service will only be supported in areas with Sprint coverage such as the contiguous US, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, while any attempts to use the service without a Sprint CDMA signal (or over a VPN) will be blocked by the app, as well as the requirement for location services to be active while using Wi-Fi calling, again to ensure usage in an actual coverage area.

Should Sprint go through with plans to launch Wi-Fi calling capability, it would follow T-Mobile’s lead in such an offering, as T-Mobile began offering the capability in 2008 initially to shore up coverage issues and to serve as a stopgap ahead of its 3G rollout which began in mid-2009.The idea behind Wi-Fi calling is being able to make calls and send/receive messages indoors and in sparse coverage areas, but the heavy location requirements may make this untenable for the most affected users that would benefit from the service

Unlike T-Mobile’s current activation process for Wi-Fi Calling, Sprint’s process will be managed through the compatible device on a custom web portal and rely on a simple toggle along with a companion app, with the goal of integrating it into Sprint’s Android builds for its devices in the future. Also unlike, T-Mobile’s current implementation of Wi-Fi Calling, there will be no additional fees for the feature.