WeChat Out is taking on the juggernauts of the internet voice calls industry, again expanding its functionality drastically
This year is starting off with a bang. Not only do we have the Consumer Electronic Show (including interesting launches from the likes of Huawei and HTC), as per usual, but other bits and bobs are also coming to light, including many applications launching new features.
None are bigger than WeChat though, with its huge user base in China and abroad now being able to make voice calls to both cell phones and landlines, taking on the giant of the industry, Skype. The service is called WeChat Out, and is currently only available in the USA, Hong Kong, and India, but the company is promising coverage for “more countries and regions in the near future.”
It is also taking on the juggernaut WhatsApp, of course, in a market that has increasingly seen a lot of competition from multiplatform apps.
It should launch in SA in the next couple of months, but it basically works as follows:
- Tap the “œ+“ icon on the top right of the main screen and select WeChat Out
- Select the mobile contact you‘d like to call or dial the number in the dial pad to make a call
- Top-up your balance or check top-up and calling history in the Account page
- View the WeChat Out FAQ in “œMe“ > “œSettings“ > “œHelp & Feedback“ > and send your feedback to us at the bottom of the Account page
WeChat is owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent (which Naspers has a large stake in) and has become one of the most popular apps in the world, with 650 million users in the third quarter of 2015. That‘s still a way behind WhatsApps‘ 900 million in the same period, but they are growing quickly. You can also make financial transactions through WeChat, like buy your food directly from OrderIn, for example.
Do you think WeChat can take on WhatsApp in the long run? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: WeChat
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