Nov 16, 2016 12:24 PM EST By Eileen De Santos, UniversityHerald Reporter

WhatsApp video calling is finally here! The company made the announcement two days ago that its one billion users can now enjoy video call using their smartphones.

According to the information on WhatsApp official webpage, users can now make video calls regardless of what type of phone they are using - Android, Apple, and Windows Phone. One intriguing concept that the company wrote is they want the new feature to be available to all globally which means users can use WhatsApp video call even in countries with poor internet connections.

Wired reported that WhatsApp video call feature is pretty straight forward. There are no filters or other unnecessary features. Lead engineer Manpreet Signh expressed that simplicity has been their goal from the start. He added that WhatsApp wants to reach out to more users.

WhatsApp inclusion of the video feature has put it in square footing with other social and chat platforms such as Facebook's Messenger which also features video calls after a substantial investment from the parent company. Meanwhile, Skype has recently allowed people to use its video call service regardless if they have an account or not.

The company added other useful features to make it more accessible to users. Users can simultaneously make a video call while checking on their messages. There's camera rotation which can change orientation.

Other new and upcoming features for WhatsApp include animated GIFs in text conversations. It can also be shared on either one-on-one or group chats. There are also rumors that WhatsApp will have a feature similar to Snapchat stories.

So far, it's still early to tell if WhatsApp's new video call service will surpass or if it's comparable to other rival social messaging services. But it has allowed Internet users to have more options in selecting the right online service. It's clear that WhatsApp not willing to be left behind the competition.

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