Smart expands high-def voice services

MANILA, Philippines—Smart Communications Inc. has made available to its subscribers the LG G2 Mini LTE and the Samsung Galaxy S5, which come equipped with high-definition voice capabilities, a statement on Tuesday showed.

The latest in HD Voice technology provides subscribers with higher-quality and better-call experiences on their HD-Voice capable handsets. With the feature activated, commonly misheard sounds such as words with the letters “s,” “m,” and “p” are now more intelligible from both ends of the call.

“Smart’s ‘supercharged’ LTE network, together with the availability of HD Voice on more smartphones, allow our subscribers to experience seamless and better quality calls that can make them feel like their friends and loved ones are just standing right beside them,” Kathryn Carag, postpaid marketing head at Smart, said in the statement.

“Voice is sometimes an overlooked facet,” Carag said. “But it is vital to the overall mobile experience of subscribers. Smart’s active push for HD Voice through our various smartphone offerings reinforces our commitment to provide the best wireless experience for users—whether through SMS, mobile Internet or voice.”

The service has been available to all Smart subscribers since October 2012 at no additional cost.

Subscribers just need to have smartphones with Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) capability built-in. This includes handsets from Smart postpaid’s expanding lineup, such as the iPhone 5s and 5c, the O+ USA 8.91, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the Sony Xperia L, and until most recently, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the LG G2 Mini LTE.

To experience crystal clear voice calls, just sign up with a postpaid plan that comes with HD Voice-capable handsets, such as the LG G2 Mini LTE, which is available under all-in Plan 1200 with P2,000 cash-out, Smart said.

The Samsung Galaxy S5, meanwhile, is currently available for free under Smart’s Unlisurf Plan 2000 and comes with unlimited LTE surfing, as well as calls and texts.