For almost two years now, Jirka and I have been starting our weekdays by discussing work matters on the phone while I go for a 90-minute walk with the dog. It's always about an hour-long conversation, during which we plan articles, organizational matters, and so on. One day, we thought we could use this to compare how individual services that enable audio calls over the internet, in terms of quality and especially data consumption.
Pro we used testing iPhone 11 Pro a iPhone XS with the latest version iOS 13.3 and with a 4G LTE connection. While Jirka was still in one place, I walked the same route with my dog every day for a change. All calls took place under the same conditions at roughly the same time, starting at 6:15 and ending at 7:30. Each call was exactly 75 minutes long and we tested FaceTime calls during the week, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber and Messenger. That is, through all the most popular communication applications used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. All applications were on both phones.onech installed in their latest public versions.
I would also like to add that we could of course use a playlist or for example a movie that we would play so that the measurement was absolutely accurate with every call. On the other hand, we didn't do it on purpose, because no one will ever say the exact same words, in the same order, in a conversation. So the test took place in the most natural conditions possible, just like your classic calls.
| Application | Talk time | Data consumed |
| Skype or Whatsapp | 1 hour 15 minutes | 56,7 MB |
| FaceTime | 1 hour 15 minutes | 43,6 MB |
| 1 hour 15 minutes | 26 MB | |
| Messenger | 1 hour 15 minutes | 25,2 MB |
| Viber | 1 hour 15 minutes | 15,6 MB |
Call quality
FaceTime
Apart from data consumption, the sound quality plays the biggest role in a call. The highest quality is clearly achieved by a call made via FaceTime. The quality is in the case when you use, for example, AirPods, such that you feel as if the person you are talking to is in the same room with you. This is the cleanest way of transmitting sound that we have had the opportunity to record within all applications. During the call, there is practically no noise, feedback or anything like that. The consumption of a 75-minute call was 43,6 MB of data.
Skype or Whatsapp
In terms of call quality, Skype came in second place, clearly ahead of the others. The call wasn't as clear as FaceTime's, but it was still a solid 100% of the time. Applu, but it was incomparably better quality than calls via other services. Again, there was no feedback, noise or other noise that would somehow interfere with the call. Compared to FaceTime, Skype is really only slightly worse and for people who, for example, do not have iPhone, it is a completely full-fledged alternative to making calls on a daily basis with significantly better quality than via GSM and other services. Consumption during a 75-minute call was 56,7 MB of data. If you don't need to save data and don't have FaceTime, this is definitely the best option in terms of sound quality. On the other hand, it is necessary to remember the fact that the data consumption is really high and Skype, despite the higher data consumption than FaceTime, did not reach its sound quality.
Messenger
Messenger was weaker for the first few minutes of the call, when there was a noticeable background noise. Although it was not as noticeable as in the case of GSM, it was still quite unpleasant. However, after a few minutes the noise receded much more into the background and, although it was still noticeable, it was much less annoying than at the beginning. During the call, nestIt seemed like we would hear feedback or some other noise, but about twice in 75 minutes the call dropped for a few seconds and the caller couldn't hear the other party. Consumption during a 75-minute call was 25,2 MB of data.
Viber
The most economical solution for making a call over the Internet is Viber among the tested applications. It managed to make a call with only 15,6 MB of data consumption for 75 minutes of call, which is 10 MB less than the second most economical application and almost 4 times less than Skype. During the entire call, noticeable background noise was heard, which increased as the call volume increased. Noise is definitely an unpleasant thing and was slightly more pronounced than in the case of GSM. On the other hand, the voice was very clear, it was not bothered by any artifacts and the call worked very well. The voice quality is even comparable to, for example, Skype and the only thing that bothers Viber is the noise present. On the other hand, if this is a tax on miniIf you are concerned about data consumption, then I believe that if you save every "mega", you will be willing to pay this tax.
We clearly experienced the worst sound quality with WhatsAppWe were particularly surprised to find that even though it belongs to the same Messenger pod Facebook, apparently this service uses completely different technologies. The sound was worse than in the case of a call via GSM and there was not only humming from the first to the last minute of the call, but also unpleasant feedback from the beginning of the call, where the caller could hear himself. Calling via WhatsApp so it ranks last in terms of call quality and frankly we think that nestIt doesn't even save you data. It's more of an emergency solution to call someone who has nothing else to do but WhatsAppAny other alternative we tested is much better in quality. The data consumption for a 75-minute call was 26 MB. This is roughly the same data consumption as in the case of Messengerwhich achieved clearly better sound quality.
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Summary
If you don't care about transferred data and you have enough of it, then you will definitely achieve the best quality in the case of a call between two users who have FaceTime available via this service from Applu. The call quality is unbeatable and the data usage, in our opinion, fully corresponds to the call quality. If you don't have the option to use FaceTime, which is only available for devices from Applu, then Skype is clearly the best choice in terms of quality. However, its data consumption is extremely high, especially when compared to, for example, the aforementioned FaceTime, whose quality it does not reach and yet consumes about 30% more data.
When data is a priority for you and you can't afford to waste it, for example if you are abroad, then Viber is definitely the best choice for a call. Although it doesn't even remotely reach the quality of FaceTime or Skype, on the other hand it can consume almost 3/4 less data and the consumption of 15,6MB for a 75-minute call is an absolutely perfect result for us. The call is still better than GSM calls and when you are on the other side of the world, it is definitely the best choice.
I love FaceTime but I can't see it at the same time, I don't know why it can't do it, it just beeps that someone is calling me, but we can't hear from the other party at all while my cell phone is ringing. Sometimes it's even a problem to carefully reconnect an interrupted call. If they improve this, it's brilliant! And of course I won't even talk about the sound quality :)
After a long time a meaningful article 👌
And will there be an article about video calls?
Interesting...but who are Já and Jirka?. I can imagine all of them in part, iPhones and services, but if Jirka is mentioned specifically, I would be interested in his specifications. Battery, resolution, number of batteries, accessories in the box, etc.
Good comparison, but I miss Signal there.
Signal is really a minority issue. Then there would be 10 more programs missing... ;)
Nice and meaningful article. Thumbs up ;)
Thanks for the article…… My experience is the same…..
Would it be possible to add a comparison of how it is with a call via Volte? I know that the call via volte does not take data, but how would you compare it with the given services?
VoLTE is a classic SIP call, the amount of data depends on the codec used (most often AMR, as it is specified by 3GPP).
Missing Signal…
If there is no signal, you cannot call at all :-P
That makes sense :-)
he meant the signal application
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669
Over 50% of all my calls are made via FaceTime and maxImmeasurable satisfaction. Sometimes it is necessarychatsometimes without. I won't let that happen.
Discord… the ability to talk to one or more people who are either on a phone or on a computer with a headset/microphoneonem. Video calls, desktop share, game stream. All for free.
I would also like to ask discord, it is certainly an application that is very well known ;-)
As for video calling – last I checked in Messengeru.
approx. 380 MB for 50 minutes of communication.
I would also be interested in Telegram
We no longer provide this service.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards, Czech Post
This statistic has been bugging me for a long time. Thanks for the addition. :)
However, I would also be interested in the video call test. Both quality and data consumption.
Great article, I needed this information, thanks.
I have a question that is not meant to be provocative in any way, but can the author of the article shed light on where/how to find out how many users use which app (that is, how to put together the list of the four most used) and if they can show the number of people who are actually on the phone or just something a non-speaking number?
Hi…Maybe it would be good to mention one more application for calling landlines and mobiles….Odorik.exe…For mobile it is 0,59 czk/min…It just needs a good connection and handsfree…
The comparison is interesting, but I would be more interested in comparing video calls. Pro I find it easiest to use voice calls over traditional calls. Especially with VoLTE support, the quality is great, higher priority in the network provides better stability, and I dare say that anyone who uses a phone for work has, in the vast majority of cases, already been using a flat rate for a long time.
It is not clear to me why I am calling via data - please explain. All voice tariffs cost less than data and if I have unlimited minutes, why...?
ProThis isn't for the scumbags, who call each other if they have their wives beaten before they go to the pub, or after they return.
Normal user Applu, i.e. apple picker, is miniA college graduate with a pretty good job, or at least in a middle management position, and it is assumed that he needs a call sometimes even somewhere abroad. He also texts a lot with business partners, especially when he is starting a start-up.
In other words – buy Android and unlimited data, this is a whole new league. These are the moneyou areoneNo one gives it away for free!
Man, you've probably had enough. :-)
According to the text, you are three or four heights.
Of course yes, but these are extremes that are not completely common. Yes, this is a case where I would also use the data.
I would also like to compare it with Telegram. I use calling via communication applications and it is a great option when traveling. Right now I am in India, where data is a bit pricey (as is the case almost everywhere outside the Czech Republic), and the connection to home works. It is true that WhatsApp is poverty, but if the other party has nothing else, so too WhatsApp enough.
Hello, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to measure one call with data saving turned on. Minialmost in whatsapp this function is..
What about hangouts?
Great article, unfortunately it doesn't say how the measurement was done. On what devices. And most importantly, whether the conditions were the same for all measured values. If everything was measured simultaneously with the same audio track, it would be the same call only on x devices, then the measurement would have some meaning. Whether the measurement was carried out one by one, of course the result is nonsense because if I release the device and do not speak into it and it does not record the sound, the transmission value will be lower than for those where the sound will be constant.
Does he use Viber like anyone else? Really? Is the author from somewhere in the east calling his grandmother? You have apple, so you probably care about your privacy, so I guess I'll write about my privacy too app like Telegram. It's used by hundreds of millions of users. But no, it's going retro here.
You write that the worst quality is calling via Whatsapp, that's complete nonsense that everyone I call and there are many of them would write here. I don't know what and where you tried it, but that doesn't mean anything unless you have more data from more users.
I have several hour-long calls in the app whatsapp, unfortunately, I have completely positive experiences, unlike the article, with a sound-censored GSM call, if the call is interrupted by chance, it is immediately reconnected. I rarely have a problem. For me, the function whatsappfully sufficient.
What kind of nonsense are you writing? You have 3 per mille in your blood, right?