Nokia CEO makes world’s first ‘immersive’ phone call: What is it and how it can change voice calls- Details

Immersive phone call massively improves the quality of the call even on regular smartphones with 5G connectivity. Here's everything you need to know.

Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark just made the world's first ‘immersive’ phone call creating a feeling of presence that is close to an in-person meeting. (Bloomberg)

Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark has made the world's first ‘immersive' phone call, sending waves among the tech community. Believed to be the next step in the evolution of phone calls, the technology named "immersive audio and video" massively improves the quality of the call even on regular smartphones with 5G connectivity. "It is the biggest leap forward in the live voice calling experience since the introduction of monophonic telephony audio used in smartphones and PCs today," said Nokia Technologies President Jenni Lukander.

The next-gen tech is believed to be quite beneficial in conference calls where the participants' voices can be separated and heard clearly, almost similar to real life. Currently, phone calls are monophonic that compresses audio elements together, resulting in a flatter and less detailed audio. On the other hand, immersive calls can change the way we communicate with people.

What is an immersive phone call

As the name suggests, an immersive call focuses on making the communication experience more realistic, engaging and interactive. Immersive calls use numerous technologies and components which create a feeling of presence that is close to an in-person meeting. Immersive calls usually use technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, haptic feedback and others. In Nokia's case, the company is relying on spatial audio.

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For those who are unaware, spatial audio technology tries to mimic the nature of sound in real life. It makes the listening experience much more alluring by enhancing a sense of presence. It can also make it seem like the sound is coming from a specific direction. As mentioned earlier, this kind of technology is best experienced in a group call or meeting where the user can get a feel of sitting in a conference room.

As most of the smartphones launched in the past few years have at least two microphones, Nokia claims that this technology can be implemented by ‘transmitting in real time the spatial characteristics of a call.' The immersive call technology is a part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard and Nokia is eyeing licensing opportunities with it.