FaceTime is just one of Apple (News - Alert) apps that people know exist and use when they need to, but otherwise don’t really talk about. That’s a shame, because FaceTme Audio, a new feature for iOS devices, takes the video out of “video call,” leaving you with just, well, a call, and the VoIP calls it provides may prove better than making a phone call.

FaceTime (News - Alert) Audio provides the same calling features as regular Facetime, just with audio only. That means it’s pretty much making phone calls, except over Wi-Fi instead of a phone line. That means that even iPhone (News - Alert) users who are cut off from their phone service for whatever reason (no minutes, no reception, etc) can still make calls like usual as long as they can find a Wi-Fi connection.

Of course, Wi-Fi calls can prove just as unreliable as regular cellular phone calls, due to needing to find networks with a reliable connection, but it’s certainly better than nothing at all. The technology used for them is also improving over time, making it easier to find good connections anywhere. Portable routers are also available, making one a mobile hotspot wherever they may be.

This may lead to Apple not needing cellular network carriers for their iPhones at all. Whether you have AT&T, Verizon (News - Alert), or anything else, it won’t matter once you can make calls over the Internet as well as on a phone.

There is still the issue of connectivity, as not all phones will be able to receive calls from FaceTime Audio. As it is now, it’s only useful for communicating between iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers with FaceTime. However, what matters most is not what it does now, but the potential it represents.

Are we extremely close to every smartphone being able to make VoIP and Wi-Fi calls? No, not even. Many people, myself included, still have the old-fashioned not-smart phones that can’t even connect to the Internet. Still, as the technology improves, it will become increasingly easier to make calls over Wi-Fi, until it’s just as acceptable an option as a regular network is.