EVS is the next generation of the HD Voice technologies

Sep 27, 2017 15:45 GMT  ·  By

According to a report from Macotakara, which quotes Mr. Takashi Tanaka, the President of KDDI, from an exclusive interview with Engadget Japan, it would appear Apple added Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) support in iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

iPhone devices have shipped with HD Voice support since the release of iPhone 6, and now there's EVS (Enhanced Voice Services), the next-generation of the HD Voice technologies, which allow for enhanced voice quality over LTE data during phone (voice only) calls, but only if the mobile carrier supports it.

Enhanced Voice Services were standardized by 3GPP last year, and it enables for higher quality voice communication on mobile devices that supports the new technology. In technical terms, EVS uses the 50Hz〜14.4kHz frequency range to bring the sound closer to human voice. HD Voice used the 50Hz〜7kHz frequency range.

"According to Engadget Japan, Mr. Takashi Tanaka, the President of KDDI, said in the exclusive interview with him that iPhone 8 has voice sound codec "EVS" function that was standardized by 3GPP in 2016," said Macotakara in their report, but you should read the interview (in Japanese) for more details.

iPhone X will also support Enhanced Voice Services

As expected, the upcoming iPhone X device will also support Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) for enhanced voice communication over LTE or 4G networks. Again, these next-generation HD Voice technologies won't work if they're not supported by your mobile carrier, so check with them first before buying a new device.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on September 12, 2017, during a live event that took place at its new Apple Park headquarters, and for the first time at the Steve Jobs Theater. Both handsets are now available to buy worldwide, along with Apple Watch Series 3, and iPhone X will be available for pre-order on October 27.