Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark showcased a revolutionary “immersive audio and video” technology that enhances call quality with three-dimensional sound, creating a more lifelike interaction.
“We have demonstrated the future of voice calls,” said Pekka Lundmark, who also witnessed the first 2G call in 1991.
Currently, smartphone calls are monophonic, compressing audio elements into a flatter, less detailed sound. The new technology, however, will introduce 3D audio, allowing callers to experience conversations as if they were physically present with each other.
“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,” stated Jenni Lukander, president of Nokia Technologies.
The demonstration call was made with Stefan Lindstrom, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalisation and New Technologies. “This is now becoming standardized, so network providers, chipset manufacturers, and handset manufacturers can begin to implement it in their products,” Pekka Lukander explained.
The call utilized a regular smartphone over a public 5G network. Beyond enhancing person-to-person calls, this technology can be applied to conference calls, allowing participants’ voices to be distinguished based on their spatial locations, according to Jyri Huopaniemi, head of audio research at Nokia Technologies.
Most smartphones already have at least two microphones, enabling the implementation of this technology by transmitting the spatial characteristics of a call in real time. The technology is part of the forthcoming 5G Advanced standard, and Nokia aims to explore licensing opportunities. However, widespread availability may still be a few years away, Reuters news report said.
