The smartphone has become more than just a mobile communication tool. It is so intertwined into the things that we do every single day, putting a single label on it or describing it as just one thing doesn't quite capture the practicality this technology offers. Outside of our personal lives, it is now a key tool in business for collaboration and remote work, and the new DIGITS platform from T-Mobile will add more functionality to the smartphone, making it an even more invaluable tool.
As described by T-Mobile, DIGITS will work across virtually all of your phones, tablets, wearables and computers with a single number, and it also lets you put multiple T-Mobile numbers on the same device. Put simply, you can bring most of your connected devices together and combine your personal, home, work and other numbers on a single smartphone. And you can use DIGITS even if you happen to have a Verizon, AT&T or other smartphone. The only drawback is that DIGITS is on a limited customer beta until it becomes available to the general public in 2017.
It is worth noting, this is not the first time you can add more numbers to a device, and other providers have similar options. However, as Mike Sievert, Chief Operating Officer of T-Mobile, said, “It IS the first time you can do it all – multiple numbers on one device and one number on multiple devices – and do it with carrier-grade quality. DIGITS is your real T-Mobile number with every bit of the reliability, call prioritization, services and mobility you expect.”
This is another evolution for mobile communications and one that trumps over-the-top (OTT) Internet calling services because it is a wireless number with real wireless calling. What that means for your calls is that DIGITS will prioritize calls from your phone over other data, and this prioritization makes calls more reliable with HD voice quality and full mobility.
For businesses and their employees, a mobile-only or mobile-first solution can be deployed knowing personal smartphones can now have multiple numbers, even if the phones are on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Small or even large businesses can get rid of desk phones and make everyone in the organization available at all times, whether they are in the office or elsewhere with a mobile communications solution that is more widely available while integrating additional devices.
DIGITS is built natively in the latest Samsung smartphones as part of the collaboration between both companies. After getting the extra set of numbers from T-Mobile, users can open their dialer and choose the number they want to use. As for other manufacturers, the company is working to integrate DIGITS natively into their devices. Until that time, T-Mobile customers can get DIGITS at the App Store and Google Play, as well as on PCs or Mac computers.
Edited by
Alicia Young
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