eli5 Why do internet calls such as WhatsApp sound clearer than normal cellular calls?
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Phone calls often get routed at some point through a network designed to work with your grandma’s rotary telephone. They may be re-converted multiple times (losing quality) and they have to stick to standards that others also support.
It’s getting better with WiFi calling, 5G etc., but for example the 4G standard which is still widespread has been deployed in 2009 and developed well before that.
Whatsapp only talks to Whatsapp, and sends the call as data over the Internet. Introducing a better way to send audio (a better codec) can be a matter of one engineer implementing it, and a week after it’s launched 90% of the users will be able to actually use it as their apps updated. No years stuck in standards bodies to discuss what to implement in the next generation that will come out in 3 years and be common in 5-10 years.
Everybody also makes a tradeoff: use more data and sound better, or use less data but sound worse. Historically providers wanted to cut costs by skimping on quality, but with modern data packages it doesn’t matter as much. That’s also why a call where both sides are on wifi may sound better than a call where both use mobile. Wifi tends to be unlimited so WhatsApp cranks up the quality, whereas if you’re on mobile they may assume that you prefer to have a bit lower quality to use less data.
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