Viber Windows Phone 8 app gets voice calling

Here's a welcome update for users of Viber messaging. The Windows Phone 8 app now handles voice calls as well as text and picture messages.

Viber is cross-platform, which means users can call and message 175m users on other operating systems including Android and iOS.

It's apps like Viber that will go a long way to persuading smartphone users to switch to Windows Phone.

- Free calls with HD sound quality
- Free text and photo messaging
- Share photos on Viber directly from your device’s photo gallery 
- Connect with your friends in group conversations of up to 40 participants
- Share your location in messages
- Live Tiles 
- Pin conversations to your home screen 
- Lock screen notifications 
- 30 supported languages

Viber, which now becomes a real competitor to Skype on WP8, is a free app and connecting is simply a case of entering your phone number to get a list of other Viber users in your contacts.

Get it in the Windows Phone Store.