Line, Japan's popular mobile messaging app that has been struggling to grow beyond its home turf, today released an updated Android app (version 5.4.0) with a new focus on low-cost calling.
The rebranded Line Premium Call service, now known as Line Out, lets users make calls to mobiles and landlines anywhere in the world "at competitive rates" from inside the app.
The company also wrote on its blog that the calling feature has been given a "major overhaul to make it easier than ever to use," so the move to a simpler and more memorable name makes sense. Line Out will likely sound familiar to anyone who has used Skype's similar feature (previously called SkypeOut).
The update is likely part of a wider push by the company to appeal to a broader international user base after its Q2 earnings report at the end of July revealed it was struggling to grow outside Japan. Its revenues were also down quarter-on-quarter for the first time.
The company is likely looking to grow its paying phone-calling customers -- many existing users already have credit cards linked to their accounts -- in order to take some of the pressure off its other revenue channels. Line currently makes most of its money through stickers ($75 million in its first year) and in-app purchases within its gaming titles.
Line Out has also been given more prominence within the app, now available as a Calls tab from the main horizontal menu bar alongside the tabs Friends, Chats, and Timeline.
