Learn to Use the Two Kinds of "Phone Call"
A smartphone gives you two ways to make a phone call: the regular telephone, and a LINE call. For keeping in touch with friends a LINE call is perfectly sufficient, but there are situations that require a regular call. Get to know the characteristics of each and you can use them to their best effect.
A regular call and a LINE call travel by completely different roads. A regular call uses the dedicated telephone line provided by your mobile operator, while a LINE call uses an internet connection. That single difference is what produces the gaps in cost, in sound quality and in what each can do.
Regular Phone Calls (the Telephone Network)
These are the calls you make with the Phone app that came installed on your smartphone. They use the telephone network of a mobile operator such as Docomo, au or SoftBank. That network is a dedicated one, managed by the carrier and optimised for voice calls.
Advantages
- The sound quality is consistent: because the line is dedicated to telephone calls, it rarely drops out and is easy to hear
- You can make emergency calls: you can dial 110 for the police and 119 for the fire and ambulance service. LINE cannot do this
- You can call people who do not have the app: as long as you know the phone number, you can call anybody
- You can call landlines: useful for contacting a shop, a hospital or a school
- It connects reasonably well even where reception is weak: the telephone network is often more stable than data communications
Disadvantages
- Calls cost money: without an unlimited calling plan, you pay for the time you spend talking, and the rate depends on the plan you are on, so it is worth checking your own tariff
- 0570 numbers (Navi Dial) are charged separately: they fall outside unlimited calling plans, so a separate call charge applies
- International calls are expensive: calling abroad costs considerably more than a call within Japan
LINE Calls (an Internet Connection)
This means using the calling feature inside the LINE app. Your voice is sent and received over an internet connection, either Wi-Fi or mobile data. Technically the mechanism is called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): your voice is converted into digital data and sent across the internet.
Advantages
- Calls are free: there is no charge for the time you spend talking, and on Wi-Fi no mobile data is used either
- Video calls are possible: you can talk while seeing each other's faces
- Group calls are possible: several people can talk at once
- You can talk to people overseas for free: no international call charges apply
Disadvantages
- It depends on your internet connection: where the Wi-Fi is weak or reception is poor, the sound quality drops or the call cuts out
- You cannot make emergency calls: 110 and 119 cannot be dialled from LINE
- The other person needs LINE as well: you cannot call somebody who does not have the app installed
- You cannot call landlines: no use for contacting a shop or a hospital
- There is a delay on the call: because it travels over the internet, a slight lag compared with a regular call can occur
How Much Data Does It Use?
On Wi-Fi a LINE call uses none of your data allowance, but out and about on mobile data it does eat into it. How much depends on your plan and your connection, so it is the principle rather than a precise figure that is worth holding on to.
- A voice call carries nothing but your voice, so it is light compared with watching video or sending photographs
- A video call carries pictures as well, so it uses considerably more data than a voice call
A long video call, then, is best made where there is Wi-Fi. A voice call, carrying only your voice, you can use freely enough when you are out.
Note too that once you hit your monthly data cap and your connection speed is throttled, a LINE call starts breaking up and becomes hard to hear. If you tend to run short of data towards the end of the month, switching to a regular call at those times is a habit worth having.
Use a Regular Call in These Situations
- In an emergency: dialling 110 or 119 in the event of an accident or an incident. This absolutely can only be done on a regular call
- Contacting a shop or a hospital: use a regular call for bookings and enquiries. Landlines cannot be reached from LINE
- Contacting people who do not use LINE: grandparents, for instance
- Anything important: a regular call with its consistent sound quality is the surer option - a call about a job interview, or an enquiry to a government office
- Places with unreliable reception: in mountainous areas, underground and anywhere the internet connection is unstable, a regular call gets through more easily
A LINE Call Is Fine in These Situations
- Chatting with friends: free however long you talk
- Group conversations: when you want several people on the call
- Video calls: when you want to see each other's faces
- Calling people overseas: no international call charges
- When you want to keep call costs down: if you do not have an unlimited calling plan, a LINE call is free. Our guide to saving money on call charges is worth reading too
Internet Calling Beyond LINE
There are other calling services besides LINE that run over an internet connection.
- FaceTime: Apple's calling feature, for calls between Apple devices
- Discord: a calling app popular with gamers, and strong on group calls
- Zoom and Google Meet: used for online classes and meetings
- WhatsApp: a calling app in wide use outside Japan, handy for keeping in touch with friends abroad
The mechanism behind all of them is the same as a LINE call: voice sent and received over an internet connection. IP telephony on 050 numbers uses the same technology, with the difference that it can also call landlines. Understanding the basics of the SIM card will give you a deeper grasp of how all this communication works.
The Two Compared
- Call charges: a regular call costs money, or is free on an unlimited plan; a LINE call is free
- Emergency calls: possible on a regular call, not possible on a LINE call
- Calling landlines: possible on a regular call, not possible on a LINE call
- Consistency of sound quality: a regular call is consistent; a LINE call depends on your internet connection
- Video calls: not possible on a regular call, possible on a LINE call
- Group calls: not possible on a regular call, possible on a LINE call
- Calling abroad: expensive on a regular call, free on a LINE call
Summary
For everyday calls with friends, LINE is quite enough. Emergency calls to 110 and 119, however, can only be made on a regular call, and a regular call is also needed to contact a shop or a hospital. Remember it as LINE for normal use, a regular call when it really matters. Rather than relying on one alone, the important thing is to choose between them according to the situation.