The feature, now called NumberSync, is a key to making it more attractive for customers to own multiple devices with built-in wireless connections, just as it was important to offer shared data plans.
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Apple has been building Continuity features into its software that let you make phone calls and send messages from iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches through your iPhone for a while now, and today AT&T is announcing a new network-level advancement called NumberSync capable of doing that for all connected devices.
The NumberSync feature will work across various operating systems.
It’s not yet clear if each device will be SIMless or what AT&T will charge for the service.
AT&T will soon launch NumberSync, a method for connecting all devices to a common phone number so you can take calls on a computer or tablet. This means that if you conduct a call or send a text from your connected device – like a smartwatch or tablet – it’ll appear to the recipient from the same number as your regular phone number. The service will work even when a user’s smartphone isn’t located nearby or is switched off, the company said.
You will no longer need a fitness band and your smartphone to stay connected when you go for a run. The first NumberSync compatible device will launch fairly soon and additional ones will be available by the holidays.
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AT&T notes that this solution is superior to earlier attempts at solving this problem as it doesn’t require any convoluted forwarding setups and can work even when the secondary devices aren’t physically close to the phone or connected via Bluetooth. This connectivity will function even if the user’s primary mobile device with the originating number is physically nowhere near the other NumberSync-connected devices. It’s all about those other, non-phone connected gadgets AT&T wants to sell you.
