Do Smartphones Still Make Phone Calls?

Not long ago, I walked into a phone store and asked a simple question. The salesperson was excitedly showing off the newest model — how it takes 4K video, tracks your workouts, edits photos, recognizes your face, and even manages your calendar. So I interrupted with a basic question: “Can this phone make a call?”

The look I received was unforgettable.

Apparently, asking if a smartphone can make a phone call is no longer part of the conversation. You are supposed to be impressed by AI voice assistants, megapixels, refresh rates, and all the other advanced features. But the most basic function — talking to someone in real time — is barely mentioned anymore.

It feels like phones are embarrassed by what they were originally created to do.

The truth is, making phone calls has quietly slipped out of style. Especially among younger users, voice calls are now seen as awkward or intrusive. Most communication happens through texts, voice notes, emojis, posts, or video clips. Talking, in the traditional sense, has taken a back seat.

But that shift comes with a cost. Text messages are quick and convenient, but they often miss the tone, the pauses, the warmth in someone’s voice. A short “okay” by text can sound cold, while the same word spoken with the right tone can mean something completely different. Phone calls let us hear laughter, emotion, hesitation — all the little details that make communication feel human.

Yet somehow, calling someone has become the last resort. Many people hesitate before making a call, afraid it might seem too serious or too personal. It is as if speaking on the phone has become a forgotten art.

Modern smartphones are powerful tools. They are cameras, notebooks, health trackers, entertainment centers, and social platforms. But somewhere along the way, we stopped using them for what they were first designed to do — connect people by voice.

So next time you are shopping for a phone, it is worth asking the question I did: Can it make a call?

The salesperson might raise an eyebrow, but it is a fair question — and a small reminder that even in a high-tech world, simple human connection still matters.