If you go to this link:

http://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/

Then go down to the "Online Lobby and Voice chat" section, you're greeted by this.

"Our new dedicated smart device app will connect to Nintendo Switch and let you invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches in compatible games─all from your smart device. 

A free, limited version of this app will be available for download in summer 2017."

Also! If you go down lower to where it lists the features the online service offers, it clearly says "Online Lobby & Voice Chat app".

Are they fucking joking? Releasing a console without voice chat in 2017. A paid online service where you have to use your smartphone to talk to the people you're playing with?!?

P.S. Their "free game" thing also sucks.

"Subscribers will get to download and play a Nintendo Entertainment System™ (NES) or Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ (Super NES) game (with newly-added online play) for free for a month."

Wow, I guess that settles the wifi/3g/4g thing. They're using your smartphone...for voice chat. Nintendo is so fucking out of touch. If they would have not put so much into the silly joy cons it could have been less expensive and more main stream. I just don't understand how they can have people literally eating out of their hands until you find out you're eating shit. They're the only company that could mess up something as wide open as this! The ball was in their court and based off of this conference they missed.

Hopefully the treehouse clears up some things tomorrow. If true, this is terrible. They didn't even show the OS now that I think about it. Wow.

im assuming they mean an app on the switch itself and about god damn time!!!! would be ignorant if its on a phone because i already do that with the wii u for free!

I don't own a Smartphone.....or a tablet

This is how I understand it too.... people on neogaf are saying the same.

Its crazy.

Well they didn't say anything about bluetooth. Again.

wow. Wii U looks like a golden goddess now. Thank you Nintendo. I don't regret Wii U anymore.

This don't look good at all.

I mean its what phones are for... to call people up with.. but... yeah... kinda expect this sort of thing to be handled on the console itself.

They need to keep it free. People are obviously upset about it and that's good news! Hopefully Nintendo will be convinced to keep the service free.