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Apple Announces FaceTime for iPhone 4 Video Calls
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Typical. It could easily support the same video calling protocols used by every other phone made in the last 5 years, but no, apparently Apple wants a repeat of the MMS debacle. Here we go again...
Hehe yeah. After all, it is a WorldWideDevelopersConference.
People just need to let it go. iPhone/Verizon is not coming anytime soon.
I caught that too.
We were talking about it in the office here and we think that iMacs and MacBooks will get a FaceTime app or iChat AV will be renamed to FaceTime.
The iPad will most likely get the forward facing camera on REV 2 also.
I knew it was going to be WiFi-only. Why are so many people bitching and moaning about this????? NO cell network could handle that kind of data stream from a bunch of users at the same time. Get real everyone! Even when traveling on the road and trying to iChat AV back home with my wife and son, we get a horrible choppiness to the video, IF we can even connect due to hotel router firewalls!
So... no iChat to iPhone videochat?
WHY!?
Yeah I didn't get that either, if you are going to limit me to wifi only, why must you limit me to a market share that hasn't matured yet (iphone 4). ~85% of macs come with a camera built in, let me talk to those people too.
I think this was probably the biggest announcement today (because we have all seen the iPhone 4 hardware before). It is a GREAT feature. If only the network could support this feature, instead of relying on WiFi. Eventually though.
There are international carriers, after all...
I'm neither surprised nor upset over FaceTime being limited to wifi. HOWEVER, I'm REALLY surprised that it's only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. I have friends and family on Verizon and AT&T who won't be getting the iPhone 4, but they all have macs... This severely cripples the reach of the feature. Where's the logic there?
did you think when Steve was firing off the uses for FaceTime, I kept thinking teens would use it for naughty purposes other than showing off what each of them was wearing. cybering takes on a new level with iPhone 4. just imagine they will sell like hotcakes.
Video conferencing with Skype is useful - it gives a presence to conversations you don't get otherwise. But video chat on cell phones is far from new, and the problem there isn't that the software wasn't good enough. On my N95, you could just press a button to call video rather than voice. The issues were penetration (at least in the beginning), and the fact that noone wants to stand or sit holding the phone at the right angle for a call. This is why I never thought the iPhone needed a front facing camera, and I'd much rather have 64 GB of flash than that.
Who are you kidding? Maybe because you don't video chat doesn't mean a ton of other people do. I use video over iChat & Skype on an almost daily basis. So do a lot of other people.
That I don't understand, we had video calls already around five years in here (3g), and people use them ~sometimes, there should not be problem with this..
I'm really disappointed that this will be wi-fi only. I'm *sure* someone could write an Android app that captures video and flings it across the internet in realtime using only the data connection (not just wifi).
Actually, they already have (http://qik.com/).
So the phone now has the same capability iChat has had since 10.3 in 2003.
No wireless. Less space than Nomad. Lame. (just kidding)
Actually, they already have (http://qik.com/).
So the phone now has the same capability iChat has had since 10.3 in 2003.
No wireless. Less space than Nomad. Lame. (just kidding
)
Yes, video conferencing is useful - I use video / skype a lot - I guess I phrased it badly.
Plenty of phones can already do Video conferencing - and plenty of providers already support it - but, like you say, nobody bothers. I hear, video calling is more very popular in Asia?
We all knew this was coming, and I'm glad to see that it is finally here. It's somewhat disappointing that it's only over wifi, but hopefully that will change in the coming year or two. I thought with AT&T's new data plans they would allow it, but keep usage down to a minimum because of the 2GB cap.
Regardless, this is a nice feature to have.
Regardless, this is a nice feature to have.
Useless
This is a developer's conference and we got nothing development related, no XCode update, no new iOS feature discussion (like all of the items that were released after the initial announcement), no new iLife updates, no new Core announcements, NOTHING on a new Mac OS, nothing about incorporating Appstore apps with OS X or with AppleTV.
No new groundbreaking technology. Lets face it, everything in the iPhone has been done before, even the screen isn't the highest resolution iOS device (which still belongs to the iPad) despite the amazing clarity of the device's resolution.
He should have just rattled through a list of things that the leak sites got right, showed us the phone and then went on with something really groundbreaking.
This is the weakest keynote in years, if not ever. FaceTime is just a kick in the face as a "One More thing"
This is a developer's conference and we got nothing development related, no XCode update, no new iOS feature discussion (like all of the items that were released after the initial announcement), no new iLife updates, no new Core announcements, NOTHING on a new Mac OS, nothing about incorporating Appstore apps with OS X or with AppleTV.
No new groundbreaking technology. Lets face it, everything in the iPhone has been done before, even the screen isn't the highest resolution iOS device (which still belongs to the iPad) despite the amazing clarity of the device's resolution.
He should have just rattled through a list of things that the leak sites got right, showed us the phone and then went on with something really groundbreaking.
This is the weakest keynote in years, if not ever. FaceTime is just a kick in the face as a "One More thing"
We maybe found out why this is how it is, maybe due patent war with Nokia, Apple doesn't want to use videocalls (what Nokia owns) like other brands, but came up with own technology and is now sharing it.
EDIT: I find this bit sad, this might be the reason why Apple has carrier problems, and why only iphone to iphone calls..
I thought the existing video call method was multi-phone - an open standard already? Any video conferencing phone can communicate with any other capable phone?
Anyone?
It's sold in other countries, but I he could very well be talking about Verizon. We didn't hear anything about Verizon, but do you think it was just out of generosity that AT&T allowed every 2010 eligible contract to upgrade now? Could they be trying to lure in those contract renewals that would be due when Verizon gets in the mix later that year?
Wi-Fi only is garbage--not sure how many people I'd be able to connect to (because we'd both have to be on Wi-Fi). However, it will be nice for family members for people who are on the road, on call at a hospital, etc...
Are you sure that its fully open standard? I don't know where we are going with patents nowadays, but atleast it would sound logical why iPhone uses FaceTalk and not technology what other brands use.
So how does everyone feel about the possibility of the Rev 2 iPad having a video camera? I think this certainly makes it way more likely, even for the skeptics.
Deaf should sue AT&T
I would encourage any person without the best hearing through to people who are deaf to seriously consider it. AT&T not allowing the facetime video chat over 3G is seriously wrong. Think of the communication lines it would open. Definitely arguable & winable that AT&T is operating with complete prejudice to the deaf.
In most countries where 3G has been for years, the original feature 3G was designed for with the new 3G phones was video chat!
Apple makes another exceptional space age product and we can't use the full potential.
Shame AT&T, shame.
PS to those who dis video chat on the iphone, what do you have your hands on that you can't do a video chat over the iphone? Just think of the possibilities when your out or travelling etc, etc.
I would encourage any person without the best hearing through to people who are deaf to seriously consider it. AT&T not allowing the facetime video chat over 3G is seriously wrong. Think of the communication lines it would open. Definitely arguable & winable that AT&T is operating with complete prejudice to the deaf.
In most countries where 3G has been for years, the original feature 3G was designed for with the new 3G phones was video chat!
Apple makes another exceptional space age product and we can't use the full potential.
Shame AT&T, shame.
PS to those who dis video chat on the iphone, what do you have your hands on that you can't do a video chat over the iphone? Just think of the possibilities when your out or travelling etc, etc.