AT&T technically already supports video calling. (Video conference calls)I was just checking out my ATT account and spotted this. I was wondering, does this just mean sending videos through texting or does it mean a future of video calling? Thanks.
What is Video Share?
NOTE: Video Share requires 3G coverage and both the sender and receiver must have capable phones.
Video Share allows you to share live video with another AT&T customer while you are on a wireless phone call.
AT&T technically already supports video calling. (Video conference calls)
It's considered data usage.
You just have to have a device that supports it.
I HAVE to think that Apple will get this working with at least iChat in the very near future. Otherwise, iPhone 4-to-iPhone 4 only, wifi-only makes this a gimmick, not a useful feature.
If they get it working with iChat, that would be GREAT for people like me who want to videochat with family while I'm traveling. I usually stay in hotels with wifi access, so the lack of cellular connectivity is less of a problem for me.
Nothing wrong with AT&T in AZ... there are dead spots in Scottsdale and Glendale... big deal.
Every network has dead spots.
Verizon has a huge dead spot in my neighborhood and I'm 1/4 of a mile from a large mall.
Can't even place a call without having to go outside.
Save the political commentary for the proper forum.You had me believing you up until you said "outside". We all know people don't go outside in Arizona anymore. That would be risking your "state" given civil liberties.
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agreed. another "magical feature that will change the world" from apple... too bad this one is a joke. every person on the planet that owns a mac can easily set up a video chat in a matter of seconds... yet virtually no one bothers.
That must explain why so many people were asking for video chat right?
I don't use it myself, but to claim that nobody will use it is to be ignorant.
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!
It's not Apple's fault. . . it's the carriers and to be honest, Verizon would be no better in this situation either.
The carriers already support video chat using the existing 3G H.323 standard. It's a standard for AV comms that has been around since the 1990s and nearly all 3G capable phones support it EXCEPT the iPhone.
Apple chose to come up with it's own standard for Facetime that uses essentially a VoIP SIP session alongside the normal voice call. It's more like an iChat session over the internet.
So, it really is Apple's fault that you can't do video over 3G as they decided to not support the normal industry standard method.
That's not actually a bad idea since the carriers rape you for video calls as they are outside your normal call minutes or data plan usually. That's why they're unpopular mostly. Here in the UK it's about 35-40p a minute.
AT&T technically already supports video calling. (Video conference calls)
It's considered data usage.
You just have to have a device that supports it.
God I swear its like watching a bunch of Retards humping a doorknob in here sometimes!!
Think people... Ok so video chat is not "new", no *****...but to apples largest target audience, and Homeland.. it is new.
People aren't video chatting here in the states. Period. I never see anyone using it in Downtown Seattle. Ever.
So if they have to start it out on Wi-Fi only I'm all for it. For one I remember when the Iphone didn't have an app store, heck even 3G, which is such the standard now a days. And a mere 2 years goes by and apple still has these chumps on their heels. No one is touching the app store yet...and most likely wont. The facts are that the Face Time only works over Wi-Fi...but how long is that going to last?
You have to be immensely dense if you think the tech is going to stop at just WiFi...come on people am I the only person that has gone through new firmware updates that allow for new or better functionality?! Get real and quite bitching ...Im not saying that its not in an infantile stage (no over-network video calls, no Iphone to macbook video calls...yet) but that's just it...Its the effing baby that will grow up to stomp most of you nay sayers into the ground, Seriously just watch...If it wasn't popular before I think apples aim is to make it the mainstream thing we are all used to and taking for granted 2 years from now!
I love the people that tare At&t apart but don't take the time to think how any other carrier would be handling the iphone user base's data usage...Flat out they are already handling tremendously more data than the other US carriers combined. So anyone that thinks FaceTime should just be running wide open on the data infrastructure as is...is...well dumb. There I said it. Your dumb if you expect this to appear over night and for AT&T's network just be able to take it.
I don't own an iPad, and honestly I find it hard to justify owning one when I have an iPhone..but does that mean they aren't selling? Because I have no use for it currently? I Cant even think of another company that sells volumes of a new niche product like apple can...try it.
So there is little doubt in my mind that apple wont make this work.. Let this mature a little. I personally think that if Video chatting is not the "norm" yet that its actually smarter for apple to only be using stable WiFi connections and let users get use to this new feature while AT&T beefs up their network for the inevitable video chat via 3G. We have all determined that it is in fact not impossible to do 3G video chatting since "the world has been doing this for 6 years...blah blah" so why on earth would it make sense for the technology to just stop with WiFi here...it wont people.
Be thankful for:
-no more curved back
-Crazy strong glass..(anyone else catch that)
-Integrated antennas into the steel support frame. sweet
-A4 Chip..
-Bigger Battery
-Insane screen revamp
-Improved camera system
-HD video recording (maybe Im behind the times but if you told me yesterday that I would be able to shoot 720p video at 30fps from an iphone...i flat out wouldn't have believed you)
-Additional Front facing camera all while being THE THINNEST SMART PHONE
-Gyroscope
-5mp Camera with LED FLASH
-OS4 FREEEEE
-Highly recyclable hardware...thank you apple, I care about my planet and appreciate that if millions of these are gonna get cranked out and inevitably thrown away at some point, that they are highly recyclable and dramatically less toxic!!
/Rant
My wife and I will most certainly use this (talk to the kids). The wifi only is the only drawback right now but im sure this will change in due time...
+1
See my post above ... I pretty much wanted to say everything you did but was too lazy to type all this out. Well put!
I read your post right after mine went through and thought...hmmm there is someone else out there thinking about this rationally! Although I don't have a spouse or kids for that matter, I cant begin to describe how nice its going to be to look my parents in the eyes when I talk about my day. Or turn the other camera on the outside to show off an art project Im working on rather than dealing with the hassle of taking pictures, copying them to a text or email, typing an over elaborate text to go with so my parents can somewhat grasp what Im doing... Soon I will just show them live, mid conversation without skipping a beat.
Oh no but you have to use that terrible wifi thing to all do that!!!
Well its a good thing I have a nice router in my apartment, as do most out out there...including the people I have the desire to video chat with.
Then when video chat via network or some other solution arises in the near future, I will just be that much more thankful that I can now truly take video calls anywhere.