Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Do you think we'll see video conferencing on the next iPhone?


  • Total voters
    84
What's the deal with the front facing camera?

So I've heard a lot of speculation about a front facing camera potentially coming to the iPhone in June. I don't want to debate whether or not it's likely that this is true. Instead, I want to ask a question.

Is a front facing camera really going to be able to do what we want it to do? When I think of a camera on the front of the iPhone, one thing immediately comes to my mind - video conferencing. And as much as I'd like to believe this would be possible, I'm having trouble convincing myself. Can 3G (or the "next generation" of cell data towers) really handle people video conferencing? Maybe they can handle heavy downloading, but uploading video at the same rate HAS to be really taxing on the provider, whether it's AT&T, Verizon, or whoever.

Do you guys think it's feasible? I'd love to hear feedback. Also, don't get the wrong impression. I think a front facing camera is great, and I'm wondering if there are other uses for it that I'm just not getting. This is just me satisfying my curiosity.
 
I think it is very feasible to have a front facing camera. It would be VERY nice to have video confrencing like on skype. I dont think it is going to be taxing to your carrier at all, when it comes out, it probly going to have a 1 or 1.5 ghz processor and bout a gig worth of ram (probly not but...) that would be able to handle just fine!
 
Well. I don't think it's going to hurt AT&T servers to bad.. Honestly. I don't think it's going to be a service people going to use all the time. You will use it at first to try it.. But we know AT&T is going to charge us and apple will reject all apps that try to accomplish this.. Soooo I'm not really to excited about it.. But AT&T is going to be able to handle it. their service has gotten alot better over the last couple of months.
 
Considering how text message and IM's are becoming more popular than ever before, I actually think people are steering toward less contact than more.

So although the idea sounds great, it probably isn't going to be something that people will want to use frequently.
 
In theory it is very possible to do so. There are already Apps in the iPhone app store that allow you to video stream right from your camera now to other iPhones or to a computer.

The thing is, if Apple is going to do something, they're going to do it RIGHT. It's not going to be half-a$$.

Honestly, it's really 50/50 at this point. AT&T really sucks as a network and thats the biggest flaw of the iPhone.

I hope we see some design upgrades and just some overall improvements in hardware and software such as higher res screen, better battery, UI improvements and a few other things.
 
man, the worst part of this whole waiting for the new phone process on macrumors are the mockups for a new phone. The designs look hideous compared to the existing iphone. I hope whatever dangle they add to the darn thing they don't change the beautiful form factor. Any space savings should be given to a larger battery.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.