Will Apple allow FaceTime to iChat communication?

[covertsurfer]

The facetime thing is a nice new feature but means you have to have 2 iphones.

Do you think Apple will extend it so that you can have video chat with someone on iChat on their Mac?

 

[gazzrenn]

I expect that in time, iChat will become Facetime.


EDIT -

you have to have 2 iphones.

You don't have to have 2 iPhones... you own one....

When mobiles first came out, you didn't HAVE to buy two just so you could make a call.

What you meant to say I'm sure was it's an iPhone to iPhone service... which I'm very sure in time will be an iDevice to iDevice service... and further down the line will replace iChat.

 

[benflick]

Do I think that they will allow it? No. Would it be a good feature to enable? Yes.

 

[covertsurfer]

Do I think that they will allow it? No. Would it be a good feature to enable? Yes.

Just so they can sting us with the need to buy 2 iPhones instead of 1?

 

[zub3qin]

Facetime is going to be one of those things that set the masses drooling, but after one or two uses, nobody will use it anymore.

There are many interesting articles on why video calling (which has been available for years by the way on other platforms) never caught on.

It is a psychological thing as we all grew up not looking at someone on the phone. When you try it, it is real weird.

 

[saeybia]

isnt facetime the same as video calling but over wifi? if so, this isnt a new thing!! most UK operators have done this for YEARS!! but no one uses it, cos its crap!! lol

 

[b166er]

I keep seeing everyone saying "video chat has been done before" but what does that have to do with the new iPhone? Text messaging has been done before, maybe the new iPhone shouldn't do that. My old Motorola from 5 years ago had a mobile web feature, maybe the new iPhone doesn't need the internet on it.

Video chat HAS been around a while, we all know that. Apple is not claiming rights to it. They just feel that they are doing it in a way that is a little better. Don't get me wrong, I think I will only use this feature to annoy friends when I'm drunk- but what I'm getting at is just because it's been around a while is no reason for Apple to not take a swing at it. They've only been in the phone business for a few years now.

 

[QuarterSwede]

If it doesn't come to iChat (which I suspect it will), it'll at least comes to Skype as Apple is making it an open standard.

 

[PhoneI]

Facetime is going to be one of those things that set the masses drooling, but after one or two uses, nobody will use it anymore.

There are many interesting articles on why video calling (which has been available for years by the way on other platforms) never caught on.

It is a psychological thing as we all grew up not looking at someone on the phone. When you try it, it is real weird.

I will use it all the time to say goodnight to the kids when I'm on a business trip or even working late in the office.

 

[mrblack927]

It seems like Apple is building Facetime up to be a new "phone feature" like calling and text messaging, ie. a service that goes from phone number to phone number. Remember, Facetime is an open protocol that other phone manufacturers can use, so it won't just be "iDevice to iDevice" either. I think Apple expects other manufacturers to follow suit and implement it so that eventually it will just be the ubiquitous features that anyone with a cell phone has access to.

Unfortunately, that means we won't get it other internet devices such as iPod Touch, iPad (without 3G), or regular computers with iChat. There's no "phone number" for Facetime to connect to. We already have video chat solutions. Apple is trying to do something entirely different here.

HOWEVER, I do think that 3rd party video chat apps will show up for the iphone, and those will allow you to video chat with people on any platform just like you'd expect. It just won't be "Facetime" by name.

 

[MacBone]

Facetime is going to be one of those things that set the masses drooling, but after one or two uses, nobody will use it anymore.

There are many interesting articles on why video calling (which has been available for years by the way on other platforms) never caught on.

It is a psychological thing as we all grew up not looking at someone on the phone. When you try it, it is real weird.

People use video chat all the time on their PCs...google chat, skype, etc. I dont see why FaceTime should be any different in the long run. I do agree that it will take a while to catch on. I video chat from my iMac with my family quite a bit. If I was able to do it sitting on my couch or laying in bed I'm sure I would do that rather than going to the computer everytime.

 

[coz]

I would think apple would re-write iChat for iOS now that we have a front camera. It should be easy since it's just over the internet I think!

 

[palmerc2]

Since it's open,
I am sure Skype, Beejive, Yahoo, or anyone else will make it available so you can talk to anyone on iChat/AIM, MSN and Yahoo

 

[Small White Car]

Since it's open,
I am sure Skype, Beejive, Yahoo, or anyone else will make it available so you can talk to anyone on iChat/AIM, MSN and Yahoo

Yeah. Someone will do it.

If the current services that exist now don't add it then I expect to see some new one pop up that does.

iPhone to Mac to Windows video chatting will happen this year, it's just a question of who's interested in doing it.

 

[skyehill]

As it is now, it's a useless feature. I love watching the fanboys defend it though. If any other cellphone maker did something this idiotic, they'd rip them. What makes Facetime all the more hilarious are the idiotic videos on Apples site of developers marveling about how it's gonna change the world.

 

[Nykwil]

steve jobs said they're going to ship 10s of million of devices that are capable of facetime. Now, one can take that and assume it means iPhone 4s. But if that were the case, why not say that. I'm pretty certain we're going to see facetime popping up in ichat, or the new appleTV, etc etc. It's too nice of a standard to leave on just the iPhone 4

 

[jcharm]

If they come out with an App that turns everybody's fat ugly mug into something thin and beautiful, it will be a huge hit.

All joking aside, there's your App idea folks - a live facetime avatar generating App

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I can picture it now, the next Apple TV or Mac mini placed as a home theater device with an iSight camera...

 

[Small White Car]

I love watching the fanboys defend it though.

Who's "defending it?"

Was it the guy who said they've had it in the UK for years? Or was it the one who said that video chatting's been around awhile and Apple's not "claiming rights to it"?

I think you're just imagining things.

 

[Mystikal]

Not until we complain enough then we get it in iPhone 5.