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News tagged ‘video calling’
Skype and Google May Be Interested in FaceTime
As you remember, this Monday Apple unveiled iPhone 4 and its new feature, which allows Wi-Fi video chatting via iPhone's cameras. It's called FaceTime and the company is going to make it an open industry standard to allow communicating with other devices and services.
This news made major online chat providers like Skype and Google to express interest in the new technology, but at the moment they decided to take wait-and-see strategy.
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Apple official FaceTime promo video
Here's an official video from Apple's youtube channel:
People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality. With the tap of a button, you can wave hello to your kids, share a smile from across the globe, or watch your best friend laugh at your stories — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. No other phone makes staying in touch this much fun.
iPhone 4 vs HTC EVO 4G, Nokia N8, Palm Pre Plus and HTC HD2
We know how the new iPhone 4 compares to the iPhone 3GS. Now it is time to size it against its fiercest competitors from all the major platforms. Take a look at the results against the HTC EVO 4G, Nokia N8, Palm Pre Plus and HTC HD2:
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iPhone 4 vs iPhone 3GS spec comparison
Thanks to Engadget we now have a spec comparison between the iPhone 4 and the older model iPhone 3GS.
iPhone 4 |
iPhone 3GS |
| Price (on contract) | $199 16GB, $299 32GB | $99 8GB |
| Processor | Apple A4 | 600MHz, Cortex-A8 architecture |
| Display | 3.5-inch IPS 960x640 | 3.5-inch 480x320, no IPS |
| Primary camera | 5 megapixel AF with flash | 3 megapixel AF |
| Secondary camera | VGA | No |
| Video recording | 720p at 30fps, optional iMovie | VGA at 30fps, basic editing capabilities built-in |
| Cellular | UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) | UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g |
| Orientation sensing | Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope | Accelerometer, compass |
| FaceTime video calling | Yes | No |
| SIM standard | Micro SIM | SIM |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours talk time on 3G, 12 hours on 2G
Up to 6 hours data on 3G Up to 10 hours data on WiFi Up to 40 hours audio Up to 10 hours video |
Up to 5 hours talk time / data on 3G, 12 hours on 2G
Up to 5 hours data on 3G Up to 9 hours data on WiFi Up to 30 hours audio Up to 10 hours video |
| Weight | 137 grams / 4.8 oz. | 135 grams / 4.76 oz. |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm |
O2 Offers Video Calling On iPhone
O2 plans to offer video calls on iPhone, as new generation iPhones will feature a camera for video calling and chatting. And what is more, making a video call will cost the same as traditional voice-only call.
Recent discoveries suggest that the iPad OS (iPhone OS 3.2) also offers the possibility to decline and accept video conferences and maintain video calls.
New iPhones and iPads will have a Video Chat Capability
These icons on the picture below were found by 9to5Mac in the 3.2 SDK. They seem to be a definitive evidence of video calling capability in future generations of Apple devices.
Searching for more evidence the source explored the code and also found a more direct mention of video chat in the telephony UI code:
And here is a reference to something called iChat:
So it is almost obvious Apple will bring video calling to their devices. But what will happen with 3G networks if millions of new iPhone users will start to make videocalls instead of common calls?
Fring for iPhone Gets Updated With Video Calls
Fring has added video calling support to the iPhone and iPod touch via Skype. This is a huge step further. iPhone became a videophone!
It works on Fring to Fring, and Skype to Fring. Unfortunately, it's not bi-directional. You would be able to see whoever is calling you from a desktop, but you won't be able to transmit your image. The reason is because the iPhone doesn't have a front camera, so you can't do face to face. The application will support two-way video calling if the iPhone and iPod touch gain front-facing cameras in the future. The company already supports two-way video calling on several Nokia phones with such cameras.
A promotional video highlighting the new video functionality has also been released:
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