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FaceTime for iPad and iPod Touch to Be Linked to Email Addresses?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,557
30,887



095925-facetime_email_address_1.jpg


Boy Genius Report claims to have received information from the new iOS 4.1 beta partially revealing how FaceTime might work with future front camera-enabled iPad and iPod touch devices. While those devices have been presumed to gain FaceTime functionality in future hardware revisions as Apple seeks to expand the network of people able to participate in video calls using its standard, the question of how those device lacking phone numbers associated with them would be identified has remained unanswered.
It's actually pretty simple... Your Apple ID will be registered with your device/s, and that will allow other Apple devices to start a FaceTime call using your email address. Apple will also reportedly make use of push notifications to deliver these incoming FaceTime connection requests as we have been informed there is a push notification detector tied into the FaceTime frameworks in the new iPhone OS 4.1 beta.
Click to expand...
While BGR claims that an Apple ID would be linked to the user's devices, screenshots accompanying the article suggest that merely an email address might be required, suggesting broader functionality.


095925-facetime_email_address_2.jpg


The report also does not address how a user with multiple FaceTime-compatible devices such as a future iPad and iPod touch setup would be required to configure their settings. Could a single email address be linked to both devices? If so, how would callers specify which device to call? If not, users would have to have multiple email addresses and share each of them with their friends and family in order to receive calls on their various devices, a process that would seem rather complex given Apple's penchant for streamlining the user experience.

Article Link: FaceTime for iPad and iPod Touch to Be Linked to Email Addresses?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/15/facetime-for-ipad-and-ipod-touch-to-be-linked-to-email-addresses/
bacaramac

bacaramac

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2007
1,424
100
Just hope they don't update the iPad until next year. I want to feel like I am getting my monies worth before I upgrade. :D
 
UltimateSyn

UltimateSyn

macrumors 601
Mar 3, 2008
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bacaramac said:
Just hope they don't update the iPad until next year. I want to feel like I am getting my monies worth before I upgrade. :D
Click to expand...

Same! Especially since I shelled out $699 for the 64GB.. I'd feel REALLY terrible for all of the people who bought 64GB 3G iPads if it was updated this year with a front-facing camera! :D
 
Peel

Peel

macrumors 6502a
Aug 30, 2004
579
89
Seattle
MacRumors said:
Could a single email address be linked to both devices? If so, how would callers specify which device to call? If not, users would have to have multiple email addresses and share each of them with their friends and family in order to receive calls on their various devices, a process that would seem rather complex given Apple's penchant for streamlining the user experience.
Click to expand...

A simple solution to this would be for the push service to send a notification to all devices that use the same email address. The one that accepts the call would then be connected, and the potential to connect from the other devices would then terminate.
 
N

nadador

macrumors member
Apr 23, 2009
37
34
Why not integrate with iChat on MacOS?

It seems to be screaming out for compatibility with iChat... anyone think that's a possibility in the near future? As cool as it is, FaceTime by itself seems to have been overplayed by Apple since it only works iPhone4-to-iPhone4.
 
Peel

Peel

macrumors 6502a
Aug 30, 2004
579
89
Seattle
talkingfuture said:
I wonder if they will eventually release a Mac version so you can use the built in iSight to talk to your friend on their iPhone. That would be a cool development.
Click to expand...

I forsee Apple rebranding iChat as FaceTime for Mac with the next release of OS X
 
J

jiwa

macrumors newbie
Feb 15, 2007
19
0
London, UK
How will it work?

This'll work in exactly the same way it works now - using SIP and STUN. Although it currently uses the mobile number as the unique identifier, it doesn't actually use the phone network.

I'm assuming there's some sort of Facetime agent/daemon running on the iPhone, and when establishing a connection to a wifi network, uses STUN to establish the external IP address of the router it is connected to, then registers the information along with the email address (or mobile number) to a SIP proxy somewhere, and also uses this unique id, and IP/port information in SIP requests, to allow the remote device to connect.
It will simply register on the SIP proxy with the user's email address being the unique identifier.
 
N

no-direction

macrumors member
Jan 11, 2007
56
0
Stevenage, England
nadador said:
It seems to be screaming out for compatibility with iChat... anyone think that's a possibility in the near future? As cool as it is, FaceTime by itself seems to have been overplayed by Apple since it only works iPhone4-to-iPhone4.
Click to expand...

I was going to say the exact same thing, this seems to be made for iChat. Does anyone see Apple going even further and completely reconfiguring and re-naming iChat into Facetime for Mac?
 
W

wesrk

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2007
660
1
wow, here's to hoping this actually happens! FaceTime on the next ipod and ipad (with front facing camera) would be too awesome to pass by.
 
M

macus3r

macrumors regular
Aug 30, 2005
107
28
AceFernalld said:
Same! Especially since I shelled out $699 for the 64GB.. I'd feel REALLY terrible for all of the people who bought 64GB 3G iPads if it was updated this year with a front-facing camera! :D
Click to expand...

Honestly, I can't imagine Apple would release a brand new iPad in the same calendar year. It would make no sense at all, and most contract manufacturers and component suppliers would want to have at least a 1 year guarantee on a particular type of component/assembly method... too much change in 1 year would create a lot of havoc, especially with regard to supplier management.

What benefit would Apple see by releasing a revised iPad in FY10 when they can't even meet basic demand at the moment? We're only 5 months away from the end of the year, and sustaining a constant build out has already proven to be challenging for Apple and its contract manufacturer and component suppliers.

tl;dr -- too many pieces to an iPad, therefore too complex, no new iPad in 2010.
 
macduke

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,142
19,682
This is good news, as I was hoping this would come to iPod Touches next year. I'm going to buy a new Sandy Bridge MacBook Pro next summer and was wanting to get a free / discounted iPod Touch through their back to school program for my wife to replace my iPhone 1 that she uses as an iPod Touch now. It's so slow and doesn't have the latest OS. Plus it would be nice to be able to use FaceTime with her during breaks when I'm at night class and don't get to see her. She hates when I have night class. If only I could convince her to get an iPhone on the $15 data plan. She would need a crazy durable case though.
 
P

pdjudd

macrumors 601
Jun 19, 2007
4,037
65
Plymouth, MN
no-direction said:
I was going to say the exact same thing, this seems to be made for iChat. Does anyone see Apple going even further and completely reconfiguring and re-naming iChat into Facetime for Mac?
Click to expand...

I dunno, the problem with that idea is that it still shuts out Windows users... Unless they can convince the other providers to do that.
 
T

TruckdriverSean

macrumors 6502a
Feb 28, 2009
662
4
Texas, US
This could be useful in iPhone too

While I agree with the speculation that email-linked FaceTime will likely be used for the future iPod Touch/iPad and maybe an iChat rebranding, I think this could also be useful for making international FaceTime calls using the iPhone 4 (without having to place an international call first)

Sean
 
macduke

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,142
19,682
Peel said:
I forsee Apple rebranding iChat as FaceTime for Mac with the next release of OS X
Click to expand...

That makes sense for two reasons:

1.) Make FaceTime a premium feature. Not just anyone with a Mac can use it. You have to buy a special device. Some people are more likely to upgrade their device for it.

2.) Sell it as a feature on OS 10.7, more likely for people to purchase an upgrade, etc.

Bold prediction: The next version of OS X will be a dramatic change, and will no longer be called OS X. That's why we've heard little about it. It's overhauling time!
 
UltimateSyn

UltimateSyn

macrumors 601
Mar 3, 2008
4,812
8,837
Massachusetts
macus3r said:
Honestly, I can't imagine Apple would release a brand new iPad in the same calendar year. It would make no sense at all, and most contract manufacturers and component suppliers would want to have at least a 1 year guarantee on a particular type of component/assembly method... too much change in 1 year would create a lot of havoc, especially with regard to supplier management.

What benefit would Apple see by releasing a revised iPad in FY10 when they can't even meet basic demand at the moment? We're only 5 months away from the end of the year, and sustaining a constant build out has already proven to be challenging for Apple and its contract manufacturer and component suppliers.

tl;dr -- too many pieces to an iPad, therefore too complex, no new iPad in 2010.
Click to expand...
I completely agree! I was just saying if that did ever happen, which is HIGHLY unlikely, my iPad would quickly feel severely inadequate.
 
zombitronic

zombitronic

macrumors 65816
Feb 9, 2007
1,127
39
Peel said:
A simple solution to this would be for the push service to send a notification to all devices that use the same email address. The one that accepts the call would then be connected, and the potential to connect from the other devices would then terminate.
Click to expand...

This seems to be the only way.

This also raises the question of the possibility of 3-way FaceTime calls...
 
D

darrenbeige

macrumors regular
Jun 21, 2010
168
0
You know the 40 billion dollars Apple has? What if they went and gave Skype half a billion of it in exchange for two-way integration with FaceTime on Skype?

That would make it more relevant.
 
N

no-direction

macrumors member
Jan 11, 2007
56
0
Stevenage, England
jiwa said:
I'll definitely put money on Facetime being incorporated into iChat, Skype, etc
Click to expand...

darrenbeige said:
You know the 40 billion dollars Apple has? What if they went and gave Skype half a billion of it in exchange for two-way integration with FaceTime on Skype?
Click to expand...

Have Apple released the relevant APIs to allow this to happen? If so, then I see no reason why other IM/Chat applications won't incorporate FaceTime.

I disagree with the notion that Apple may pay Skype to do it though; given Apple's desire to have control over all aspects of the user-experience I'd see it far more likely that we end up with an iChat/Facetime for Mac and an Apple-made Facetime for Windows application. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that they'd develop such a program for Windows... in fact, I believe there was even a rumour of this 1-2 years back...
 
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