Apple Removes Group FaceTime From iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Says It'll Launch Later This Year

[JPack]

I’m not sure why group FaceTime in every situation need to have a whiteboard or drawing. Perhaps it’s brainstorming or discussing details. Someone else above just gave the example of having 30+ employees on a conference call, clearly this would be an advantage in that area. I think you’re going to find out every company will vary differently in using Group FaceTime. It Doesn’t have to be a ‘serious tool’ to not be able to take advantage of something as an available feature if needed.

It's extremely rare to hold a group meeting without presenting anything or discussing a central idea.

Even with brainstorming, someone has to record the ideas for everyone to see and review. You can't have 32 people jotting their own notes of what they think they heard on the call.

Group FaceTime has no advantages over Skype, except that it's available on nearly every iOS device.

 

[coolfactor]

Is this really that difficult of a feature for Apple to incorporate?

I bet they've been sued by someone with a questionable patent, and need to resolve that first.

 

[movielad]

LOL, this was one of the largest features they launched at WWDC?

What is going on at Apple?

As a UK user, I'm still waiting for Apple Cash to be released. Man, it took them ages to get Apple TV out the door for us.

 

[fairuz]

I bet 2020, I would kill for a phone app on macOS that is integrated with iOS. Facetime on macOS is terrible at handling calls.

Yeah, the audio ducking and stealing of focus for an incoming call is really annoying, especially when I'm getting spam calls all day. Even worse if you happen to be playing a competitive video game and get tabbed out.

 

[n-evo]

So let me get this straight:

Apple Releases Feature X with Bugs in it. Haters are out with torches and pitchforks.

Apple Pulls Feature X from Beta, says it's not ready for Prime-Time yet. Haters are out with torches and pitchforks.

Is that about it?

Or how about Apple stop announcing stuff if they’re unable to deliver? It kinda happens a lot lately. I agree though that it’s better to withhold a feature than releasing it prematurely.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Or how about Apple stop announcing stuff if they’re unable to deliver? It kinda happens a lot lately. I agree though that it’s better to withhold a feature than releasing it prematurely.

Howabout you can never beat actual field-testing?

That's one of the reasons for these Betas: To get some "real-world experience" before releasing a NEW feature to a BILLION iOS Users.

 

[developer13245]

iOS GM releases are just betas anyway. Go ahead, brick your phone!

 

[44267547]

It's extremely rare to hold a group meeting without presenting anything or discussing a central idea.

Even with brainstorming, someone has to record the ideas for everyone to see and review. You can't have 32 people jotting their own notes of what they think they heard on the call.

Group FaceTime has no advantages over Skype, except that it's available on nearly every iOS device

I’m not sure why you’re so overly dismissive of group FaceTime, it doesn’t have to be 32 people total, it could be in the midst of 20 to 30 people, and perhaps somebody is taking notes while others are discussing various ideas and concepts. If Apple didn’t believe this would not be useful, I’m not sure why they would implement something when clearly there is a demographic that would take advantage of something like this. You Said this would not be a ‘serious tool’, but clearly you’re missing that this could be very useful tool when needed.

As mentioned before, @Heineken already provided a direct example of how this will benefit for the company they work for with 30 employees.

 

[DocMultimedia]

Apple Dual Charging Pad vs. Group FaceTime. The ultimate struggle for the longest delay. Coming soon...soon...soon...(*)

(*) Maybe 2020

 

[NMBob]

How hard can it be? They are working with in-house technology. Have unlimited spending money for development.

A whole bunch of developers are using the World's Most Advanced Operating System to run the World's Most Advanced Development Tools to program the World's Most Advanced Operating System using, presumably, the world's most advanced groupthink development techniques and they all seem to have college educations. Things seemed to go better when they had a college dropout in charge pounding on the table driving them to invent things from scratch, or else. But that's none of my business. Maybe all of the developers are using Mac minis.

 

[MrGimper]

Is this really that difficult of a feature for Apple to incorporate?

Came to the thread just to read the comments from the raft of “elite enterprise software developers” claiming it can’t be that hard for Apple to implement this feature.

Wasn’t disappointed and didn’t have to wait long.

 

[brian3uk]

We will save you a spot for the iPhone launch next month.

So let me get this straight:

Apple Releases Feature X with Bugs in it. Haters are out with torches and pitchforks.

Apple Pulls Feature X from Beta, says it's not ready for Prime-Time yet. Haters are out with torches and pitchforks.

Is that about it?

Yep. I'm a torch and pitchfork fanboy now. Seriously though, this pattern of announce new thing coming soon, pull new thing just before launch, then release it much later is annoying. Some folks might be into that withheld release sorta thing, but I am not.

 

[AeroZ]

Is this going to be same story as it was with messages in the cloud? Was advertised to be launched with iOS11 but was actually released more than half a year later .

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Came to the thread just to read the comments from the raft of “elite enterprise software developers” claiming it can’t be that hard for Apple to implement this feature.

Wasn’t disappointed and didn’t have to wait long.

Exactly.

I've been an embedded Developer for over FORTY years, and you just NEVER know what is going to SOUND simple, but turn out to be a ROYAL PITA...

 

[dumastudetto]

This is why I love Apple
They only ship when products are fully baked and ready to delight.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Yep. I'm a torch and pitchfork fanboy now. Seriously though, this pattern of announce new thing coming soon, pull new thing just before launch, then release it much later is annoying. Some folks might be into that withheld release sorta thing, but I am not.

Then why don't you go to work for Apple and show 'em how it's done?

 

[69Mustang]

This is a great example of Group FaceTime. Because you have employees that are spread abroad and what not a better way to have them congregate over group FaceTime to conduct business versus a just a conference call. When group FaceTime does release, Apple will make sure it’s right and I would rather have them wait until it is fully ready.

I don't know many that would want a video call vs a standard conference call. Just about every conference call in the history of the world has multiple people logged in and on mute while 2 or 3 people actually contribute. Thomas Watson even had Alexander Graham Bell on mute and didn't respond to the first "Ahoy-hoy" because he was too busy Candy Crushin'* Most people I know tend to multitask while on conference calls. There are limited scenarios where multi-person video makes sense on a conference call. Most of the time it doesn't.

*proven fact - look it up.

 

[JPack]

I’m not sure why you’re so overly dismissive of group FaceTime, it doesn’t have to be 32 people total, it could be in the midst of 20 to 30 people, and perhaps somebody is taking notes while others are discussing various ideas and concepts. If Apple didn’t believe this would not be useful, I’m not sure why they would implement something when clearly there is a demographic that would take advantage of something like this. You Said this would not be a ‘serious tool’, but clearly you’re missing that this could be very useful tool when needed.

As mentioned before, @Heineken already provided a direct example of how this will benefit for the company they work for with 30 employees.

Group FaceTime is a useful tool where there are no alternatives. Given what Skype for Business can already do, FaceTime isn't a serious tool for business users.

Certainly, there are niche users in a business setting where no screen sharing, file sharing, or event recording is needed. But even in a brainstorming session, who's taking notes for everyone to see? Every meeting room designed in past century has a chalkboard, whiteboard, or an easel pad so that ideas can be recorded and not just heard.

@Heineken mentioned conference calls of 30 people. But does that mean Group FaceTime is a good tool for the company?

 

[s15119]

Excellent. Much better to keep working and perfect a feature than to release it early with bugs. Good on Apple.

 

[dog.cow]

I’ve given up with FaceTime (audio and video). Lost count of the amount of times I try to call my Mum only for it to either not connect (so I end up phoning her) or we are having a chat and suddenly the audio drops out.

The whole FaceTime concept is at best a beta.

 

[Heineken]

Group FaceTime is a useful tool where there are no alternatives. Given what Skype for Business can already do, FaceTime isn't a serious tool for business users.

Certainly, there are niche users in a business setting where no screen sharing, file sharing, or event recording is needed. But even in a brainstorming session, who's taking notes for everyone to see? Every meeting room designed in past century has a chalkboard, whiteboard, or an easel pad so that ideas can be recorded and not just heard.

@Heineken mentioned conference calls of 30 people. But does that mean Group FaceTime is a good tool for the company?

In my case the answer is yes, because i was in the engineering and seeing would have helped alot.

 

[drlunanerd]

Not seen anyone mention that Apple delivered group video conferencing back in 2004 with iChat AV 3. I was using it in Mac OS X Tiger. It supported 4 people, or 10 for audio conferencing.

I think they pulled the feature for FaceTime because of a patent dispute.

 

[BruceEBonus]

I’ve seen the Ingenius ads. I know it’s not fake news!

 

[kruegdude]

Why? This has become a pattern under Tim Cook of over-announcing and under-delivering.

Talk about patterns....

 

[JPack]

In my case the answer is yes, because i was in the engineering and seeing would have helped alot.

Seeing the faces of the call participants? Or the engineering details and the faces?