FaceTime on 3G

[No More Windows]

I apologise in advance if someone has already posted this, but I've heard a few rumblings in the community about the Posibility that iOS 5 may include native FaceTime video calls over 3G as well as WiFi. Nice if it happens, but in the mean time I think my 7 year old son may have discovered a way to do it now without a Jailbreak or any other mods.

Now today a mate and I took our kids fishing and we brought the iPad with us so I could sit down and read the newspaper "App" whilst we were there. I had the Personal Hotspot turned on the iPhone, sharing the 3G connection for a little iPad browsing, when my son started playing a game on it. The next thing I hear is my wife's voice and I can see is my her face on the iPad, and my son is having a conversation with her via FaceTime!!

I thought it was WiFi only, so I haven't ever tried it before this, but I'm glad to confirm that it really does work. I can also confirm that it works on an iPod Touch and an iPhone as well, sharing a second iPhone's 3G data via Personal Hotspot. I guess it tricks the device into thinking it has a WiFi internet connection as the tether is via WiFi.

As far as I can tell, this only works via Hotspot with a WiFi tether but not with a Bluetooth tether.

 

[miles01110]

I don't see what is surprising about this. Personal Hotspot transmits a WiFi signal which is then re-transmitted to the world via 3G. The iPad sees a WiFi network, which means FaceTime works.

If you didn't have the iPhone/Personal Hotspot, it wouldn't work.

 

[RodThePlod]

I don't see what is surprising about this. Personal Hotspot transmits a WiFi signal which is then re-transmitted to the world via 3G. The iPad sees a WiFi network, which means FaceTime works.

If you didn't have the iPhone/Personal Hotspot, it wouldn't work.

Yup I've seen FaceTime work via a personal hotspot like this on many occasions. Nothing to see here, move along now...

RTP.

 

[apollo1444]

it worked because you used PH but yes it will most likely be a full on feature on iOS 5. full support over 3G

 

[wrinkster22]

I apologise in advance if someone has already posted this, but I've heard a few rumblings in the community about the Posibility that iOS 5 may include native FaceTime video calls over 3G as well as WiFi. Nice if it happens, but in the mean time I think my 7 year old son may have discovered a way to do it now without a Jailbreak or any other mods.

Now today a mate and I took our kids fishing and we brought the iPad with us so I could sit down and read the newspaper "App" whilst we were there. I had the Personal Hotspot turned on the iPhone, sharing the 3G connection for a little iPad browsing, when my son started playing a game on it. The next thing I hear is my wife's voice and I can see is my her face on the iPad, and my son is having a conversation with her via FaceTime!!

I thought it was WiFi only, so I haven't ever tried it before this, but I'm glad to confirm that it really does work. I can also confirm that it works on an iPod Touch and an iPhone as well, sharing a second iPhone's 3G data via Personal Hotspot. I guess it tricks the device into thinking it has a WiFi internet connection as the tether is via WiFi.

As far as I can tell, this only works via Hotspot with a WiFi tether but not with a Bluetooth tether.

hi, No offense but quite a few people know that feature. Either your 7 year old is very smart or he did not know facetime required WI-FI. another way to do it is an app called fring.

 

[No More Windows]

The whole point was that I didn't know about this little trick... I even apologized in advance if someone had already posted it!! Now maybe we're a little slow out here in Sydney Australia, but everything I'd heard about FaceTime up to this point had led me to believe that it was strictly WiFi only so I never really bothered to explore it. I kind of stumbled on to it by mistake, albeit via my son, and chose to share it. No big deal, just a post...

 

[miles01110]

The whole point was that I didn't know about this little trick... I even apologized in advance if someone had already posted it!! Now maybe we're a little slow out here in Sydney Australia, but everything I'd heard about FaceTime up to this point had led me to believe that it was strictly WiFi only so I never really bothered to explore it. I kind of stumbled on to it by mistake, albeit via my son, and chose to share it. No big deal, just a post...

...the whole point is that it is strictly WiFi. As I explained, the iPad sees the Personal Hotspot for what it is... a wifi network. It doesn't care about how the data gets from the phone to the cell tower to the internet.

 

[wrinkster22]

The whole point was that I didn't know about this little trick... I even apologized in advance if someone had already posted it!! Now maybe we're a little slow out here in Sydney Australia, but everything I'd heard about FaceTime up to this point had led me to believe that it was strictly WiFi only so I never really bothered to explore it. I kind of stumbled on to it by mistake, albeit via my son, and chose to share it. No big deal, just a post...

lmao this got interesting maybe your son will be the next ceo of apple.... or an ios 20 jailbreaker

 

[Kyotoma]

I haven't seen any evidence of FaceTime over 3G in any of the Betas so far. Not sure that it would be implemented since it's most likely a Carrier decision rather than Apple's. Keep in mind this would utterly destroy a 2GB data capped contract if you used it often.

 

[ABCDEFGHIJKLMAO]

I personally dont think Apple will going to have Facetime work on 3G, because it will only take up data usage, and the quality is not going to be clear enough to use the feature. if the 4G or LTE whatever fast service is going to be on next iPhone, then i really hope Apple will allow us to use facetime without WIFI.

 

[No More Windows]

lmao this got interesting maybe your son will be the next ceo of apple.... or an ios 20 jailbreaker

LOL, the bigger problem is my youngest son (3YO) constantly messing with my icons and folders!! I can't remember where I read it, possibly Engadget, there was a story about a developer finding a few references to Facetime over 3G in the iOS 5 SDK.

As for the 2Gb fixed data plan being destroyed by Facetime, think about me... I'm currently on a $300.00 phone call / 300Mb data plan with Optus here in Sydney, and I usually use under 100Mb per month. The positive side to this plan is that I only pay $44.00 per month, including the iPhone 4 payments over 24 months.

I've had only had 2 short Facetime calls (Less than 5 minutes each) over 3G and I'm currently at 265Mb with just under 2 weeks to go!! Facetime must be a hell of a data-sucker because compared to Skype video, my wife spoke for nearly an hour over 3G and only used about 70Mb of data. Time for me to turn off 3G before they rheem me with excess data charges!!

I'll definately be looking at upgrading to a larger data plan if they do include 3G Facetime in iOS 5. I'm pretty sure the carrier already supports it because I can use Skype video calls over 3G, although I could be mistaken, it may use a different protocol??

 

[No More Windows]

...the whole point is that it is strictly WiFi. As I explained, the iPad sees the Personal Hotspot for what it is... a wifi network. It doesn't care about how the data gets from the phone to the cell tower to the internet.

Yeah, yeah, I get that, thanks, I just thought it would care how the data got from the phone to the cell tower that's all. No big deal, just glad I can make Facetime calls out in the wilderness without looking for a WiFi hotspot.

Hey, what sort of money are you U.S. and Canadian based guys paying for your iPhone 4 contracts?? Here in Australia I think I'm on probably the lowest available cost plan available at $44.00 p/m total with $300.00 of calls and 300Mb 3G data. It's actually only $39.00 p/m with a $5.00 p/m phone repayment over 24 months. When you move up to $700.00 calls + 2Gb 3G data it's on average around $60.00 - $80.00 p/m depending on the carrier, and the unlimited calls and data plans start at around $90.00 p/m

I did see an 8Gb iPhone 3GS plan on Vodaphone recently for $29.00 p/m over 24 months, but it only had $180.00 calls + 200Mb 3G data. I guess that's a really cheap way to get into an iPhone, but with iPhone 5 just around the corner I doubt that many people would lock in for 24 months tied to a 3GS!!

We seem to have every carrier here in Australia selling iPhones... what's the story in the U.S. with AT&T and Verizon?? Isn't there some sort of iPhone exclusive deal there?? ...are they the same company?? All I've read in the forums seem to be people complaining about AT&T and this Verizon thing being an exclusive thing.

Please explain...