FaceTime VS traditional mobile videocall: why apple acted so naive?

[lorenwade]

Apple may have implicated this is a new technology, which it's not. I'll give you that.

Did Apple act naively? No.

I don't think people realize how many people use iPhones.

This technology on a major platform like the iPhone is what makes it such a big deal. It is now widely available... even easier than it was before. That's why they made it a big deal. It is now a mainstream feature.

 

[marksman]

this is why england and europea lead the world in cutting edge technology.

They are streets ahead the rest of us when it comes to electronics, computers and technology.

 

[jason221]

I hope there will be iChat integration at some point so that you can at least use FaceTime with people that are on their Macs.

 

[diabolic]

I don't think people realize how many people use iPhones.

This technology on a major platform like the iPhone is what makes it such a big deal. It is now widely available... even easier than it was before. That's why they made it a big deal. It is now a mainstream feature.

Something like the Evo can't come close to making the feature mainstream the way the iPhone can. Apple will easily sell more iPhone 4s in the first hour than HTC will sell Evos this entire year.

 

[firewood]

Well, not to provide apple haters/competitors an attackable claim?

Apple haters/competitors are not Apple's target market.

On the other hand, with Apple's target market, these attackable claims seem to be great at getting them to buy even more Apple stuff. Apple understands how to focus their marketing message.

 

[Logicality]

I for one, being from the UK, found the whole FaceTime thing a bit embarrassing. I see the positives of the implementation, but at the end of the day you're just plonking video conferencing on something which is already, after all, a "Breakthrough Internet Device", with Apple's usual finesse. It's new, but it's hardly innovative, and certainly not a "dream come true"!

It's this kind of marketing Apple likes to indulge with which fuels the anti-Apple attitude so-called haters nurture. For example, Jonny Ives saying the iPad is "magical" because it "defies one's understanding of how a thing can work" is just cringe worthy. Come on Jonny, you designed the damn thing. It's just a big iPhone!

 

[MikhailT]

The technology isn't new, Apple didn't say that, what they were suggesting was that FaceTime as the whole open standard itself is new.

The thing about Apple is that while they don't technically innovate in terms of hardware often, they are innovative at is in terms of combining all previous technologies into one smooth operation. Just like iPhone wasn't have any specific innovations on its own, it is an innovation in itself as a whole (both hardware and software).

It's the same thing with Retina Display, they are combing multiple state of the art technologies into one innovation in itself.

Remember innovation does not mean original from the bottom up, it can also start from other technologies. A change in a implementation is enough to be considered an innovation.

 

[gianly1985]

Apple may have implicated this is a new technology, which it's not. I'll give you that.

"May"....
They all (Jobs and Ive on stage, and Joswiak/Forstall in the "This changes everything. Again." video) "overreacted"....you cannot do a Jetsons/Star Trek reference about something that's available in UK and Australia since 2004....
From the "changes everything" video: Joswiak (amazed giggling) - "I can't believe this is real, this is actually happening"....c'mon....

I don't think people realize how many people use iPhones.

This technology on a major platform like the iPhone is what makes it such a big deal. It is now widely available... even easier than it was before. That's why they made it a big deal. It is now a mainstream feature.

Totally agree. I explained why in the first post.

Apple haters/competitors are not Apple's target market.

On the other hand, with Apple's target market, these attackable claims seem to be great at getting them to buy even more Apple stuff. Apple understands how to focus their marketing message.

Totally disagree.

I said the claim is attackable, not the stuff and the tech.

People buy apple stuff because behind those claims there's some really good stuff. This is the first decent+easy way of videocalling and it's happening on a major platform. And it's open.

You are naive if you think that "claims" are ENOUGH to make people buy your stuff. Everybody make claims, even more attackable (if compared to the real product) than this. I wish other companies made a lot of claims but then also DELIVERED stuff as good as Apple stuff.

The technology isn't new, Apple didn't say that,

People, they did a staged overreaction.

what they were suggesting was that FaceTime as the whole open standard itself is new.

The thing about Apple is that while they don't technically innovate in terms of hardware often, they are innovative at is in terms of combining all previous technologies into one smooth operation. Just like iPhone wasn't have any specific innovations on its own, it is an innovation in itself as a whole (both hardware and software).

It's the same thing with Retina Display, they are combing multiple state of the art technologies into one innovation in itself.

Remember innovation does not mean original from the bottom up, it can also start from other technologies. A change in a implementation is enough to be considered an innovation.

Why do people keep missing the point of this thread.

I TOTALLY agree with what you just explained.

I'm not one of those superficial haters that don't understand the "innovation in EXECUTION" concept....

 

[MikhailT]

People, they did a staged overreaction.



Why do people keep missing the point of this thread.

I TOTALLY agree with what you just explained.

I'm not one of those superficial haters that don't understand the "innovation in EXECUTION" concept....

I was really talking to all people in this thread, not just you. There was some people who used the word innovation and who think Apple wasn't doing anything innovative, that's what i was targeting for. That's why I didn't quote you at all.

Yes, they got overdramatic with their stuff, that's what they do.

 

[afireintonto]

Just so every one knows, I had an iChat over AT&T 3G last night(mywi), and it worked really really well. Not as clear as wifi - but it was not laggy at all!
I for one cannot wait to put 3G unristrictor on and use this thing!

 

[lorenwade]

"May"....
They all (Jobs and Ive on stage, and Joswiak/Forstall in the "This changes everything. Again." video) "overreacted"....you cannot do a Jetsons/Star Trek reference about something that's available in UK and Australia since 2004....
From the "changes everything" video: Joswiak (amazed giggling) - "I can't believe this is real, this is actually happening"....c'mon....

Totally agree. I explained why in the first post.

Yes, they may have over-reacted, but that's Apple culture. I'm not discounting it with that as the excuse. It is what it is.

I still think if I were in their position I would have responded the same way. They're excited it's on the iPhone. I would be - I am - excited too. They didn't say that it was some new incredible technology.

I agree the Jetsons/Star Trek reference is pushing it... but the fact still remains that it's on a major platform now. It is now mainstream. It wasn't before.

That's the difference.

 

[Branskins]

Does anyone consider that *maybe* everyone at Apple is *very* excited for FaceTime? They have gotten to play around with it and maybe it is *really* good!

Their overreaction might seem goofy now, but when we got our hands on it, maybe we will just smile along with them?

I think there needs to be some perspective here. Maybe they are really excited about it because the execution is flawless! What do I know? I haven't played around with it yet! But if they are actually really excited for the work they have put into it (the camera integration like flipping from front to back, work on making it an open standard, etc...), then I think it is great for them to actually fully believe in their product. Wouldn't it be kind of silly for them to roll this out and not be excited about it?

If Steve, Scott, and Jony all really believe in it, maybe there is something more to it. They have tested it, and maybe they have worked on more stuff that we will see later. It may have been marketing, but their reactions all seemed genuine to me. Maybe I am just a sucker, but I really think there is something more here. The combination of the the beauty of the hardware, the amazing OS, and now an open standard for video calling may have made them fall in love with it.

We can all sit back and say that video calling has been here for years, but have any of us experienced the power of the product as a whole? When we get it in our hands, it may just put a smile on our faces too.

EDIT:
Sorry about the overuse of *'s in my first sentence. Now that I read it again it is kind of annoying! I won't edit them out because I feel bad about possibly changing the context of my post!

 

[grahamnp]

Apple active naive because the bulk of iphone customers (and they are not represented on this forum) are naive so it makes perfect sense for them. It annoys me but everyone here seems to know better anyway so no harm done really.

 

[geko29]

Almost all 3G capable phones have had front facing cameras since they first launched.

That may be the case in the UK, but the post you were responding to was specific to the US market. Even phones that had front-facing cameras in other markets lacked them here. Like my previous RAZR V3xx, which still had the smoked panel inside the hinge where the camera would have been, but in my case it simply covered empty space.

Like others have said, the Evo is the first phone launched in the US with a dedicated FF camera. There have been a couple with rotating primary cameras, but none with a second unit.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

I think there needs to be some perspective here. Maybe they are really excited about it because the execution is flawless!

3G video calls have always been flawless. Just press the video call button instead of audio call. FaceTime is also a propriety, iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 protocol, 3G calls are standardised for anyone to use.

 

[StuddedLeather]

Alot of people missed the whole point of "Facetime" (I still hate that name)

I'm not going into any argument but It's a feature/service that America never had, So being that Apple Is an American company it's expected to act as if it's innovation because in a way it is, for us.

Furthermore overseas members. . . how many phones did you guys have that was just as easy as this? You get on wifi and then you're video chatting. With no carrier overages/unlimited chatting - - - It's just a question and I'd like to SEE facts. Thanks if you can help.

 

[drjsway]

Tablet have existed for years too and no one bought them until the iPad.

Will Apple do the same for video calling? I think most people will only use it occasionally for these reasons:

- can't multitask. Who just sits on the couch and has a long phone conversation? When people talk on the phone, they are usually driving, walking somewhere, on the computer, cooking, etc.

- can't look like crap. Nobody wants to check their hair every time they get a call.

- can't lie. You can't say you're ten minutes away when you're still getting dressed rushing out the door.

But the biggest reason is that most of the time, there is just no reason to the see the other person. If I'm talking to my buddy, I get no more information staring at their face that I wouldn't get with just voice.

So when is FaceTime useful? When you're in a long distance relationship or away from your family. In those cases, you are probably at home or in a hotel where you have Wi-Fi (and access to a laptop for that matter.)

 

[gianly1985]

3G video calls have always been flawless. Just press the video call button instead of audio call. FaceTime is also a propriety, iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 protocol, 3G calls are standardised for anyone to use.

1) 3G traditional videocalls have always been AWFUL (as far as I'm concerned) and pricey.

2) 3G videocalls are not "global" because international calls cost like Unobtanium. Funny because the more far apart 2 people are, the more they may need to see each other. Being data-based (free WIFI or already_paid_for 3G data plan) and not carrier based sounds like a good thing.

3) FaceTime will be an open industry standard, itself built upon a couple of pre-existing industry standards. Maybe it won't catch on, maybe it will. Like webkit was made open in WWDC 2005 and now you find it in almost every smartphone (nokia, palm, android, iphones...).

 

[gnasher729]

They all (Jobs and Ive on stage, and Joswiak/Forstall in the "This changes everything. Again." video) "overreacted"....you cannot do a Jetsons/Star Trek reference about something that's available in UK and Australia since 2004....
From the "changes everything" video: Joswiak (amazed giggling) - "I can't believe this is real, this is actually happening"....c'mon....

If video calls were available in the UK since 2004, how come I've never seen anyone doing a video call? Shall we bet that there will be more video calls from now to the end of 2010 than from 2004 to now?

 

[gianly1985]

If video calls were available in the UK since 2004, how come I've never seen anyone doing a video call? Shall we bet that there will be more video calls from now to the end of 2010 than from 2004 to now?

I agree with you. Like more apps were sold in 2 years of AppStore than in 15 years of smartphone history.

I'm just saying that the "I can't believe this is real, this is actually happening, this is SCI-FI, the Jetsons, Star Trek" attitude was a bit too much....but I understand that maybe they're are thrilled about it going mainstream and with a decent quality....

 

[Dazr6]

Good grief it's been in Australia for years on the 3 Network and anyone that i've known to have brought a phone that could do it used it maybe 4 or 5 times and then they when back to regular phone calls or SMS because it was too expensive. Most people SMS these days, even phone calls are becoming rare so video calls though it's nice to have will never be big anywhere.

When Steve announced this I thought big deal we seen it all before!!

 

[fabianjj]

only problem i see with the Facetime App, besides working on WIFI only right now, is that if the other person doesnt have an iPhone 4 facetime is worthless as you couldnt use it. sure they are submitting it for use as an open standard but until other phone makers/designers incorparate into their phones it will only work iPhone 4 to iPhone 4

the way to get past the wifi only restriction is to download the app Knocking which is in the app store and allows to make video calls now.

That is a huge donwside with facetimem because for a long while, having the person you're calling having an iPhone 4 and wifi is a pretty slim chance, as opposed to the 3G standard video calls where you hardly need more than a 3g phone and 3G coverage.

But since Apple is really pushing this, maybe it will catch on this time around, and since they're making the standard open other manufacurers might not be that slow incorporating that standard as most of them usually does when apple introduces new hardware

 

[Branskins]

....but I understand that maybe they're are thrilled about it going mainstream and with a decent quality....

This is my understanding! They may have been working on this for 18+ months and they may just love it a lot. They are probably really excited to show us, hence what some may call an overreaction. But I am still willing to bet that when most of us try it for the first time and experience the front-back camera switch and the experience as a whole, we will get a smile on our face!

Also, making this work on WiFi will make this a quality service. I really can't imagine doing this over the 3G network, especially with the 5 MP camera without it hiccuping and not being very smooth

That is a huge donwside with facetimem because for a long while, having the person you're calling having an iPhone 4 and wifi is a pretty slim chance

I don't know about this. I can almost always find a wifi connection wherever I am. School, home, etc... My city just put in universal wifi too. And then we have access to the ATT hotspots all over, so I don't think this will be that big of an issue. Eventually FaceTime should go to 3G, but I think for right now WiFi only seems like the best way to push this service as a standard