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iPhone video chat. Anyone think AT&T will charge for data?

zub3qin

zub3qin

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 10, 2007
1,315
4
iPhone videochat will be a way of making calls (albeit including video) outside of using minutes on the AT&T network.

AT&T has been pretty fixated on preventing VOIP on 3G using (ie Skype or Fring)

How will AT&T allow this to occur?

My hunch is AT&T is going to start charging for data like with the iPad.
New iPhone contracts on AT&T will be for a limited amount of data, and they will upcharge for unlimited data. OR AT&T will not allow iPhone videochatting outside of Wifi.

Any thoughts?
 
video chat prob will use data plus mins in order to lower data consumption add more features like stopping vid but not call or while in a call start vid ect ect.
 
What do you think the extra $30 on your plan is? You're already getting charged for "unlimited data." The iPad plan goes downward and gives you the $15 option for 250MB. AT&T isn't going to worry about videoconferencing because there are about 15 people who think it will be neat and they all post here.

The YouTube app will draw more traffic volume in one hour than videoconferencing will in a week.
 
KingHuds said:
Hasnt skype been allowed on 3G for a while now?
Click to expand...

Apple and ATT have allowed VOiP over 3G for awhile now, but Skype have been too much of ******s too enable VOiP over 3G. They kept saying, it's coming soon, its coming soon, but soon was months and months and months ago. We haven't gotten push notifications. Maybe they will get the idea and the new version for OS 4.0 will include those features. (Though during their demo at the OS 4.0 conference, they had a guy call the iPhone and the wifi was on, while every other presenter just had 3G on.

And ATT better not charge us extra for video calls. Should be included with minutes and the current data.
 
Wasn't there something found in the 4.0 software that shows video chat will likely be wifi only?
If so, the video will basically have nothing to do with AT&T, as it will be sent over a high speed internet connection, and the regular call will be over the cell network.

So no, I don't think AT&T will charge extra for video calling.
 
vizkiz said:
Wasn't there something found in the 4.0 software that shows video chat will likely be wifi only?
If so, the video will basically have nothing to do with AT&T, as it will be sent over a high speed internet connection, and the regular call will be over the cell network.

So no, I don't think AT&T will charge extra for video calling.
Click to expand...

they found something in 4.0 that said there was ichat on 3g
 
My assumption is that videochat will take place over data only and will be completely compatible with desktop iChat clients. If that is not the case and this is an implementation of GSM video calling, it will fail just like it has on every other phone. There is nothing revolutionary about paying by the minute for GSM video calling.

Still, I have no fear. Once the front-facing camera is present I expect dozens of third-party videochat apps, including from Google. And if Apple blocks them from the Store there's always Cydia.
 
I sure hope we don't get charged anything extra, that would really suck. I also agree with the wifi only to start with because it just seems to make more sense to use wifi over data
 
I think it may be safe to say that it could be wifi only at first until AT&T can prove that their network can handle the sudden onrush of data.
 
A friend of mine brought this up today - whether AT&T would charge a monthly fee like 9.99 in order to use video conferencing.

In my opinion, they would be unwise to do such a thing, because most of us would see it as trivial and not invest in it. It will be interesting. iPhone OS 4 allows Skype to actually become a useful app, so more strain will be put on the 3G network than ever before.
 
Hey if it's only wifi can't you just jailbreak it and use it over 3g? I think that would work if they only make it wifi.
 
I personally dont think they will charge extra for it. they are already trying to keep their exclusive contract. that is why your upgrade dates have changed. so they can sell tons of iPhones to extend the agreement.
 
extra charge?? Whats the $30 data plan for then?? lol Im sure it will be over 3g, but like the YouTube app, the video quality will suck on 3g compared to wifi
 
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