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Long distance facetime

bigjnyc

bigjnyc

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Original poster
Apr 10, 2008
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Don't know if this has been covered but... has anyone confirmed whether facetime uses AT&T cell minutes for voice and WI-FI for video or just WI-FI for both? It would be cool to use facetime when overseas on vacation or something with someone back home. But if the voice goes over AT&T networks then that would mean major charges.
 
bigjnyc said:
. But if the voice goes over AT&T networks then that would mean major charges.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, there's NOT A CHANCE that voice goes over ATT. Facetime, as said, is like an OPEN version of Skype, audio and video go through the internet. (via wifi)
We're just wondering if it is needed to START a phone call for the initial handshaking of the 2 phones.
 
gianly1985 said:
For what we have seen, you may be required to pay at least the first seconds of the call, which is still pricey from abroad.
Click to expand...

that makes sense, looks like it's initiated as a regular call and then the facetime option is selected. Maybe there will be an option for facetime when you click on a contact so the call will start that way.
 
bigjnyc said:
that makes sense, looks like it's initiated as a regular call and then the facetime option is selected. Maybe there will be an option for facetime when you click on a contact so the call will start that way.
Click to expand...

Yep.
Especially if the next iPod Touch (which cannot make phone calls) will be FaceTime capable.
 
bigjnyc said:
that makes sense, looks like it's initiated as a regular call and then the facetime option is selected. Maybe there will be an option for facetime when you click on a contact so the call will start that way.
Click to expand...

That's been confirmed by hands-on testing at WWDC event. You can initiate a Facetime call directly from the Contacts app. I'm not sure if that still requires some kind of phone call to handshake or not, but you can definitely activate a Facetime call from Contacts without calling them first then choosing to go Facetime.
 
As I said on another thread on this subject, You CAN use just the Facetime Application using your contacts if the person you want to have the video chat with also has an iPhone 4 and if you both have access to a wifi network.
IF you are already on a call and you have wifi access and you want to switch to video chat, you can go right from the call to Facetime. The call ends and Facetime takes over.
But you don't have to make a call to use it. It's got a separate button in your contacts page next to "Text Message" and "Share Contact" that allows you to use Facetime directly.
Hope that clarifies things a bit.
 
I am only excited about FaceTime if I can use it for free video calling to another country. Like Skype on the computer. It makes sense if it can do that.

My only question is how can it recognize that your friend has iPhone 4. I think there will have to be at least one initial call (first time only) so that the contacts app can make note that you can video chat with that person.

And then FaceTime should be implanted into Skype! Not everyone will have the new iPhone, so this feature would be very convenient to video chat with anyone, on computers, phones..
 
angevil said:
how can it recognize that your friend has iPhone 4.
Click to expand...

At the WWDC, the Facetime button only showed up on iPhone 4's. If you had a 3g or 3gs, the contact page on the iPhone 4 didn't show a Facetime option for that person. Now remember, IOS 4 was still pre-GM, so those who have downloaded and are using the GM can probably chime in here. But it's NOT going to require any telephonic contact to use Facetime. It's both hardware AND software combined that allow this option. Hope I am making sense.
 
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