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PSA: Group FaceTime's Video Chat Not Available on Older iOS Devices
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People with a 5S should count themselves lucky that their phone is getting updated.
I have the exact opposite experience. I must have tried FaceTime 40-50 times and not once have I had a smooth conversation if the image is on. It will come in accelerated packages after cutting for a while, the image will stall, even with >5Mbps connections (don't mention trying it with 1 bar on a slower LTE connection). Even computer to computer connections with FaceTime using WiFI are generally lousy. In the same conditions, Skype will maybe pixelate sometimes but won't be interrupting the conversations due to poor connection or accelerating them once they go through.
Guys, how in the world is this "planned obsolescence? I've been dissing Apple up and down for their announcements yesterday but how could they owe you Group Facetime?
Did they make any mention of it when they sold you an iPhone 5S or 6 in 2013 or 2014? Were you convinced to purchase these long-discontinued devices because of it five years ago?
Jesus.
Did they make any mention of it when they sold you an iPhone 5S or 6 in 2013 or 2014? Were you convinced to purchase these long-discontinued devices because of it five years ago?
Jesus.
There's no doubt that there are some that have issues of one type or another (as is the case with many things). But it's certainly not the case that everyone or even most are having isssues with "Each and every time since then “Poor Connection” and/or black screen."
Well lets see - if I were to buy an iPhone today, it'd be an iPhone XS MAX. The base model is 64 GB.
What are some comparable devices? How about the iPad Pro? I can get it with 64 GB and cellular and an 11" screen for $950. Pretty much in every way it's a superior product, so lets call that the ceiling for what the iPhone XS MAX should cost.
The iPhone 6+ could be had with 64 GB for $850. It's a smaller device, but it's also an older device, meaning component costs have come down. I think that makes for a reasonable floor on how much the iPhone XS MAX should cost, and also a reasonable ceiling on how much the iPhone XS should cost.
Just put it right in the middle. iPhone XS MAX starting at $899 for 64 GB, with the XS being at $799 for 64 GB.
iPhone XR is a weirder case. The SE cost $499 to get it with 64 GB, but the XR also has a much bigger screen, which I think warrants increasing the price by over $100. I'd probably start it at $649, but could imagine it coming in at $699.
So there you have my prices. The XS and XS MAX are both $200 overpriced, and the XR is at least $50 and maybe $100 overpriced.
Weird. FaceTime works perfectly for me. The only time I get poor connection is when people on the other end either have a sub 15 Mbps connection and/or they are just too far away from their router. That’s always a problem for those who have a big house without a mesh system.
Lucky you. Question - how many of those people have an iPhone capable of using the new group FaceTime feature?
In the UK there is a huge mix of phones and operating systems so WhatsApp is the standard messenger of choice here.
I currently have over 40 active chat threads in iMessage vs 2 in WhatsApp and I am in the U.K. I use WhatsApp for 2 friends who run android. Gladly it’s only 2 as I much prefer iMessage as it works on all my devices unlike WhatsApp where you have to use the janky desktop app in the browser on iPad and Mac. Of course I dunno what any of your comments have to do with FaceTime multi person video chat.
Weird. Doesn’t work for me or 1,000s of others. Google it if you’re THAT skeptical. Why is it the fan boys can never comprehend that there’s issues with Apple stuff?! LOL. FaceTime between A-B always gets poor connection, yet A-C and B-C works just fine. You do the math.
Except it's fairly different in quite a few respects.Yes, they are. They're calling it the "Xr"
I agree that appearing as dog poop and video conferencing is appealing to 5 year olds. But I disagree with your implication that no one over that age would find appearing as dog poop or video conferencing appealing. We all know that a lot of older children, young adults and even elders like childish things and find them appealing. Witness the current glut of childish and whimsical unicorn items are selling to people of all ages, not just 5 year olds.
You may think they shouldn't appeal to anyone over 5...but they do.
But even these appeal only to those between 5 and 15...that's not necessarily a mistake on Apple's part. I was in a car once with a mom and her 10 year old, who was on an iPhone. Mom's iPhone kept making this "ding" noise. I asked her what it was. "Every time my daughter buys someone on the iTunes store, it rings..." So if silly, stupid, childish things like appearing as dog poop and video conferencing can get kids to use iPhones--and from there buy silly, stupid, childish music, apps and games from Apple's online stores, then I'd say Apple DOES know what it's doing.
..or not use it at all..
Personally, i don't want to try and fit 32 friends on a screen...,...I don't even have that many for starters.
Fair enough, and I agree this might indicate that Apple is changing how it does its annual line-up, a little. Then again, it does make a certain sense to remove the X. Why have an X priced down from $1K to about $800 if you're going to have that Xr there at just that price point? It'd put the two in competition and undercut the Xr's market.
I'm gonna bet that the Xr, popular as it is, will still be around next year, and that Apple will simply drop its price. I'm also going to wildly guess that you're right that there is some change in the line up, and that might be that the Xs & XMax might vanish, and simply be replaced by new, to-of-the-line X's, keeping them at the highest price point.
Obviously, we'll see.
You better hope all 40 of your iPhone friends have an iPhone that can run group FaceTime then
You better hope all 40 of your iPhone friends have an iPhone that can run group FaceTime then
They are all on 6S or newer apart from a couple on SE not sure where those stand tho.
If they were able to optimize it for the mini with an A8, I don't see why it wouldn't run on a 6/6 Plus.
The SE is supported (it's basically a 6s in a 5s package).
Tested it on my daughters SE a coupe of days ago. Although the screen size has some usability issues.