What do you think AT&T will do with Facetime data?

[madforrit]

Please note: For the purposes of the poll, choose what you think will happen, not what you'd like.

It's inevitable that Facetime will make it onto 3G. To realize its full potential, it has to. But we also know AT&T's network could not handle people making Facetime calls willy-nilly.

I think the move to capped plans was in part to reduce/discourage Face-timing over 3G. My wife and I grandfathered our unlimited plans for this very reason - though neither of us use over 100MB per month, we're hoping that it will be a smart move when AT&T allows Facetime over 3G.

Do you think they will? Or do you think they will introduce a new category of data - Facetime 3G - that will surely come with its own set of minutes and pricing?

Will iPhone 4 plans suddenly include....100 minutes of Facetime 3G per month? More/less? When they do roll out Facetime over 3G, are you willing to pay additional for it? How much?

How they choose to deal with video-calling is sort of another game-changing moment in the industry.

 

[madforrit]

Looking forward to hearing what you guys think about this...

 

[cirial]

I personally dont think we will see it on 3G for some time..

 

[Mike84]

I mean, I voted for eating up data plan but I am being biased. I have unlimited data because I am an old iPhone customer. However, I really do not think we will really know what they will do.

 

[madforrit]

I personally dont think we will see it on 3G for some time..

The pessimist in me agrees with you, but what makes you think so?

 

[Snowman3459]

Knowing AT&T it will just add on to everyones existing data plan. Which sucks but I guess it's better then buying another $10-$15 plan strictly for Facetime.

 

[diabolic]

I'm pretty sure they'll have to make it a separate charge. It makes little sense to make FaceTime so easy, only to have it eat up the data plan that they recently capped. I'd guess a lot of people would hit the 2GB limit rather quickly if they could use FaceTime over 3G.

A cynic might predict that it will use the regular data, and then cause everyone to pay extra for the overages.

 

[ashVID]

Why would it not be data?

 

[jav6454]

It will have it's own air minutes called Face minutes or some BS and be quite costly per minute.

Something like $20 for 120 min and that's being generous.

 

[madforrit]

Why would it not be data?

Because it would be potentially confusing for consumers. The amount of data transferred is going to vary with what's being transmitted as well as the signal strength. So a X minute FT call may take 10MB one day and 9MB another day.

Since a FT call is more like a phone call (which most people think of in minutes) than web surfing, you can make a strong case for "monetizing" Facetime in minutes.

Technically, it's all data...

 

[madforrit]

It will have it's own air minutes called Face minutes or some BS and be quite costly per minute.

Something like $20 for 120 min and that's being generous.

I could see that. Would you pay it?

 

[jav6454]

I could see that. Would you pay it?

No. I have only 2 contacts with iPhone 4. It would make no sense. Unless AT&T does tiered minutes (obviously they will) and does $5-8 per 20-40 mins.

 

[manhattanboy]

IS facetime over 3G available for Jailbroken phones???
.
I've searched everywhere and not found a good answer/solution.

 

[nfl46]

This sounds JUST like AT&T: FT over 3G will cost an additional monthly fee AND eat into data plan usage.

 

[JayDude132]

i personally dont think we will ever see it on 3G. Probably once AT&T gets a 4G network we may see it pop up. I chose that we wont see it for 2 years, but i hope we arent still on 3G in two years either!

 

[madforrit]

i personally dont think we will ever see it on 3G. Probably once AT&T gets a 4G network we may see it pop up. I chose that we wont see it for 2 years, but i hope we arent still on 3G in two years either!

Yeah I tend to agree with you. I have my doubts AT&T could handle Facetime on 3G - seems like it would just destroy network performance in major metro areas.

It's a shame too because the real magic of Facetime is being able to do it from anywhere...

 

[Eddyisgreat]

It will have it's own air minutes called Face minutes or some BS and be quite costly per minute.

Yup. Too easy not to.

Just look at SMS. Technically it's data too (.13671875 Kbytes for a 160 char message), yet we still pay for it in a different catagory than the cheaper but still mafioso rate.

 

[marksman]

Pixelate it and promote it on youporn

 

[JayDude132]

Pixelate it and promote it on youporn

NO EFFING WAY!! I WAS JUST GOING TO TYPE THAT! HAHAHAHAH