The Apple Blog

GiGa · 07-21-2009

I do not possess an iPhone but have been impressed by its usability since day one! Actually that is an understatement. Let me try again... when I saw it my jaw dropped

Someone just brought to my attention that both 3G and 3GS models cannot perform a 3G video call. Is this true?

**Yuiichi** · 07-21-2009

Yep - this is true. The iPhone (all versions) only does audio calling.

**bendrucker** · 07-23-2009

Do any phones do video calls?

philbowell · 07-24-2009

My old Nokia did. Not sure why as no one ever uses the feature, it's just another thing people assume should work on a high end phone. I can't understand why people even want the feature.

**Yuiichi** · 07-24-2009

Because video calling is... the future. Or, at least what we were promised was going to be the future in movies and TV shows. Mostly cartoons, now that I think about it. And Star Wars. But those were holograms, not simply video on an LCD.

Give me hologram calling and it will be... the future.

**bendrucker** · 07-24-2009

I really can't see the use of a video call unless there was a forward facing camera on the iPhone. Frankly, I don't want to make video calls. People are moving away from forms of communication that make it difficult to multitask (phone calls) to faster things like emails and text messages as it is. Why would we want video calls, which occupy your eyes and ears? Yes, it would be cool, but no, I would never use it.

Plus, we all know Apple won't add it until batteries have high enough capacity to sustain something like that.

GadgetComa · 07-25-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yuiichi

Because video calling is... the future. Or, at least what we were promised was going to be the future in movies and TV shows. Mostly cartoons, now that I think about it. And Star Wars. But those were holograms, not simply video on an LCD.

Give me hologram calling and it will be... the future.

The future is here! CNN did hologram calling during the 2008 election. It just proves what a "news" station CNN is, huh?

JeremyK · 07-28-2009

Partly the reason why no one ever uses it is because it's so god damn expensive! On my old plan it was $7 a minute for video call!

Therefore I get about 29 minutes of video call, before I run out of cap allowence. I could make 300 minutes of calls or send 1500 texts, or watch 2 hours worth of YouTube for that!!!

GadgetComa · 07-28-2009

Sad, but true. Video is going through the same growing pains as digital audio. I can have my DRM free music anywhere, sync it, save, record it, etc. Video? Still not quite the bandwidth to really support it everywhere, a zillion standards (ironic, huh?), expensive and difficult to manage (comparatively). Hopefully, it will mature soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

MakeupGourmet · 08-20-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by baseballboy828

I really can't see the use of a video call unless there was a forward facing camera on the iPhone. Frankly, I don't want to make video calls. People are moving away from forms of communication that make it difficult to multitask (phone calls) to faster things like emails and text messages as it is. Why would we want video calls, which occupy your eyes and ears? Yes, it would be cool, but no, I would never use it.

Plus, we all know Apple won't add it until batteries have high enough capacity to sustain something like that.

I have found an awesome use for video calls for my business. Please check out these links.

Links Removed

07-21-2009	#2 (permalink)
Yuiichi Assistant Store Manager Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,168	Yep - this is true. The iPhone (all versions) only does audio calling. __________________ My Mac(s): MacBook, white - 2.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD therewascake. - my personal blog. The Pike Chronicle - a daily log of life.

07-23-2009	#3 (permalink)
bendrucker Assistant Store Manager Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,655	Do any phones do video calls? __________________ iMac Intel Core Duo 17" 1.83Ghz, 2GB Crucial RAM \| iPhone 3GS (16GB) Twitter \| Business Twitter \| Maplewood, New Jersey Professional Photographer: Ben Drucker Photography

07-24-2009	#4 (permalink)
philbowell Mac Genius Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Over the road from the Queen, UK Posts: 1,067	My old Nokia did. Not sure why as no one ever uses the feature, it's just another thing people assume should work on a high end phone. I can't understand why people even want the feature. __________________ My Mac's: 20" iMac Core Duo with 2gb RAM; 14" iBook G4 My Blog

07-24-2009	#5 (permalink)
Yuiichi Assistant Store Manager Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,168	Because video calling is... the future. Or, at least what we were promised was going to be the future in movies and TV shows. Mostly cartoons, now that I think about it. And Star Wars. But those were holograms, not simply video on an LCD. Give me hologram calling and it will be... the future. __________________ My Mac(s): MacBook, white - 2.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD therewascake. - my personal blog. The Pike Chronicle - a daily log of life.

07-24-2009	#6 (permalink)
bendrucker Assistant Store Manager Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,655	I really can't see the use of a video call unless there was a forward facing camera on the iPhone. Frankly, I don't want to make video calls. People are moving away from forms of communication that make it difficult to multitask (phone calls) to faster things like emails and text messages as it is. Why would we want video calls, which occupy your eyes and ears? Yes, it would be cool, but no, I would never use it. Plus, we all know Apple won't add it until batteries have high enough capacity to sustain something like that. __________________ iMac Intel Core Duo 17" 1.83Ghz, 2GB Crucial RAM \| iPhone 3GS (16GB) Twitter \| Business Twitter \| Maplewood, New Jersey Professional Photographer: Ben Drucker Photography

07-21-2009	#1 (permalink)
GiGa Operator Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 8	I do not possess an iPhone but have been impressed by its usability since day one! Actually that is an understatement. Let me try again... when I saw it my jaw dropped Someone just brought to my attention that both 3G and 3GS models cannot perform a 3G video call. Is this true?

07-28-2009	#8 (permalink)
JeremyK Personal Shopping Specialist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 217	Partly the reason why no one ever uses it is because it's so god damn expensive! On my old plan it was $7 a minute for video call! Therefore I get about 29 minutes of video call, before I run out of cap allowence. I could make 300 minutes of calls or send 1500 texts, or watch 2 hours worth of YouTube for that!!! __________________ Once you go mac, you never go back! My macs: Aluminum MacBook, iPhone 3G 16GB, iPod Nano (5th Gen. Aluminum).

07-28-2009	#9 (permalink)
GadgetComa Personal Shopping Specialist Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 266	Sad, but true. Video is going through the same growing pains as digital audio. I can have my DRM free music anywhere, sync it, save, record it, etc. Video? Still not quite the bandwidth to really support it everywhere, a zillion standards (ironic, huh?), expensive and difficult to manage (comparatively). Hopefully, it will mature soon, but I'm not holding my breath. __________________ Gadget Coma - The state of delirium that gadget geeks fall into after acquiring their latest techie gizmo-toy.

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