3G video call

[MakeupGourmet]

Originally Posted by JeremyK

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!!!

Get Skype. It's Free!!!

[bendrucker]

MakeupGourmet: This thread is about making video calls on a mobile phone, not a computer. Thanks for your posts, but they are not relevant.

Trying to find posts where you can insert link to your site to improve SEO isn't appreciated. If you do have some relevant insight to provide, we'd all love to hear it.

[GiGa]

1st generation mobile phones --> Analog Voice
2nd generation mobile phones --> Digital Voice (GSM) + SMS
2.5 generation mobile phones --> Digital Voice (GSM) + Digital Data (GPRS) + SMS
3rd generation mobile phones --> Digital Voice & Data simultaneously (WCDMA) + SMS
3.5 genaration mobile phones --> Digital Voice & Fast Data simultaneously (HSPA) + SMS

iPhone 3G is 3rd generation mobile phone
iPhone 3GS is 3.5 generation mobile phone

One of the prime uses of 3G technology is Video call. And of course multi-tasking between voice call and data upload/download (for e.g. internet). Today, when a 3G phone is launched in the market it definitely has video calling capability by default. Therefore when iPhone came out without it, it shocked me.

Yes, it needs a forward facing camera (may well be a low resolution one) which the iPhone does not. Therefore Skype cannot fill this gap. Yes, video calling was very expensive (£0.50 per minute) when 3G was launched but now it is much much cheaper, may even be included as free minutes on your calling plan. You may not always use it but how many features on your phone do you always use? I personally would ocassionaly use it, for e.g. to see/talk with family while travelling.

Apple may have had a different idea on mind before launching the iPhone, or they may have just wanted very short time to market their first iPhone to the world. But I think it is high time after over 2 years and 3 iPhone models they still do not have this feature. After all the forward facing camera is dirt cheap for the price of iPhone a customer pays!!

I think Apple also had very limited Bluetooth support, donno if this has changed with the newer model. So as far as I am concerned I will have to wait on the iPhone till it comes as a complete solution for my needs.

[bendrucker]

I have yet to hear a good reason for video calls on a phone. I'm not sure about your claim that:

One of the prime uses of 3G technology is Video call.

I've never seen anyone make a video call on their phone, and until now, never had heard anybody who actually wanted to. Maybe it's just not popular in the US. 3G bandwidth is constrained enough. Start making video calls easy to do from a user perspective, and it will bring AT&T and the other iPhone carriers to their knees.

Also, you will find that Apple does not cater to every person. If you want a phone with 2 cameras, full customizability, and the ability to do everything under the sun, the iPhone is not for you. If you are looking for a "complete solution", you should look at one of the Linux phones or something. They suck, but they do virtually everything, including, I'm assuming, video calls. The fact is though, video calls are a tiny market, and I doubt it influenced a significant number of people to not purchase the iPhone.

The fact is, the iPhone will never be a complete solution. In the end, as much as it has shortcomings, it has the fewest of any phone out there.

With regard to bluetooth, what are you trying to use it for? Apple has beefed up its bluetooth support in the newer software releases, so what you're looking for may have been added.

[philbowell]

Originally Posted by baseballboy828

I've never seen anyone make a video call on their phone, and until now, never had heard anybody who actually wanted to. Maybe it's just not popular in the US.

It's not just the US. I've never, not once, seen anyway make a video call here in the UK. I don't understand the fascination and to claim that one of the prime uses of 3G technology is video calling is just wrong.

I've owned 4 3G capable phones. Not once have I used it to make a video call, I have however used them for data services, but until the iPhone that was limited to checking football scores. Data is the prime use for 3G and faster technology in the mobile world, not video calling.

[JeremyK]

Originally Posted by baseballboy828

]I've never seen anyone make a video call on their phone, and until now, never had heard anybody who actually wanted to. Maybe it's just not popular in the US...

...If you are looking for a "complete solution", you should look at one of the Linux phones or something. They suck, but they do virtually everything, including, I'm assuming, video calls.

With regard to bluetooth, what are you trying to use it for? Apple has beefed up its bluetooth support in the newer software releases, so what you're looking for may have been added.

Video calling is not popular here in Australia either...

...Yes, no offence to Linux, but those phones are terrible, but yes, they do video calling (or at least the one I had did...)

OMG!!! I hate the bluetooth, it doesnt connect to my friends phones (Nokia, LG, Samsung) or my MacBook (Snow Leopard, Bluetooth Firmware up to date)

BTW: I smashed my iPhone screen so its getting fixed at the moment, so I cant do anything to it...

EDIT: Sorry for cutting your post BBB, but it was kinda too long, my post woulda taken up a whole page

[GiGa]

I think I worded my post incorrectly. Voice + data on the same connection is one of the most challenging tests for the 3G technology and yes, it is like pushing your device to the limits. The network, however, should not struggle because it should be able to support such connections with multiple devices simultaneously. The front facing camera is usually not a megapixel cam so the data load is not too high. But it is great for video call (3G) or video chat (Skype, GoogleTalk, etc..).

I would use it so that my little one could see daddy and I could see her. If you see from their perspective, it would be so much joy!

Since the new mobile phones are packed with powerful processors and so much more, I'm sure the camera would be useful in other ways too, just like we use the one our Macbooks.