Cingular to demo video calls at CES

It's been a long time in coming -- and even its latest upcoming equipment doesn't seem to support it -- but Cingular (or should we say AT&T?) wants everyone to know that video calling is still very much on its agenda. Demos of the feature, made possible by WCDMA's capability to rock voice and data simultaneously, will be taking place at AT&T's CES booth next week. We don't know the full lineup of handsets Cingular will be using for the exhibition or whether said equipment will make it into Cingular's lineup down the road, but one device we know will be shown is the LG CU500v, a video call-capable update to the venerable CU500. Yeah, that's right -- that six month old, HSDPA capable CU500 is obsolete. Some of us haven't even worn the new phone smell off our 8525s and BlackJacks yet, but we doubt they're updatable; no front-facing cam, after all.

[cam @ Jan 5th 2007 5:26PM]

hints at the cingular N80.

[Alcaron @ Jan 5th 2007 5:27PM]

Yeah video calls over what, the HSDPA they STILL don't have in my market even though they swore (just one week away from the date they gave) that october was going to be our go live?

boo hiss

[John @ Jan 5th 2007 5:31PM]

Didn't initial pictures of both the TyTn and SGH-i607 have front facing cameras?

[jwbeck17 @ Jan 5th 2007 6:02PM]

Yep, and if you look at the HTC and Samsung sites you will see that they still promote versions with front-facing cameras. I suspect there may be a minor component switch when they have this thing ready. And who knows ... they may even add voice dialing to the BlackJack. Sooo bleeding edge...

[diulei @ Jan 5th 2007 5:40PM]

Sad that we are just now getting this in the states.

I remember a few years back how amused I was watching a _deaf_ man use the phone in Japan with sign language.

On a happier note, I'm using an N80 on Cingular so I hope I'll be able to video call soon!

[Vagrant @ Jan 5th 2007 7:54PM]

You saw a deaf man in Japan using a video phone a "few years ago" to sign?
Funny, I would've thought that using text messages would've been much easier.

Still, Cingular's 8525 is sans a front facing camera. If video calling was "in the works" why have their version of the phone crippled. Did it really reduce the price point that much?

Ahh...wait, I knew I left Cingular long ago for a reason. ;)

[Matt @ Jan 8th 2007 2:55AM]

Jan,

Unfortunately N80's won't work in the US. I have one too but the frequency that Cingular is using aren't compatible with N80 that's available. Cingular uses WCDMA 850 and 1900 while N80 is 2100 Mhz. T-Mobile won auction for 1700 and 2100 but T-Mob's WCDMA 2100 will be a few Mhz's off of the Euro flavour so any WCDMA (UMTS) phones that are out in Europe now will not work here. Sorry to disaapoint you mate.

[disciple83 @ Jan 5th 2007 5:43PM]

it's a trade-off for other tech things, we are getting crap like the PS3 and Zune way before Europe. I know that doesn't mean a whole lot anymore, but I really don't have a use for HSDPA either. I just use my phone to make phone calls. Call me practical.

[Todd @ Jan 5th 2007 5:57PM]

There is a post about the video-calling RAZR XX for Cingular on engadgetmobile:

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/01/05/behold-the-cingular-branded-motorola-v3xx/

But from the picture, it looks like Cingular had Motorola take the user facing camera out. Does anyone know if that's true?

[airpolgas @ Jan 5th 2007 6:46PM]

I just got my wife an unlocked N80 over the holidays. She was surprised when "Video Call" was one of the options on the screen after typing a phone number. I told her it's capable, but it has to be supported by the carrier. Wouldn't you know, we are Cingular subs!!!

[airpolgas @ Jan 5th 2007 6:48PM]

...now if only I have the N95 so she can video call me. :) Sadly, I still have a 6620.

[zmanforever @ Jan 5th 2007 7:05PM]

My HTC P3600 in black has the vga camera in the front. The 3g speeds with it are awsome fast. Its unlocked got it from ebay lots of dough but looks nice and cant wait for the video to come out. Who knows when, but in the interface it is like the regular 5.0 windows phone interface but my phone has a tab in it which lets me select Video call. Doesn't work for its not supported yet.

[zmanforever @ Jan 5th 2007 7:07PM]

The HTC P3600 and Tytn both have front facing VGA cameras. And disciple83 ps3 isn't crap, its actually the cheapest Blue ray out.

[Matt @ Jan 5th 2007 7:17PM]

What do you want to bet that, starting late Tuesday morning, they'll be demoing this service on an Apple-branded cell phone? Hey, we can't let a whole day slip by without yet another Apple phone rumor, you know..

[zmanforever @ Jan 5th 2007 9:52PM]

Lol texting would be easier, then again Japan is crazy far up in the tech. world, so i guess in japan texting might be a little old fashioned, ddr video messaging is wats up!

[Gosroth Otafuku @ Jan 5th 2007 10:33PM]

for those of you with the n80/n95 or any other 3g phone designed for europe/asia, cingular is using a different band for umts/hsdpa than other contries. The UMTS band overseas is wcdma 2100 whereas cingular is using wcdma 850/1900 which the n80 etc doesn't have

[amsterman @ Jan 6th 2007 1:16AM]

Some people have prototypes of the Cingular-branded N80.

[Robert Accettura @ Jan 6th 2007 2:04AM]

The CU500 has a front facing camera. It rotates 180 degrees.

[matthew m. barnes @ Jan 6th 2007 3:17AM]

let's put some rumors and facts together...

1. Cingular is rolling out video chatting on their phones but don't have a phone on their roadmap that would support it
2. Apple is rumored to be introducing a phone next week
3. Jobs has said in the past that Apple wouldn't enter into the phone market until he felt they had something to add to it that wasn't currently being done
4. Apple's phone is rumored to have video chatting capability (not currently being done in the US)
5. Apple LOVES to be able to tie all of its products together and the video chat capability is rumored to be iChat compatible
6. Apple's phone is rumored to be supported by Cingular
7. Apple never would allow their unannounced phone to show up on a Cingular product roadmap

hmmm... i think the earlier poster is right. Cingular will be using the new iPhone (or whatever it will be called) to demo their video chatting capabilities at CES next week. at least, that is my prediciton.

[wmw @ Jan 6th 2007 7:18AM]

WTF? We've had video calling in the UK for years! I had no idea you didn't have it over there

[San @ Jan 6th 2007 9:26AM]

Isnt video calling a bit old now like in the UK we have had it for at least two years now!

[AnthonyC @ Jan 6th 2007 10:15AM]

I was in NYC a couple of months back and people were impressed by my Nokia 6630 - a model that was around 18 months old at the time. People were amazed that it did sat nav (with the BT GPS receiver) and that I had TV shows on it. Until then I thought the US was ahead of Europe on that kind of thing! My new N73 makes the 6630 look like a dinosaur - not sure what the reaction would be to that :) And FWIW I was making free videocalls on my first 3G phones back in 2003 (a free Xmas gift from my network/carrier) Still, you Americans have XM and Sirius and better TiVo

[taylor @ Jan 6th 2007 1:37PM]

I have a tytn, I have it hooked up to cingy and have already made video calls! this is noth