Fring brings one-way video calling to the iPhone
By Donald Melanson 
posted December 1st 2009 1:18PM
posted December 1st 2009 1:18PM
Fring was the first to bring VoIP calls to the iPhone, and it looks like it's now finally done the same for video calling -- sort of. While it obviously can't do much to change the camera placement on the iPhone, the latest version of the app will at least let iPhone users (and iPod touch users, for that matter) see the person on the other end, and Fring says it'll add two-way video calling whenever "a front camera is placed on these." As with the company's app for Nokia devices, you'll also be able to make video calls to Skype users, but you'll have to make sure you're in the vicinity of a WiFi hotspot, as this one doesn't support calls on 3G. Head on past the break for a video.
Update: As we've been reminded, while Fring did somewhat beat it to the punch by making an app available for jailbroken iPhones, Truphone was actually the first VoIP app to be demoed, and the first to be officially approved an authorized by Apple.
Update: As we've been reminded, while Fring did somewhat beat it to the punch by making an app available for jailbroken iPhones, Truphone was actually the first VoIP app to be demoed, and the first to be officially approved an authorized by Apple.
The next iPhone, as well as just about every other new 'smart' phone should have front-facing cameras, and data networks to use them on! Can we PLEASE catch up with the rest of the world?
@(Unverified) woot, sir. woot.
@(Unverified)
Verify yourself wiener!
@Craptorium
done.
@Mr Oos didn't you watch the engadget show? The guy from HTC said the US isn't ready for cool technology
@Mr Oos
I quite agree, everywhere else 3g phone means that it can do normal 3g things like, say, video-calling. Even a dumbphone can do that if it's got 3g and is from SE, Nokia and others. But American phones always seem to miss such basic features.
Not that I've ever had much of a use of video calling over 3g...
@Mr Oos So that we, like these other areas of the world, can ignore video calling too.
Mmmm, come and enjoy the enviable delights of video calling on 3G.
144x76 pixels of reality inspiring compression to create that perfect impressionist view of your 5 frames a second loved one as your ears are treated to a white noise rendition of their voice beautifully out of sync.
All displayed on your glorious smartphone with it's unviewable (at normal viewing distance) super HD screen and 7.1 surround sound delivered through a mono speaker.
Gold! Gold!
Nah, Americans couldn't the handle the power!
LOL. Ahh btw 3g video calling is crap in case the comedy was lost on you.
@(Unverified)
So, you're saying that because 3G video calling is crap currently, we shouldn't hope for a better version down the line? I can think of endless circumstances where it would be wonderful to share one's audio/visual experience with another, live, while both are on the go. Wouldn't that be nice?
Yay! bring on the webcam so that we can video chat!!!
o wait... does iphone have a usb port?
hmmm... better spent next month's rent on buying an apple tagged webcam
@chancekang or buying an n900 which already has a front camera ;)
What about a case that includes mirrors to redirect the camera towards the front? Or just pointing the camera at a mirror?
@nfox513 iphone owners all have mirrors on them anyway, so it's not like you're asking a lot for face to face skype calls.
@nfox513
that's exactly what is was thinking right before i read your comment. i'm sure some company will take on the task. after all, another computer made a special optical zoom lens for the iPhone
@nfox513 YES! Their excuse for not doing two way video is lame. Mirrors would work. They just aren't ready for two way video calls on the mobile devices yet. oh well.
Awesome, can't wait until this becomes mainstream.
But as someone stated in another post - this has been around in Europe but hasn't really caught on.
Do you think it will become popular in the coming years?
It hasn't caught on because it costs a fortune. 55p per minute on vodafone (no matter how many minutes you have in your contract).
@Chris Aversa
I think it has to do with the fact that providers charge more money for video calls and doing a video call sucks battery life. This obviously doesn't fix the battery life but at least it's free on Skype.
@Chris Aversa
It's been around in the U.S. for a while too but nobody uses it.
@(Unverified)
Well, that depends on the country and providers.
Here in Slovenia video calls (with most providers) cost exactly the same as regular calls.
They don't get used massively instead of regular calls, but I think this will never happen. They are fun every once in a while or if you want to show something...
@Endadget
O2 say they won't charge anymore either ..
@Chris Aversa
On my provider it costs the same as regular voice calls, in fact it's included in my free minutes. But i don't use it anyway. Just face it, video calling sounds nice in theory, but in practice nobody really wants to use it.
@Chris Aversa
I think also that a lot of people aren't even aware that they can make video calls or how it works.. For example, my brother -who's relatively "tech curious"- thought he needed to use data transfer (or a data plan) to make video calls.
Some years ago, when it was a new thing, this feature was being promoted and I remember video calls being actually free for a while. But at the time very few people had phones capable of this. Maybe if they repeated this now more people would catch on...
But again, I don't see this being used massively either way. Still, it's nice to have it when you need it.
@Chris Aversa
It's a nice feature to have, but I don't see this catching on here, and I'm not surprised it hasn't caught on in Europe. Aside from video chat, which is fine for the occasional Skype call home to parents, it really has to do with how we physically interact with a cell phone call.
Most people who speak on the phone don't want to be involved to the extent that they're focusing on a screen. Many multi task while on a call; others simply just don't want to be seen on the other end. It isn't a technological barrier to this being adopted, it's a human behavioral barrier.
Those guys at Fring are doing a great job!
@(Unverified)
How is that, BY taking a POS phone on a POS network and adding a feature that makes no sense whatsoever?
Hense all their effort mounts up to a HEAPING steaming pile of shit.
Fring is Ghey, this APp is Ghey
The only problem with this is knowing someone on the other end that has a handset to support it.
@Ezye1313
that costs $20 on prepaid.
@Ezye1313
Most 3G phones released in Europe have a front facing camera. It's only those primarily targeted at the US market that don't have it. I read that AT&T actually modified some Nokias for selling them in the US, by removing video calling functionality altogether...
@Endadget
Yep. The carriers over here purposely remove the front facing cameras on OEM model phones, so even if someone did make software like this, they couldn't use it on their crappy network anyways. Great job to fring for sticking it to them either way, although it seems that this can only be used on WiFi. Oh well, I can make video calls with my N97 all day long on AT&T, and I encourage anyone else who has a front facing cam to do so. Let's clog their network so bad it goes out :)
@Endadget
Yeah I remember the very first 3g phone I got on AT&T in December of 2006. It was an LG CU 500 filp phone and the camera was where it filpped open and it swivled on the same hinge as the top connected to the bottom and it would face both directions all you had to do was turn it like a knob. I can't remember if they had video calling back then but you could watch video thru their media net store.
Reminds me of this http://www.mobilewhack.com/iphone-video-calls-with-imirror/
Sweet! This will literally change the face of phone sex.
I can see it now "Hey baby, you should pr0ncast for me."
apple doesnt approve /end of story.
@Greasy McNugget
its already on the iphone bro....
@Chaos744
Yeah, with NO 3G, WiFi Only.
Apple wins. Same thing with the SlingBox application.
WiFi Only. We wouldn't want to put a strain on that great network AT&T has been advertising lately would we?
@Greasy McNugget
How dare you take my second name!!!?
@Slutty McNugget Slutty!!! brotha how are ya!! didnt knew about u since those kids bought u in the value menu
...and if you're really awesome you can jailbreak your phone - get a 3g hack - use trick the software into believing you're on WIFI - thus allowing you to make voip calls over the 3g network!
did anyone notice that the elevator had a 13th floor!?
@(Unverified)
Ki Ki Ki, Ma Ma Ma
"as this one doesn't support calls on 3G"
Shouldn't that read:
"as this 3G network doesn't support video calls."
i believe it supports 3G as soon as Apple allows such support... AT&T has already announced that it will allow VOIP calls over 3G. not sure if that also means Video...
My first phone that supported video calling (Nokia 6630 in 2005) also only had one camera and it was nice if you wanted to show the other person your surroundings. But IMO that is the best part about video calling, why would you want to see the face of who you are talking to?
I'm on my 3rd videocall-capable phone now, but i never use it and neither does anybody else, it's just a stupid function.
@(Unverified)
"why would you want to see the face of who you are talking to?"
Yeah, even IRL I just look away or close my eyes when I'm talking to someone. Watching faces = overrated.
:P
@Endadget
I wanted to say it doesn't really add anything useful to a conversation :P
besides nobody wants to hold his phone up in front of his face for however long the videocall lasts, especially in public.
@(Unverified)
Communication is done verbally and non-verbally, so surely it does add something useful. But I'd specify that not with every person and not in every conversation. There are some conversations where you could benefit by using video and there are others, where you wouldn't want to use video at all.
Web cams (for PCs) are popular enough, so there must be a market for this. But I'll agree with you that holding the phone in front of you in public is not what most people really want to do...
its stupid the video is only to receive not to send on the iPhone so its pointless!!
Lord Almighty, I've been waiting for mobile videoconferencing ever since I had my Samsung SPH-i700 Pocket PC on Verizon Wireless almost 6 years ago. Microsoft pet project "Portrait" got updated to support video chat, but those bastards at Samsung never gave them access to the rotating camera.
Ever since then, I haven't seen one carrier (or developer for that matter) really try to support or push for videoconferencing over a mobile network. Certainly, Windows Mobile and the non-carrier-branded HTC devices with all those front-facing cameras could have done it.
But, now all the carriers are pissing that it'll kill the network, or perhaps they're trying to find a way to make extra money off of it. AT&T even got Apple by the balls to make sure nothing is released unless it's done "over Wi-Fi."
Frustrating, to say the least.
or .. you could just buy a smart-phone (flame suit on)