iPod touch FaceTime calling to be based on email addresses?
By Nilay Patel 
posted July 15th 2010 11:17AM
posted July 15th 2010 11:17AM
posted July 15th 2010 11:17AM
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@cruncis Except the GPS functionality usually comes with the cellular chip set, so for the Touch (which has no cellular chipset) they would have to add components to get GPS.
The email address/phone number divide sounds sort of un-Apple-like (being complicated for no good reason), so I suspect they'll have something simpler to offer, such as using email addresses for the iPhone too. Then again, they have been going light-years out of their way to disappoint lately.
So magical
@Chi
The impending lawsuits will be magical
as soon a a attorney get wind of the ability for teenagers to have video sex calls
@DefPoet As if they aren't already. Pshaw!
@DefPoet
Can someone let me know when real-time sex is hip again?
My guess is that FaceTime on iPhone 4 already use Apple ID to link the 2 phones even if it's integrated in the "Phone" app.
FaceTime start looking more and more like another Skype/MSN/GTalk video chat service and less and less like a new kind of mobile video chat service.
Anyway, FaceTime make way more sense on iPad and iPod Touch since these devices are more often connected on WiFi.
This would work with computers too, of course. Surely they are bringing FaceTime to Macs, so there you go. And then Windows, Linux clients could be made too, though they probably wouldn't be developing those clients themselves - at least the means for how it works would be in place (maybe they would develop a client for Windows, though?)
@cruncis They already have there own iChat client for Mac, same thing as windows live messenger, but you need to make accounts for both of those, maybe apple will do that, but I'm guessing just for mobile devices that they own, people thought iPhone 4 would have an iChat app, but then you would need an iChat account, which a lot of people would do, but it's not guaranteed, and if you are lazy you will miss out on featires
@That guy 2 I'm not sure what you're saying, actually, but this brings up a good point. iChat supports multiparty chat. I can't remember how many, but I know it's more then 3. Does Facetime support more then 2 people? I didn't think it did, but I'm not actually sure. I haven't had the opportunity to try Facetime on my iPhone because I'm the only one in my family with one.
I think facetime would be an awesome idea for the iTouch and super easy to use as long as it's always running in the background to pickup calls. I think what makes facetime easier to use than Skype is that facetime would be integrated into your Contact list. Also the iPhone has it integrated into it's phone app which is always on. The problem with Skype is that I have to make sure it's on and loged in.
Awesome. Glad I held out on the first iPad. Im sure they'll change iChat desktop client to FaceTime in the next OSX update as well.
@MrPinkBlackrose I Doubt They'll Change The Name Of iChat. Its More Probable That They'll Make It So You Can FaceTime With iPhone And iPod Touch Users
@NYMax
Downranked for capitalizing every word.
@Jack U sir have a downranking problem and u probably own a kirf razr made by sanyo on virgin mobile
so is it gonna be something like Skype?
@mAzzam1988 No, cUse you will just call numbers, (and emails if your friends have iPod touches) rather than having an account and seeing who is online on a buddy list, you just call, like a phone
With facetime, can you actually see if the person you want to call is currently using the phone in a wifi hotspot? It seems hard to actually use this...
@maattp
I suspect you call them first to let them know you want to video chat and to make sure they are near a wifi spot. Then hang up and make the video call.
Can't really figure that out myself.
This article is a bit inaccurate. The touch can not make a call. It's not a phone.
IF the touch gets a front facing camera (which is unlikely this go around) it would use some kind of ichat video software that can cross over to facetime (registering phone numbers as 'screennames'). and they would probably release a similar cross over with the computer based ichat as well.
@Charlik Why is this very unlikely? Where are you getting your info from? And we're talking about video calls, not phone calls. You can do video without a phone antenna because it's over wifi, just like skype. Even the iphone4 only does it over wifi only.
This is great. I wish there was a way to see a list of people you can face time from your contacts on your iPhone. Having the button display on all calls is a bit misleading and unless you know all of your friends phone models you could be missing out. Wish there was a way to confirm your contacts model number on your phone.
@airj1012 Right now it appears that the phone adds a movie camera icon to the "FaceTime" button in contacts after you've made a FaceTime call. I agree though it would be nice if there was a way to have AT&T scan your contacts for numbers that are assigned to a iPhone 3Gs or iPhone 4.
@airj1012 The FaceTime option in contacts and phone app only shows up of it detects an iPhone 4, if it's Any other phone it will still have call on hold which is now missing if you have a lot of fanboy friends, I don't know about if you won't get the option if there not connected to wifi though, that would be smart though
They Were the first to have a front facing cam
-sent from my every symbian phone and my evo and my epic 4g and my european galaxy s
@Nintendoftl
Downranked for stupidity.
@Jack The point is they all had cameras before the iphone but im not a fanboy of any sorts
I have a macbook several ipod touches an old iphone but im getting a droid X today
Thats neutral right?
@Nintendoftl
The stupid part is making the assumption that Apple CLAIMED to have the first front facing camera. They have never claimed that. So why are you bringing it up? At all? How is it in any way relevant to anything?
@Jack Revolutionary implies such a thing.
@Nintendoftl They think apple said they were first, which is stupid cause apple didn't, and also stupid because he's being a hypocrite and saying that since all those other phones have it, the iPhone having one is insignificant, epic 4g came after the iPhone fyi
WAKE UP APPLE!
you have iChat on your mac computers.. where is iChat for iphone/ipod touch?!
why not use "iChat" for facetime.
If the new iPod Touch is released with a front and back camera there would be no need to get an iPhone. They aren't going to lose money now and it doesn't make sense. I'll get one if they release the front cam. Pair it with my Evo and I'll be able to make video calls from anywhere and have the luxury of all the apps that Apple has. That's the main thing I'm missing the most... apps.
@cd5love96 As of now yeah you're right, there wouldn't be a need for the iphone4 since you can only do it over wifi. But I'm sure eventually Apple/AT&T will make it capable over their network so the iPhone still has the advantage, plus with text messaging, GPS, etc. Any feature that needs a network to work, not just wifi, will win.
@cd5love96
...unless you need to make phone calls or use data when you're not on wifi.
@cd5love96 Sure there is, most people want a phone that doesn't require you to be in a WiFi area. Right now you can put Skype on an iPod Touch and make calls - doesn't appear to be hurting phone sales any.
@deedeedee
Probably. Why would you want a device to have LESS features?
Everyone is forgetting about a very important detail. The iPod touch didn't have a mic. And after all of these upgrades, it would be no different from an iPhone besides one aspect... AT&T. Don't get me wrong, I love my Touch, but I don't think it needs all of this upgrading. I'd be perfectly content with just a rear camera IMO.
People seem to think if this true, that the itouch is just like the iPhone. It's not because you need wifi to use those features, while the iPhone you can use every and any where. The itouch is a great alternative if you don't wanna pay $25 a month though, but you couldn't use most features without wifi.
There is zero concern about this competing with the iPhone, none. DId the old iPod Touch cannibilze sales from the older iPhones? iPhone buyers cannot be stopped, they will buy no matter what. Offering all the same features on an iPod only broadens the market of the iOS platform, sells more boxes, and puts money in Apple's pocket. .
I still doubt whether or not the iPod Touch is gonna have a camera *at all* let alone a front facing one. Either way, the email thing isn't really a situation. I'm sure all FaceTime is doing now is using the email address of your 10 digit phone number @mms.att.net or @txt.att.net, just like SMS and MMS does today.
I expect an iChat update to incorporate this as well.
@Tes Yah that makes no sense, why would apple want to have less features, and also, they have already sold a ton, and people need phones, so they will still sell iPhones, iPod touches are mostly for kids like me, I'm not a little kid, I'm a teenager and I have a flip phone, but I don't need an iPhone with a data plan, but I want a camera
FaceTime is really great, my brother got an iPhone 4 and we used it for over an hour, I got to see my other brother and dogs back home which was a nice cure for my homesickness. He walked all around the house and even outside, the quality went down sometimes but never dropped.
I DON´T CARE THIS BULLSHIT I JUST WANT TO TAKE PICZ !! BUT APARENTLY THIS SHI1T ONLY RECORDS VIDEO !!
IT ZUCKS !!