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AT&T kills Video Share for the few who care
If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear? That's what we asked ourselves upon seeing reports that some AT&T customers were being treated to the message on the right. We pinged AT&T for comment and received the following statement: AT&T is discontinuing our Video Share service. As we look ahead to the next generation of live, mobile video calling services, we're evaluating new platforms and other ways we can evolve our mobile video calling offers. We've already begun to notify subscribers directly and will work with them to adjust their monthly charges accordingly. The service will be retired later this year. Video Share was a technology launched by AT&T's in the summer of 2007 that allowed select 3G devices to stream live video while on a voice call, by taking advantage of simultaneous voice and data on AT&T's network. If you are one of the three people still using the service, please accept our condolences. [Thanks, Justin]
AT&T Video Share goes national, now live in 160 markets
Following an earlier limited rollout to Atlanta, Dallas, and San Antonio, AT&T has now taken its "video call lite" service -- Video Share -- to all 160 of its 3G markets nationwide. Like the service itself, the compatible handset lineup is extraordinarily limited at the moment; only the SYNC, A717, and A727 from Samsung are being officially advertised, though we know the LG CU500v should work as well. Pricing remains unchanged from before: a stiff $4.99 monthly for 25 minutes of usage, $9.99 for 60 minutes, or 35 cents per minute.[Via Phone Scoop]
Motorola V3xx next Video Share phone for AT&T?
It seems AT&T is intent on keeping Video Share phones in the pipeline (as well they should, considering that LG CU500v owners are the only ones invited to the party at the moment). Next up might be this, a gold V3xx dummy unit received by a tipster that clearly has its front-facing cam intact. As much as we'd like to believe the dedicated front cam is intended for true two-way video calling -- something HSDPA is perfectly capable of supporting -- we suspect it's to make the Video Share functionality just a little more useful when compatible firmware arrives. Makes sense, right?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
The Boy Genius Report: The LG CU500v's guide to Video Sharing
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.Always wondered just how AT&T's one-way Video Share system was going to work? Us too, so we were more than happy to get a gander at the quick start user guide for the upcoming LG CU500v, a phone that's destined to be among the very first to support the feature. It sounds like setting it up will be a breeze (as long as both caller and callee have Video Share handsets and are in a 3G coverage area): just wait for "Video Share Ready" to appear on the display and press the camera button. Strangely, disconnecting the video feed is a more complicated operation, requiring no fewer than three button presses to accomplish. After the share is finished, the sender can save the feed to memory -- sorry receivers, you're left out of the fun here. Click on for a closeup of the instructions!
The Samsung SGH-A717 for Cingular
The A717, an Ultra Edition clamshell from Samsung, really took us by surprise; it's not mentioned in Samsung's press materials, so there's not a heck of a lot we can say about it beyond the specifications we found and the conspicuous orange splat on the OK button. Thanks to a rotating 2 megapixel cam and tri-band HSDPA, this device should be positioned to fortify Cingular's clamshell video share lineup alongside the LG CU500v. Other specs include an external 96 x 32 OLED, A2DP, and microSD expansion. Click through for more pics.
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.