iPhone 101: What you need to know about FaceTime
FaceTime for the iPhone 4 is a lot of fun. It's the simplest implementation of video conferencing I've seen, because it is basically a no-configuration feature.Here's some tips to would-be FaceTimers:
First, make sure FaceTime is enabled. Tap 'settings' on your new iPhone, scroll down to the green icon called 'Phone' and select it. The second item down is labeled FaceTime. Make sure it is turned on. It may take a moment for FaceTime to become active so make sure you get a confirmation.
Now when you call someone you'll see an on-screen FaceTime icon. You can tap it, and the other person, assuming they are on Wi-Fi and have an iPhone 4, will get an invitation. If he or she accepts you'll be chatting in just a few seconds.
A couple of other things to think about. Holding the phone at arms length for any period of time might not be fun. You should consider having a way to rest your arm while you are chatting away. If you are tired of displaying your ugly mug you can tap the camera icon at the lower right of the screen and you'll activate the camera on the back of your phone so you can tour your garden or show your latest tech gear off. To switch back to the forward facing phone, tap the icon again. Natch.
Finally, what if you don't know anyone with a new iPhone and want to test it? Apple comes to the rescue here. You can call 1-888-FACETIME (1-888-322-38463) and you'll be able to chat with an Apple Rep from 8AM to 8PM CDT. Yes, you'll note an extra digit in the number. Trust me, it works.
Share
Categories
FaceTime for the iPhone 4 is a lot of fun. It's the simplest implementation of video conferencing I've seen, because it is basically a...
Add a Comment
Hi there
I found this awesome holder from a press release they did about video chat….
www.breff.com
you can hang it anywhere - $20
There is, you can use fring to do a video call.
June 27 2010 at 5:03 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI have an old WRT54G with dd-wrt on it and was able to monitor the bandwidth usage of FaceTime in real time. It uses a little less than 300kbps both ways. So basically any broadband connection can handle this.
I started doing some speed tests around Sacramento and the 3G speed is barely above 300kbps in some places. FaceTime may need to be downgraded to work over 3G. One thing I was surprised about was how fast the upload speed was, sometimes being faster than the download speed!
I tried it several times with an Apple employee, but it kept saying FaceTime failed. I did have it enabled, and I was on wi-fi.
June 26 2010 at 9:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyis there any hidden fee for FaceTime or its just free?
and do i need to keep the voice call along with the video call??
No, there's no hidden fees, and it doesn't use your minutes; the call is terminated as soon as FaceTime connects. This also means you can't return to the voice call without calling back.
Confirmation here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-facetime-video-calls-wont-use-your-carrier-minutes-2010-6
FaceTime is it free or i have to keep my voice call running with the video call
June 26 2010 at 5:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWell, if you're on AT&T, at least, then it would be considered a mobile-to-mobile call (the other person is an AT&T wireless customer, too) so it comes out of your unlimited minutes pool, so it wouldn't matter one way or the other. I don't know how it would work with other carriers.
June 26 2010 at 8:49 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe voice call is terminated as soon as FaceTime connects, so no minutes are used.
Confirmation here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-facetime-video-calls-wont-use-your-carrier-minutes-2010-6
Worth noting that it is possible to make FaceTime calls to others even when the cellular network is switched off. It may be that a normal call, connecting over the cell network, has to be made initially, but subsequently only wifi is required. Means I am able to leave a phone without a sim at home for video calling the kids when away...
June 26 2010 at 3:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI wonder how many naked calls they've gotten...
June 25 2010 at 7:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyApparently, bluetooth headsets will not work with FactTime, however the wired Apple headphones/mic will.
June 25 2010 at 6:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI've successfully had a facetime call from my car (parked, using att wifi hotspot) over the car's bluetooth hands free. Phone let me switch back and forth between speaker phone and car's speaker/mic.
June 25 2010 at 8:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHmm... just tried my car stereo bluetooth, and got the same result; went to speakerphone on the iPhone. There was no option to select bluetooth after that. So car bluetooth and Jawbone headset for me. I've also heard one friend's Plantronics, and another friend's bluetooth enabled hearing aid all do the same thing.
June 25 2010 at 11:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyYou don't need the extra digit on the phone number. As with all vanity numbers, only the first 10 digits count. You could also dial 888-FACETIMMY for the same result
June 25 2010 at 5:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot Apps on TUAW
Deals of the Day
more deals- Refurb Apple MacBook Air Laptops: 12" 64GB SSD for $699 + free shipping
- JVC Motion Sensing Clock Radio with Dual iPod Docks for $55 + free shipping
- Apple iPhone Headset with Mic for $4 + $2 s&h
- miFrame Picture Frame Dock for iPad for $64 + $8 s&h
- Refurb Apple iPod nano 8GB MP3 Player for $99 + free shipping, 16GB for $119
- Hannspree Apple-Shaped 28" 1080p LCD HDTV for $270 + free shipping
Software Updates
more updates- EFI Firmware Update brings Lion Internet Recovery to 2010-model Macs
- OS X Lion 10.7.3 released with Safari 5.1.3, Wi-Fi bug fix
- Aperture updated to 3.2.2, addresses Photo Stream issue
- Apple updates Keynote to address Lion issues
- Google Search app gets new look on iPad
- Apple releases Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3
Featured Stories
more stories
Popular Stories
TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
21 Comments