subject: Face-to-face Via Iphone Facetime [print this page] For long mobile users dreamt of practical video calling. Now, iPhone 4 or later has brought that to reality through Facetime marking a milestone in iPhone development. Yes, now with a tap of a button on the iPhone, you can laugh with your kids, wink at your spouse, or teleconference with your boss other side of globe. iPhone allows video calling to an another iPad 2, iPod touch, or a Mac over Wi-Fi. For iPhone developers, this is a significant step forward in their effort to build in incremental differentiation from mounting competition. iPhone development inculcated features that make it easy and convenient to use Facetime. Facetime is a part of the Phone feature within the iPhone application development environment.
Plain simple interface
iPhone Facetime is easy to start with right out of the box. No installing anything, no setting up anything, no screen, no account. iPhone comes with a dedicated Facetime button. When you want to place a video call, select the person in phonebook and press the Facetime button. Alternatively, you can say "Facetime with dad" to Siri, the personal assistant application for iOS. You can even switch to video call mode in the middle of a voice all - just hit the Facetime button and the other person gets the invitation to join the video call. Both portrait and landscape views are supported.
Dual cameras for Facetime
iPhone comes with two cameras, one on the front and one at the back. The front-facing camera is optimized for Facetime. It has the optimum field of view and focal length to focus on you at arm's length. This allows a best possible view under available light with optimum focus. You can also, at the tap of button, switch to the rear-facing camera to relay what you are seeing to the other person. The capability to also share video from rear-facing camera helps you to share memorable moments with someone who is not physically present to witness - all this at a tap of a button.
Requirements
To make a Facetime call, all you need are an iOS device, a Wi-Fi, and friend to chat with. You can make a video call by using either the phone number or an email address, depending on the device you are calling.
When video calling from an iPhone: use the phone number of the receiver. If the receiver has registered an email address, you can call using the email address as well.
When video calling from an iPad 2, iPad touch, or a Mac: use the email address of the receiver registered with Facetime.
Facetime Facts
Facetime works over Wi-Fi only and does not support video calling over 3G networks; however, 3rd-party applications such as Face-Break and 3G Unrestrictor enable this capability for jail-broken iPhone. These jail-breaking apps fool the phone into believing that it is connected via Wi-Fi. You can make a Wi-Fi Facetime video call internationally that allows you to outsource iPhone development cost efficiently. When you use voice call and switch to Facetime call, the call will appear in the call record of the operator. If you initiate Facetime video call directly by tapping the Facetime button in a contact screen, the call record does not appear anywhere on the network operator bill since Facetime chat never accesses the cellular network. Offshore iPhone development can get a leg up through Facetime.
iPhone developers have configured Facetime to work only with iOS devices, i.e., it is not compatible with non-Apple devices or other video calling services. Facetime is part of the Phone application in iPhone, activated by placing a call and tapping the Facetime button. Facetime uses 3 MB of data per minute. Cellular talk time is not used when using Facetime. Truly, iPhone developers have performed a remarkable feat with Facetime enabling practical video calling within the iPhone application development ecosystem.
