If you’re a Skype and an iPhone (s aapl) user then there is one feature you sorely miss: getting video calls on your iPhone. Not anymore! fring, a London-based messaging startup based in Israel, has released an upgrade that allows you to receive video calls on your iPhone.
What this means is that if someone is placing a video call from a desktop or a laptop using Skype, for instance, then via the new version of fring that is currently available to users with iPhone/iPod touch OS 3.0, those users can watch it on their home screens. Folks using the iPhone can’t make video phone calls because of the location of the camera. The service only works over Wi-Fi, and not on 3G.
fring has been offering this type of video calling for Nokia’s S60-based phones for some time now, and in some models of Nokia you can initiate a video call.
I tried out the service by chatting with my friend Ouriel Ohayon, co-founder of Appsfire,and discussed our upcoming trip to Le Web. Instead of a voice call, Ouriel placed a video call and it worked as advertised. It helped that I have a rock-solid 50 Mbps connection to ensure quality performance for all my bandwidth-intensive applications. I have no hesitation in recommending this upgrade to everyone.
Watch how it works in this extremely loud video with extremely annoying music 🙂
Didn’t Apple apply for camera under the touch screen, so you could look at the person you were vid conferencing with? I Love this, but I think ATT will be the spoiler here. My money says Apple will release this feature overseas first (ala MMS) due to the availability of their GSM networks to support it.
Larry
Just to be clear, it works only on WiFi for now so not sure if AT&T is going to be that much of a spoiler :-). Now if it was 3G compatible… that would be a different story.
Fring was never a “London-based messaging startup” for it’s a pure Israeli child. No UK no Europe but Israel.
@TomTom-
That’s been corrected — thanks so much.
best, Carolyn
If it only works on wifi, that video does not make sense.
why not? make free video call on Skype on free wi-fi, this is the feature I’ve been looking for IPhone
I think mobile video chats is something people will want, but I wonder about bandwidth issues, and the quality of the video while moving around. Clearly this is not something you should use while driving.
It now works over 3G on AT&T