Originally Posted by ACU:
“It sounds like you will find video calling useful, however I wouldnt.”
That's fair enough, we're all different. Some use features others don't. I don't tweet from my HTC Desire, yet plenty of others do for example.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“I think most people wouldnt either, however time will tell.”
I think video calling may be more popular than you give it credit. While I accept it's not used by everyone, it's certainly used by many. And as for time will tell, it certainly will, when you consider we're talking about Android handsets where software such as Skype is already available - imagine making a video call from your Android handset to your mate on their laptop via your internet connection, I think we're going to see an increase in a demand for forward facing cameras.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“The quality of the picture when using 3G would be (in some instances) poor and too blocky to be useful.”
Mobile networks are producing faster connectivity. Modern video calls over network provider networks are a vast improvement on how the first video calls were with the Three network for example.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“This is one of the reasons why apple made it wifi only...as you will get a better picture.”
I think Apple made a foolish mistake making it WiFi only, limiting the use of a feature, but this doesn't seem unusual for Apple so good luck to them
Originally Posted by ACU:
“The networks need to improve the infrastructure for us get a decent picture.”
I don't believe that's true. I was making video calls from my N97 and they were good quality.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“If you see the apple ads with people using video calling, I doubt very much the quality of the picture in the ads reflects the quality in real life (when using mobile data). If people think that the quality in the ads will be the quality they get, then they are going to be very disappointed.”
You don't need HD quality for video calls. As long as they aren't blocky and stuttery it's fine and it's unusual to get a poor quality video call over WiFi. Most mobile networks produce good quality video calls now too.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“With the networks putting on limits of 1GB or 500MB video calling would eat into this quickly. Which would make the feature too expensive to use for most people.”
That depends on what type of call people were making. If people are making calls from a video phone to a video phone over the network provider's network then it won't actually use the data limit, it will be dealt with as a phone call. The only time the data limit comes in to play is if the call is made over the internet such as a feature on Skype or similar - even then consider that the video images are compressed and we aren't talking about HD video which would obviously ramp up the data usage.
When I was with O2 previously I managed to get a contract that included video calls within my inclusive monthly minutes allowance. I had 1,000 minutes a month and my unused minutes rolled over up to 3 months. Video calls were anything but expensive - sadly I don't get that on TMobile currently.
Originally Posted by ACU:
“However as you say, people look for different things in a mobile, so whilst video calling for you is a must have, for me its a gimmick, that I would use once of twice.”
Yes, we are all different. So gimmick for you, not for others. I suspect you'll notice an increase in video calls as more and more people get smart phones and mobile internet devices, just as you see a popular usage in desktop and laptop computers with webcams.