WiFi-Only Video Calls Makes FaceTime Practically Useless

iPhone FaceTime

I have been wanting video calling on the iPhone for years. In fact, two years ago today I asked my readers if video messages for iPhone would be an appealing feature. I imagined different scenarios where mobile video calling would be practical, useful and fun.

So I was excited about Apple’s announcement today that the new iPhone 4 will feature a front-facing video camera as well as video chatting software, dubbed FaceTime.

But…

The caveat is: FaceTime will only be usable over a WiFi network in 2010, and God knows how long we will have to wait for AT&T to step up and offer video calling over its 3G network.

Again, AT&T lets us down. We have waited for this feature for years, and now iPhone video chatting is here, but it’s crippled because you can’t use it over cellular data networks.

What good is video calling on a MOBILE phone if you can’t use it on the go? I mean, come on. If you live in the US, public WiFi hotspots are few and far between. And if I’m sitting somewhere where I have access to WiFi, then I’ll just use my laptop’s webcam to video call.

Does this bug you, too? How long do you think we’ll have to wait for video calling over 3G on iPhone 4?

WWDC 2010: All About iPhone 4

WWDC iPhone Keynote

Today is the big day. At 1 PM EST, Apple will kick off its 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference and presumably announce the next generation iPhone. Apple has announced a new iPhone in June during all past WWDC conferences since 2007, so there is no reason to believe they won’t do the same this year.

Steve Jobs may reveal news about all kinds of new Apple developments, but I’ll be covering mainly the iPhone-related topics. To keep up with iPhone-specific news on today’s WWDC event, be sure to bookmark this page.

I’m not at the conference myself but I am going to be obsessively following updates from various sources and will be posting them here and on Twitter.

iPhone Updates from WWDC 2010

7:47 AM: It will be another five hours or so before the conference begins, but the rumors are starting to pile up. I have my own hunch that Apple will reveal an iPhone completely different from the one that was leaked.

7:55 AM: A purported promotional poster is circulating through Twitter, claiming the next iPhone is called the “iPhone HD,” but I think the image is a fake.

Photos from Engadget:

iPhone 4 Flash

iPhone 4 Front

iPhone 4 Thin

Steve Jobs iPhone 4

iPhone 4 Components

HD iPhone

iMovie for iPhone

iPhone 4 FaceTime

iPhone 4: New Features

  • 1/4 thinner
  • MicroSIM card slot on the side
  • 960 x 640 pixel display (4 times more)
  • Gyroscope
  • 5 megapixel camera
  • Front facing camera
  • LED flash
  • A4 processor (same as iPad)
  • HD video recording
  • Video editing capabilities, i.e. iMovie for iPhone
  • Video chatting, i.e. FaceTime

@iPhoneChris via Twitter:

The app below may not be updating in real-time. For live updates, follow me on Twitter.

More updates on iPhone 4 via Engadget.

“iPhone HD” Image Travels Through Twitter: Here’s Why It’s a Fake

There’s an image going around the Twitterverse that purports to be a promotional poster from behind the scenes of today’s WWDC, and according to the image the next iPhone is called the “iPhone HD.”

iPhone HD

Is it Real?

In my opinion, there’s no way this is Apple’s design. Here’s why, based on my own judgment and what some people on Twitter have pointed out:

  • The font used for the “iPhone HD” headline is much too bold, and the letter spacing is oddly wide.
  • “smarter, better, faster” is lower case and missing punctuation, unlike most copy used on Apple.com.
  • The multicolored iPhones in the bottom left corner are not centered.
  • Why would Apple use the BACK of the iPhone as the photo’s main focal point?
  • The subtle swirling lines in the image suggest this is a photo of someone’s computer screen.

Smells like a shameless hoax to me. What do you think? Is the poster certainly real or an obvious fake?

Follow AppleiPhoneReview.com for WWDC 2010 Updates

WWDC iPhone Keynote

Stay tuned for updates on the WWDC conference today, when Steve Jobs will announce the next generation iPhone.

WWDC 2010 Start Time

It took me some searching to find out when the WWDC starts, but I finally found the time here. The WWDC start time is as follows, broken down by time zone:

  • 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
  • 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time
  • 12:00 Noon Central Time
  • 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
  • 6:00 p.m. BST
  • 7:00 p.m. Paris
  • 9:00 p.m. Moscow
  • 02:00 a.m. Tokyo (June 8th)

How to Get WWDC Updates

To follow iPhone-related updates on the WWDC conference via AppleiPhoneReview.com, go to this page and bookmark it.

New iPhone today, get pumped!

Will the Next iPhone Be a Never-Before-Seen Design?

I can’t help but wonder if tomorrow Steve Jobs will reach into his pocket to unveil the next iPhone and reveal something that looks NOTHING like this:

Gizmodo Secret iPhone

What if the 4th generation iPhone is totally different from anything we’ve ever seen?

Gizmodo Secret iPhone

Maybe the likelihood of a completely new iPhone design is slim, but if any company were to pull such a stunt, it would be Apple.

“You thought you had us figured out? Muhahaha!” — Steve Jobs, before he sprints off the WWDC stage into a cloud of smoke

Just sayin’. Would it surprise you?

Is the White iPhone Intended Primarily for Women?

White iPhone

Chinese website Apple.pro has just revealed a photo of what appears to be two models of the next-generation iPhone, and one of them is in a previously unseen white. I came across this story on the Mashable Facebook Page and noticed the thread sparked a discussion on whether the white model is intended to appeal to women.

White iPhone for Women?

One commenter opined, “The 4G coming out in white will appeal to more women,” while another retorted, “I know men with white iPhones. Maybe it has something to do with potentially leaving it in the car and heat?”

The question sparked my curiosity. I have always gotten the black iPhone model without ever really thinking about it. But I don’t think white is necessarily a “girl color.” After all, I own a white car and have never been made fun of because of it.

What do you think?

Is the white iPhone intended for women? Gentlemen, do you own a white iPhone? Ladies, would you judge a man with a white iPhone to be “effeminate”? Let me know what you think in the comments.