If you’re thinking of getting the iPhone 4 next month (and you probably are), you’ll be happy to know that FaceTime, Apple’s answer to video calling, will not use your cellular minutes from your carrier when using the feature.
As we saw at WWDC, FaceTime makes use of a WiFi connection to connect to another iPhone 4 to make a video call. However the “call” still needs to connect somehow because not everyone wants to do a FaceTime call. So the question naturally came up of whether or not FaceTime calls use your minutes from your cellular carrier.
The good news is that FaceTime will not use your minutes! This is how it works:
1.) User initiates a phone call (this uses minutes)
2.) User connects to the intended call with the other person (this uses minutes)
3.) User begins a FaceTime call (minutes are no longer being used)
With that being said, if you disconnect from your FaceTime call or the FaceTime call fails, the iPhone 4 will drop back to your cellular carrier and your minutes will be used to continue a verbal (non-visual) phone call.
During the keynote at WWDC, it was noted that FaceTime will be WiFi only for 2010. This points to the likely case of connecting FaceTime calls over 3G cellular networks in the future, which will likely use carrier minutes, some type of video calling minutes or maybe your existing data plan.
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The minutes use sucks because long distance charges will still be applied I'm assuming when FaceTiming someone far away or out of country. At least it's better than using minutes the whole time.
does this mean that I can only use face time when in a wifi hot spot?
iOS 4 is out !!!
Correct
Don't see it on Apple website
would it not make more sense for apple to allow face time to go over data plans as well as over wifi? what if im walking down the street, or in the middle of a park? No wifi there. Kind of makes it useless unless im sitting in a cafe.
It's something that may happen early next year
Jailbreak + 3G Unrestricter FTW!
haha this only makes me wanting the iphone 4 even more.. my iphone 3g really only gets some of the minor changes.. good marketing apple 😛
https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone-firmware/io…
Gotta love these subtle hints to the media from Apple. Starts a firestorm of news.
But does 3G Unrestrictor work for it? Guess we'll find out soon enough. 🙂
Man, this and 3Gunrestrictor actually means free calls between iPhone 4 users, anywhere!
Otimo post gostei do conteudo do site ja vou colocar nos meus favoritos, sempre que possivel estarei visitando vlw.
apple “confirms”? do you have the link to the apple webpage that confirms such news?
so it’s iphone 4 to any iphone 4 in WIFI range, regardless of carrier, country, etc?