Facetime Audio in iOS7

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NonprayingMantis

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#130848 30-Sep-2013 13:59

anybody tried this yet? sounds pretty handy.

Almost all my friends in NZ and overseas are on Apple, which means practically every call I make can now use facetime. If I'm at home, at work, or near a free wifi spot (and there are lots more of those around now) then I guess I won't even be using any mobile data since I would just use wifi over fixed line brodband, which is fast and data is cheap as chips

Pretty sweet.

michaelmurfy

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#905135 30-Sep-2013 14:18

Many of my friends use Viber too, seems like it's just that but "Apple and reinvented"

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Inphinity

2780 posts

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#905142 30-Sep-2013 14:27

I really don't understand the hype over this. Since when is being able to call someone (without video though omg!) on a phone a new feature? This was a novel concept in like 2003. A decade later it's "Thanks for finally catching up", imo. It has less features than pretty much every other VoIP platform offering (in that it requires both parties to have an iDevice with iOS7+), so I'd love to hear some actual benefits to this.

NonprayingMantis

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#905148 30-Sep-2013 14:40

Inphinity: I really don't understand the hype over this. Since when is being able to call someone (without video though omg!) on a phone a new feature? This was a novel concept in like 2003. A decade later it's "Thanks for finally catching up", imo. It has less features than pretty much every other VoIP platform offering (in that it requires both parties to have an iDevice with iOS7+), so I'd love to hear some actual benefits to this.

the main difference is that it is built into the OS, and will automatically detect if the other person has iOS.(which a lot of people do, of course - more than Viber)

Whilst the actual calling capability is nothing new, and can be done on things like Viber, with those apps you usually need to know that the other person a) has the app and b) is logged into the app and c) they are in your viber contacts list. This makes it much harder to use for most people compared to Facetime where as long as you have the person's phone number, it can tell if they are on iOS and therefore can make facetime calls (video or audio) and they don't need to be logged into any special app or be in a different contacts list.

for a specific example: getting my old non-techy mum in the UK to download and learn to use viber or skype on her phone is a pain in the buttocks. Facetime is much easier, since she doesn't have to do anything. I can just call her using facetime and her phone will ring.

Inphinity

2780 posts

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#905150 30-Sep-2013 14:41

NonprayingMantis:

the main difference is that it is built into the OS, and will automatically detect if the other person has iOS.(which a lot of people do, of course - more than Viber)

Whilst the actual calling capability is nothing new, and can be done on things like Viber, with those apps you usually need to know that the other person a) has the app and b) is logged into the app and c) they are in your viber contacts list. This makes it much harder to use for most people compared to Facetime where as long as you have the person's phone number, it can tell if they are on iOS and therefore can make facetime calls (video or audio) and they don't need to be logged into any special app or be in a different contacts list.

Ok, so it simplifies use. That's good, I guess. Does it notify you? I can otherwise see people who are assuming they're going to make a facetime call, but is actually a toll call, getting gurmpy that it cost them because their friend is on iOS6 or something ;)

NonprayingMantis

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#905151 30-Sep-2013 14:43

Inphinity:
NonprayingMantis:

the main difference is that it is built into the OS, and will automatically detect if the other person has iOS.(which a lot of people do, of course - more than Viber)

Whilst the actual calling capability is nothing new, and can be done on things like Viber, with those apps you usually need to know that the other person a) has the app and b) is logged into the app and c) they are in your viber contacts list. This makes it much harder to use for most people compared to Facetime where as long as you have the person's phone number, it can tell if they are on iOS and therefore can make facetime calls (video or audio) and they don't need to be logged into any special app or be in a different contacts list.

Ok, so it simplifies use. That's good, I guess. Does it notify you? I can otherwise see people who are assuming they're going to make a facetime call, but is actually a toll call, getting gurmpy that it cost them because their friend is on iOS6 or something ;)

It's not quite the same as iMessage whichj automatically switches between iMessage and SMS. this requires you to select Facetime audio rather than normal call, so you know what kind of call you are making. Not sure how it looks from the other person's POV. I assume it shows a factime call so they can choose to reject it if they are on 3G and want to save data.

Inphinity

2780 posts

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#905163 30-Sep-2013 14:46

Oh well, might chuck iOS7 on this ipad3 and give it a go sometime soon. Will be interested to see how it handles clarifying for both users what cost(s) are involved.

lxsw20

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#905166 30-Sep-2013 14:53

Have not tried, but those who have tell me the audio quality is very good. I think it will be very popular, be nice if it did like iMessage and automatically used Facetime Audio, guessing carriers wouldn't be so keen on the idea.

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NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

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#905170 30-Sep-2013 15:00

lxsw20: Have not tried, but those who have tell me the audio quality is very good. I think it will be very popular, be nice if it did like iMessage and automatically used Facetime Audio, guessing carriers wouldn't be so keen on the idea.

it won't be the carriers so much as the customers who may not want to default to using data when they probably have plenty of included minutes in their plans.