Apple FaceTime and the charges explained

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bassline

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#65325 2-Aug-2010 19:06

can someone who uses facetime in nz please explain the charging process if any..
from what i understand it uses wifi..now do you have to always be in a wifi zone to use it? how do you get charged to make the call itself? do you get charged per minute? is there no charge at all?

corksta

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#361837 2-Aug-2010 19:21

No extra charge in terms of making the call. It ONLY works over Wi-Fi. Think of it like a Skype video call.

freitasm

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#361838 2-Aug-2010 19:23

Your iPhone will send out a SMS to a number in the UK to register itself with Apple's servers. This is only for the first time you use it, or if you change the SIM card.

This SMS is charged at normal rates and doesn't come out of any bundles you might have.

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MattD

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#361852 2-Aug-2010 19:38

Just gave it a test then (thanks Kitanai), and I was amazed at the clarity of picture and audio.

If you have the number in your contacts or call history you do not need to make a call first, you can just click on Facetime. There is an additional button where you would normally see Call, Text Message.

I will recheck mobile account info, however I do not anticipate any charges at all for the facetime call.

One thing I did notice was that when I first answered the facetime, it tried to pass the audio off to my vehicle bluetooth handsfee (I was in range).

bassline

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#362488 3-Aug-2010 16:15

so is it dependant on you being in a free wifi area?
what if your on queen st or in papakura and want to make a facetime call or receive a facetime call?

corksta

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#362538 3-Aug-2010 17:43

bassline: so is it dependant on you being in a free wifi area?
what if your on queen st or in papakura and want to make a facetime call or receive a facetime call?

As said above it's wi-fi only. No wi-fi = no FaceTime, it's as simple as that, in the same way that no network coverage = no calling/texting.

dclegg

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#363206 4-Aug-2010 19:14

corksta: As said above it's wi-fi only. No wi-fi = no FaceTime, it's as simple as that, in the same way that no network coverage = no calling/texting.

Not quite as simple as that :-)

If you jailbreak your phone, you can use Facebook over 3G

http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/iphone-4-jailbreak-enables-facetime-video-calling-over-3g/

And according to tests performed by 9 to 5 Mac, it costs approximately 3MB per minute

http://9to5mac.com/how-much-data-3g-facetime-uses

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MattD

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#363235 4-Aug-2010 20:11

dclegg:
Not quite as simple as that :-)

but for a standard phone... yes as simple as that