What is the best way to video call between Apple iPhone 4 and a non iPhone (Nokia E72)?

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › What is the best way to video call between Apple iPhone 4 and a non iPhone (Nokia E72)?

BlueToothKiwi

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#66248 16-Aug-2010 00:42

Given that

Apple Facetime only works with Wi-Fi and

You cant use Facetime with non iPhones,

What is the best way to make a video call between an iPhone and a non iPhone that is of acceptable quality?

I signed up for Vodafone Bestmate a few years ago mainly for the free video calling with nominated people (who are not in Wi-fi areas, and dont have 3G data plans).

I am hoping I can still take advantage of the free video calling from Vodafone - without getting the recipient of the video-call to sign up to a Dataplan or be in a WiFi network or worse buy an iPhone as well!

Any idea?

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

sbiddle

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#368060 16-Aug-2010 06:25

No known way right now that I know of.

Apple don't support the standard 3GPP video calling and right now Facetime is a custom SIP based solution.

JimmyC

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#368077 16-Aug-2010 08:35

Actually Fring for iPhone 4 is supposed to do video calling to Android and Nokia, and over 3G.

Ofcourse I haven't been able to test myself 'cos I'm still 10 days away from getting my new iPhone so feel free to test on our behalf... or wait 10 days and I'll do it myself

BlueToothKiwi

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#368079 16-Aug-2010 08:48

JimmyC: Actually Fring 4 for iPhone 4 is supposed to do video calling to Android and Nokia, and over 3G.

Perfect. Thank you :)

I did a quick search on the Internet - and this is how the Fring offering is described:

"... All fring calls are routed to a VoIP gateway and PSTN termination server. Calls destined to GSM and PSTN networks pass through a circuit switch such as Skype or SIP. Calls to VoIP users continue through the VoIP gateway to their destinations. ...."

The question I have is:

Is Putting a video call through Fring same as the traditional video calling [e.g. the Vodafone video calling] - or is it like a SIP on top of a data plan - that will incur data charges at the recipient end?

Tim M, Auckland
Blog: http://paddler.co.nz

JimmyC

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#368112 16-Aug-2010 10:00

There's a thread here about Fring and Skype -

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=97&topicid=62944

Although both products have changed recently I'm sure Linuxluver would be able to assist with possible charges. He only holidays in the Apple threads department ;-)

Linuxluver

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#368562 17-Aug-2010 10:39

Hi

If you are On Account with Vodafone and your kids are, too, then you can be added to a "family" group of up to 4 phones for $25 / month paid via the Account that is anchoring the Family group. The other phones can be on account or pre-pay. Doesn't matter.

This gives these 4 phones *unlimited* voice, txt, pxt and video calling....BUT.....it doesn't cover data. So to use the Video calling aspect your phone - and theirs - must support the 3G video calling that isn't Internet-based. I don't know if iPhone 4 can do that. I suspect not. If this is really important, you could / should get a second phone the cheapest available On Account, add it to the Family group and use that to do video calling.

Fring now doesn't talk to Skype anymore. Very annoying. I was using it quite a bit. Whichever one you used, they both eat up data - at both ends. No way around that.

So there are a few fish hooks in there. Everyone has to be on Vodafone and all the phones must support 3G video calling (so no iPhones or Android phones or Blackberrys).

Fring will work across platforms, but there's no way to avoid data charges unless you're all on wifi.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

n4

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#368563 17-Aug-2010 10:48

Linuxluver: So there are a few fish hooks in there. Everyone has to be on Vodafone and all the phones must support 3G video calling (so no iPhones or Android phones or Blackberrys).

Well, just to be pedantic, the Samsung Galaxy S (Android) supports traditional 3GPP video calling. So maybe swap the iPhone4 for a Galaxy S? Result! :-)

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees