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Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this. As you guys can imagine, FaceTime is going to be the new craze among iPhone 4 users. As much as I hate to say it, Apple will be the ones to make voice calling finally take off.
Qik is meh, and Skype video chat is still up in the air (no pun intended).
So that begs the question, would it be possible to make a device such as the Evo emulate FaceTime (with an iPhone 4 caller). Considering it's over WiFi, I don't see how it couldn't be possible.
They claim FaceTime is supposed to be an "open" standard, though I am a bit dubious to this considering H.264/AAC is involved.
Anyhow, all licensing and networking aside, I think we can agree that it is somewhat remotely possible and also really neat of an idea.
I know it's a bit early, but are there any teams talking about/working on this? I'm a developer (and learning the Android ropes at the moment) and would love to help contribute to something like this.
Comments, thoughts, and suggestions all welcome!
Yup, we'll see it eventually. As you said, FaceTime is an open standard and will probably be adopted on many different platforms. H.264 and AAC encoding's wont cause a problem, and will actually be beneficial due to it's compression versus quality ratio. Couple that together with the fact that the Evo already supports them out of the box, it's a no-brainer!
Eventually most likely all devices will connect somehow. This is a question though and would be more fit for the Q&A forum
The cool thing will be that we will likely be able to connect to FaceTime via 3G/4G and they will need Wifi because of Apple/ATT's control.
I would love to help out with this in any way I can, I can't do code but if you need graphics for the project, just pm me.
take it for what its worth, but Engadget did a test of facetime with mifi devices and the results were piss poor... we're probably better off using qik or some system that is designed for mobile networks.
R
RTessi said:
take it for what its worth, but Engadget did a test of facetime with mifi devices and the results were piss poor... we're probably better off using qik or some system that is designed for mobile networks.
R
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Guess that explains why it's WiFi-only. Typical Crapple.
gbm85 said:
Guess that explains why it's WiFi-only. Typical Crapple.
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id factor it up more towards at&t not wanting the iphone users (apparently bandwidth hogs) taking up anymore of their resources.
this isdump. we have fring and qik which already work over 3g and 4g were facetime is only working over wifi....and its not even performing well with that....so what im trying to understand is...what is it that you are you expecting?
mastermayhm069 said:
this isdump. we have fring and qik which already work over 3g and 4g were facetime is only working over wifi....and its not even performing well with that....so what im trying to understand is...what is it that you are you expecting?
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I agree with you.
I don't think we need someone on Android to implement FaceTime... I'd rather have Fring, Qik or Skype put 2-way chat on the iPhone 4. It's not like I'm going to be in a call with someone and be like, oh, lets switch over to video so we can see each other. I'm fine with using a dedicated client and I think most iPhone users would be too.
ViViDboarder said:
I agree with you.
I don't think we need someone on Android to implement FaceTime... I'd rather have Fring, Qik or Skype put 2-way chat on the iPhone 4. It's not like I'm going to be in a call with someone and be like, oh, lets switch over to video so we can see each other. I'm fine with using a dedicated client and I think most iPhone users would be too.
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agreed, most of that stuff is just a gimmick, you use it once and then nada. I personally haven't used video chat on my phone since i got it.
mrono said:
agreed, most of that stuff is just a gimmick, you use it once and then nada. I personally haven't used video chat on my phone since i got it.
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I agree somewhat. I've used it a couple times but the lack of quality makes it a gimmick. If it was higher quality and more people could connect, I would probably use it more and think it was less gimmicky.
gthing said:
I agree somewhat. I've used it a couple times but the lack of quality makes it a gimmick. If it was higher quality and more people could connect, I would probably use it more and think it was less gimmicky.
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the quality is why I haven't used it, it's like i'm broadcasting from a portal into LEGO world
Yeah, so far video chatting from phone to phone is such a gimmick. However, I see some potential for video chatting from evo to computer. There isn't many video chat enabled phones out there but plenty of people with computers to video chat with. I just haven't found the right softwares for the phone and computer to use.
fring on evo connected with skype on computer is flawless, sound and video...if you have strong 3g/4g/wifi signal
tecmu said:
Yeah, so far video chatting from phone to phone is such a gimmick. However, I see some potential for video chatting from evo to computer. There isn't many video chat enabled phones out there but plenty of people with computers to video chat with. I just haven't found the right softwares for the phone and computer to use.
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ChatRoulette for Android Especially since they are working on an algorithm to filter out all the wangs
itmustbejj said:
ChatRoulette for Android Especially since they are working on an algorithm to filter out all the wangs
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your kiddin me hahahah filter out the wangs....thats hilarious.
Facetime application for Android
I switched from Apple to HTC EVO and I am very happy with HTC EVO. It is awesome. However if you look at the quality of video on face time it is amazing. The video and audio quality through Fring is no way comparable to facetime. Also people have connected using tethering through HTC EVO and connected two iphones with facetime. Excellent quality over 3G through HTC EVO. Summary, it will be nice to have an application like factime... Thanks
gbm85 said:
Guess that explains why it's WiFi-only. Typical Crapple.
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Is crap typical from Apple?
never really used facetime :/
when you take pictuers on the HTC DESIRE
lets say when you take a picture holding the device on landscap - does it save the picture as landscap? i mean that does you have to do ROTATE to photos to save them on the computer?
is there any site i can see all the androind app now? so i can know what ill have and what i can't have..
or i have to check the market app only from a androind device?
thats it for now. still having problems deciding what phone to take - Desire or iPhone 4...
the bad thing that the desire have no front camera for future things like making video calls on fring or mesnnger...
p.s. sorry for my bad English.. hop you can help me! thanks!
Yes, if you take the picture in landscape, the picture will be saved in landscape. Same for portrait. In addition, you can edit the orientation of the photo in the photo viewer.
There is an official Android Market site. But it's not very helpful. You can't push applications to your device and the selections are not complete. Appbrain is a better alternative.
Btw, you should know that video calling is not a "future thing". That's what Apple wants you to believe. The front facing camera was so underutilized that manufacturers have since decided to abandon it. Once Apple adopted it, it's suppose to be the next big thing....sigh...
For finding all the available apps you can try http://www.androlib.com , but it might be a bit hard to find the things you want.
And regarding the videocalling, you can actually videocall with fring on your desire, but it obviously will use the rear facing camera. So it kind of depends on what you want to do, is it really i want to see someone when i call them or i want to show them what i am seeing at this moment.
well is there any HTC phone that is android with fron cam also? somthing like the desire.... ??
i think ill be using the fron camera a lot when i be abrod and want to make calls over fring with WIFI connection...
Quick question for you Amir...do you video call now? You say future things like you're expecting it to be the next big thing. It's been available for years. Why have you never thought to do it before but now seemingly would let it colour your purchasing decisions?
i had N95 for lots of time.. and i did use video call but by then it wans't possiple to use it over WIFI and with fring..
so i allways want that like this.
I had an N95 also and was able to use Fring to make Skype video calls a long time ago.
My question was basically , knowing that video calling is a requirement, why don't you stick with Nokia, who rarely leave out the front cam? Symbian is improving at a rapid pace to try and keep up.
amir84 said:
well is there any HTC phone that is android with fron cam also? somthing like the desire.... ??
i think ill be using the fron camera a lot when i be abrod and want to make calls over fring with WIFI connection...
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There isnt no, the reason htc have left out the front camera is that its not supported by the os
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
so how is the galaxy S have a front cam and runing the same OS ?
AndroHero said:
There isnt no, the reason htc have left out the front camera is that its not supported by the os
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
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That's not 100% correct. The camera hardware is supported just fine...the protocol that is used to make 3G video calls is what I think is missing (someone correct me if I'm wrong) and so negated the inclusion of a front cam.
I had a E71 but never used video calling once. I had it for 3 years also.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
atomfix said:
I had a E71 but never used video calling once. I had it for 3 years also
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http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/December2004/8825.htm
It's old tech but the carriers here in Europe REALLY thought it would take off. Obviously, Apple being Apple, people will start video calling like they've never done before.
Mp3 players were available before the iPod, but no one wanted them...until Apple did it. Mobile phones could install apps and surf the web before the iPhone...no one wanted to, until Apple did it. People have had cameras on their phones for years...but the dawn of the iPhone has seen it remain the most used camera of ANY kind in the world on Flickr since it was released. Tablet PC's wallowed in the wilderness of computing for 10 years before the iPad...now it's the hottest selling device this year.
Apple people tend to start doing things they had no inclination to do before Apple told them it was awesome to do said activity. Expect the same to happen to video calling.
To be honest right..... video calling is the thing of the ancient past. I'm sure the Pharaoh's used video calling in there time. But HD voice calling should be the future
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I currently own an iPhone 4 32GB on AT&T and I am considering a Windows Phone 7 device. Should I go ahead and sell my iPhone and purchase a device? I currently own a Zune (which I am selling) with a Zune Subscription (which I plan on keeping) and I am looking into selling my PS3 for an XBOX 360.
I have a lot of music, so that's what I do most. I also text and use the internet a lot, as well as check email. I also use Pandora quite a bit too (though with the Zune marketplace on the phone, probably not as much). I play games, but not often. I love the battery life of my iPhone. I also have an Otterbox to protect it's beauty. I am also a big fan of its screen and resolution. I use my phone as a camera too. Also, I want better navigation than what I currently get on my iPhone, which is MapQuest 4 (since the iPhone Maps sucks for navigation).
I have been considering the Samsung Focus, HTC Surround, and the LG Quantum. Are there more for AT&T I should consider? I really like the Dell Venue Pro, but it seems like it's not offered for AT&T.
So, what do you guys think? Should I jump ship? By the way, I LOVED the Zune and it's interface, if that helps.
Well really the only one who can decide is you. I'd head to a mobile store and just play with one until they kick you out. I have an LG Quantum, here are some thoughts:
-the software keyboard is. a-may-zing. I can type almost as fast on it as i can with two hands on a desktop. Bar none, the best I've ever used. If you text, this will blow you away. It just knows what you meant to type
-the zune player leaves a LOT to be desired, sound quality wise. wp7 needs an eq app soon. It'll get one, but for now, expect a flat sound. Very dissappointing.
-I don't know why I'm reading bad things about it, but the new IE is so fast it's overwhelming. It renders things very very quickly. Better than my wife's iPhone.
-the interface and UI is awesome. It's honestly the next step in smartphone software. Very impressive especially once you get used to it
-great Facebook integration. It adds all your Facebook/SIM contacts/hotmail contacts to one "contacts" app. Which at first sounds like too much. But after using it, I never want to go back. If I want to get a hold of anyone I've ever met, no matter from where, they're in my contacts hub. I can then choose to email them, post on their wall, text them, or call them. It's so quick and easy
sure haven't said:
Well really the only one who can decide is you. I'd head to a mobile store and just play with one until they kick you out. I have an LG Quantum, here are some thoughts:
-the software keyboard is. a-may-zing. I can type almost as fast on it as i can with two hands on a desktop. Bar none, the best I've ever used. If you text, this will blow you away. It just knows what you meant to type
-the zune player leaves a LOT to be desired, sound quality wise. wp7 needs an eq app soon. It'll get one, but for now, expect a flat sound. Very dissappointing.
-I don't know why I'm reading bad things about it, but the new IE is so fast it's overwhelming. It renders things very very quickly. Better than my wife's iPhone.
-the interface and UI is awesome. It's honestly the next step in smartphone software. Very impressive especially once you get used to it
-great Facebook integration. It adds all your Facebook/SIM contacts/hotmail contacts to one "contacts" app. Which at first sounds like too much. But after using it, I never want to go back. If I want to get a hold of anyone I've ever met, no matter from where, they're in my contacts hub. I can then choose to email them, post on their wall, text them, or call them. It's so quick and easy
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I have a question on the sound. Is it comparable to the Zune, better or worse? What about in comparison to the iPhone?
I want to play with it but work and college kind of get in the way.
Like said above, go into a store and play with one. I'm gonna have to agree to everything sure said, windows phone 7 is amazing..the user interface is incredible. I've only had my HD7 for 4 days and I can't put it down. It's so smooth, the social integration with Facebook and your contacts is genius. Go play with one I doubt you'll be dissapointed
mariolopezjr said:
I currently own an iPhone 4 32GB on AT&T and I am considering a Windows Phone 7 device. Should I go ahead and sell my iPhone and purchase a device? I currently own a Zune (which I am selling) with a Zune Subscription (which I plan on keeping) and I am looking into selling my PS3 for an XBOX 360.
I have a lot of music, so that's what I do most. I also text and use the internet a lot, as well as check email. I also use Pandora quite a bit too (though with the Zune marketplace on the phone, probably not as much). I play games, but not often. I love the battery life of my iPhone. I also have an Otterbox to protect it's beauty. I am also a big fan of its screen and resolution. I use my phone as a camera too. Also, I want better navigation than what I currently get on my iPhone, which is MapQuest 4 (since the iPhone Maps sucks for navigation).
I have been considering the Samsung Focus, HTC Surround, and the LG Quantum. Are there more for AT&T I should consider? I really like the Dell Venue Pro, but it seems like it's not offered for AT&T.
So, what do you guys think? Should I jump ship? By the way, I LOVED the Zune and it's interface, if that helps.
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With that list. Go for it. Now your decision boils down to which one.
Zune player sounds just fine. He must have really bad headphones or something. But it's at the very least on par with the iPhone if not better.
However, OP, I recommend you stick with the iPhone 4 for now. Several reasons.
WP7 is currently bug infested. You should probably wait and see how and if Microsoft is going to deal with it. You also should generally wait until Mango to see whether WP7 will take off or not. It's a bit of a gamble as of right now.
If you insist on taking the chance with WP7, I recommend you wait for Nokia's WP7 phones. The current hardware is pretty good but Nokia phones will probably have nice exclusives and, if they base them on the concepts, will be the sexiest phones out there.
All signals essentially point to 'wait.'
Based on friends of mine who have made the jump, I'd say go for it. They all love the UX on Phone 7 and while the platform does miss some functionality today it's not something that you will notice on a daily basis.
In the end though, it's a question only you can answer, so I'll agree with most others here and tell you to go have a play with it in store.
I have been a long term Windows phone user (version 5, 6.1 and 6.5). Unfortunately my current MDA Vario has developed a speaker problem and I'm forced to get a new phone (T Mobile have previously 'fixed' the problem which has now returned)
What you tend to forget is that you shouldn't buy an operating system - you purchese functionality. The key thing is whether the phone can satisfy all your requirements.
As for me, Windows 7 doesn't currently satisfy 3 key requirements:
1. No internet tethering out of the box (you have to really delve down to make this work)
2. No turn by turn navigation
4. No decent ebook reader which can read either lit or mobi format (although the Kindle application has been issued, there is no easy way to load my old books which I haven't purchased from Amazon). All in all I'm very disappointed that MS Reader has not been upgraded
As a mainly business user, I'm not really too interested in Zune or Games and am a bit unhappy about syncronisation via the cloud. As a haooy Napster user (supported in 6.5), I would have to swop to Zune
So what have I decided. I have gone ahead and purchased a used HTC Diamon Pro 2 running 6.5. This will do everything I want and I will wait until Windows 7 finally catches up.
sandravale said:
1. No internet tethering out of the box (you have to really delve down to make this work)
2. No turn by turn navigation
4. No decent ebook reader which can read either lit or mobi format (although the Kindle application has been issued, there is no easy way to load my old books which I haven't purchased from Amazon). All in all I'm very disappointed that MS Reader has not been upgraded
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1. While I understand what you're saying it really doesn't ring true with me. If you own a Samsung you can enable tethering in 15 or so taps (including entering all the numbers).
2. Really? I have turn-by-turn on my Omnia7. Works great too. AT&T also seem to be offering some sort of navigational package, as does several other carriers around the world.
I can't comment on the ebook reader situation as I find the phone too small to read large chunks of text on anyway, but your point seems valid enough.
sandravale said:
As a mainly business user, I'm ... a bit unhappy about syncronisation via the cloud.
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Really? What's your problem with the cloud exactly? Not being confrontational here, just wondering what, if any, gripes you have about using a secure always available filestore. I can understand some people not wanting to store their confidential documents on a random SkyDrive, but as a business you can run a locked down Sharepoint server locally.
I moved from a 32gb iPhone 4 to a Samsung Focus on the basis of the strength of the Zune platform. There have been drawbacks to moving over to such a new platform (marketplace bug being one main one, lack of apps being another) but also benefits such as the close facebook integration, UI, live tiles and above all, the zune integration.
I've had no sense that the zune player quality is worse (nor better) than the iphone. The desktop client and zunepass blow iTunes away. There really is no comparison.
I would play around with current phones, but as someone above said, you may want to wait and see if they announce any Nokia phones in the April timeframe (MIX 11). Although I guess the resale value of the iP4 will decline after the iP4s/5 gets released this summer.
mKTank said:
Zune player sounds just fine. He must have really bad headphones or something. But it's at the very least on par with the iPhone if not better.
However, OP, I recommend you stick with the iPhone 4 for now. Several reasons.
WP7 is currently bug infested. You should probably wait and see how and if Microsoft is going to deal with it. You also should generally wait until Mango to see whether WP7 will take off or not. It's a bit of a gamble as of right now.
If you insist on taking the chance with WP7, I recommend you wait for Nokia's WP7 phones. The current hardware is pretty good but Nokia phones will probably have nice exclusives and, if they base them on the concepts, will be the sexiest phones out there.
All signals essentially point to 'wait.'
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A) No, my headphones are good quality. The PSP (generation ONE), and Samsung Omnia 2 blow it out of the water. They sound EQ'd, with presence and body. My Quantum just sounds flat.
B) After reading your post, you sound like a hater. So OP, please disregard his comments. Wp7 is not "bug ridden", it works just fine. Not sure why you insist on claiming getting a wp7 is "taking a chance". I think that description would be more apt to an Android phone, as the fragmentation has assured no one can tell which device will actually be good. As for wp7, there are hardware minimums across the board, and the software is smoother than silk. Haters gonna hate I suppose.
mariolopezjr said:
I currently own an iPhone 4 32GB on AT&T and I am considering a Windows Phone 7 device. Should I go ahead and sell my iPhone and purchase a device? I currently own a Zune (which I am selling) with a Zune Subscription (which I plan on keeping) and I am looking into selling my PS3 for an XBOX 360.
I have a lot of music, so that's what I do most. I also text and use the internet a lot, as well as check email. I also use Pandora quite a bit too (though with the Zune marketplace on the phone, probably not as much). I play games, but not often. I love the battery life of my iPhone. I also have an Otterbox to protect it's beauty. I am also a big fan of its screen and resolution. I use my phone as a camera too. Also, I want better navigation than what I currently get on my iPhone, which is MapQuest 4 (since the iPhone Maps sucks for navigation).
I have been considering the Samsung Focus, HTC Surround, and the LG Quantum. Are there more for AT&T I should consider? I really like the Dell Venue Pro, but it seems like it's not offered for AT&T.
So, what do you guys think? Should I jump ship? By the way, I LOVED the Zune and it's interface, if that helps.
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No. You shouldn't, especially if you already have a Zune.
That's just my opinion.
I had almost the same exact decision to make a few weeks ago. I was going to upgrade and it was either the iPhone 4 or the Samsung Focus. I went with the Samsung Focus because I already have an iPad, but it truly is a great device. Theres some bug's with it, but I'm counting on Microsoft to fix them.
Things I like:
1. Camera button
2. Interface (duh)
3. Facebook integration (I like being able to add a contact and have it automatically pull in all that users information for me)
4. Nice keyboard (like it better than the iPhones, but it still has its gripes)
5. Zune Software instead of iTunes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Bigger screen (Focus has a 4 inch screen and it is a big difference from the iPhone's small 3.5 inch screen)
7. Bing voice search (this is something I show all my friends. I can just say "hamburger" and it finds all the local hamburger joints around me wicked fast)
8. Flash support is coming (http://wmpoweruser.com/flash-10-2-incoming-but-no-wp7-date-announced/)
Things I don't like:
1. Marketplace is very slow, laggy, and unstable
2. Battery life isn't quite as good as the iPhone 4
3. Camera settings reset (this is not a feature Microsoft...)
4. Not as good browser (no html 5, different format that isn't quite as mobile friendly, no reordering of bookmarks).
5. Apps need PERMISSION to run under the lockscreen. If they don't even have this option they must be relaunched after you unlock your screen (why?!?!?!)
6. Less API support
7. No multitasking (will be coming this year though)
All in all make the jump as you have a 30 day period to return it (I'm still debating). If you keep it and you end up not liking it after awhile you will be just in time to upgrade to the iPhone 6 when it comes out in 2013 (possible benefit?)!
mariolopezjr said:
I have a question on the sound. Is it comparable to the Zune, better or worse? What about in comparison to the iPhone?
I want to play with it but work and college kind of get in the way.
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I've never used a Zune so I can't comment, but see my other post about comparing it to other devices. My wife has an iPhone, but I've never tested them side by side (that would include hooking each one up to itunes/zune and transferring the same song, etc... I'm just way too lazy for that, sorry, at least I'm being honest)
ErikWithNoC said:
4. Not as good browser (no html 5, different format that isn't quite as mobile friendly, no reordering of bookmarks).
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See, there it is. I've been surfing on my phone since I got it... never had a problem rendering any site. Unless you're going to some flash-laden bloatfest, I don't understand how you can't think that this IE is fantastic.
emigrating said:
1. While I understand what you're saying it really doesn't ring true with me. If you own a Samsung you can enable tethering in 15 or so taps (including entering all the numbers).
2. Really? I have turn-by-turn on my Omnia7. Works great too. AT&T also seem to be offering some sort of navigational package, as does several other carriers around the world.
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1. That's one phone on one carrier. That doesn't work. If you have T-Mobile the Samsung hack will not work. It's an outliar, and non-factor in the grand scheme of things.
2. No one in their right mind pays for Turn by Turn on a smartphone unless they need offline maps. Why pay $10 a month for Navigation when an HD2 can do it for free in Windows Mobile with the Bing App? Or an Android phone with Google Maps? $10 a month is a lot to pay just for Navigation.
The only carrier that makes sense for is Sprint, since they give away their Navigation features for free if you have their $69 (soon 79) plan. But Sprint currently has no WP7 devices.
I can't comment on the ebook reader situation as I find the phone too small to read large chunks of text on anyway, but your point seems valid enough.
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That's your opinion, but you have pinch to zoom and automatic text restructuring in these apps that make it trivial to read. This wouldn't be a big issue if Microsoft had decent Skydrive integration in the phone. In that case you'd just need to upload them to you skydrive and find an app that can read that file format. But that isn't coming for over 6 months...
Really? What's your problem with the cloud exactly? Not being confrontational here, just wondering what, if any, gripes you have about using a secure always available filestore. I can understand some people not wanting to store their confidential documents on a random SkyDrive, but as a business you can run a locked down Sharepoint server locally.
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Some people just like to have better control over their stuff. There's nothing wrong with it and he doesn't have to have a problem to have this specific qualm with any smartphone platform. They are all a bit too cloud-centric, IMO.
sure haven't said:
See, there it is. I've been surfing on my phone since I got it... never had a problem rendering any site. Unless you're going to some flash-laden bloatfest, I don't understand how you can't think that this IE is fantastic.
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There are HTML5 Mobile websites that are much better to use than their desktop (or WAP) counterparts on a smartphone browser.
touch.facebook.com >>> facebook.com or m.facebook.com on a mobile browser - by far. That is just one example. There are dozens if not more. HTML5 support being missing is a strike. NOt saying they need to implement the entire HTML5 Draft Spec tomorrow, but launching with basically no support for it was not a good idea, IMO.
With Multi-Tasking and third party browsers this would not be an issue, though, since we'd probably have Opera or some other Mobile Browser (probably WebKit) ported to it. If Microsoft had implemented a dual (Trident + WebKit) rendering engine, that would have been a killer feature... With the ability to set defaults on a site by site basis, of course.
N8ter said:
1. That's one phone on one carrier. That doesn't work. If you have T-Mobile the Samsung hack will not work. It's an outliar, and non-factor in the grand scheme of things.
2. No one in their right mind pays for Turn by Turn on a smartphone unless they need offline maps. Why pay $10 a month for Navigation when an HD2 can do it for free in Windows Mobile with the Bing App? Or an Android phone with Google Maps? $10 a month is a lot to pay just for Navigation.
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1. I disagree as it's not only achievable on the Samsung handsets (of which there are actually 2 available), the LG ones are just as easy. HTC handsets can also tether but IIRC, yes, you do have to dwelwe a little deeper. Point is, out of the 9 launch handsets, 4 can tether by entering a few numbers onto the phone - so do what people did way back when, chose a device based on functionality rather than looks. Also, as a business user, get yourself an off contract device - it costs the same (or in many cases less) in the long run, but gives you more choice. Also, don't forget the world is a lot larger than the US, the Omnia7 can be had on pretty much any network you like in Europe - on-contract if you so please.
2. I don't pay. Navigon came free with my off-contract Omnia7. Sure, I had to spoof the Navigon http server for map downloads other than Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, but there is no monthly fee. I realize some of the other carriers do charge you (ATT being one), but the point here is that there are options available to you. Regarding paying for navigation, as much as I love Bing (or even Google) maps due to its satellite imagery it's not, IMO, a replacement for a dedicated navigational tool ... yet, and looking at the sales statistics for these apps on the iPhone, most people seem to agree with me.
I'm not condoning the fact Bing did not have turn-by-turn out of the box, far from it, but to broadly say "No turn-by-turn" available and use that as one of three reasons for dropping the OS is just wrong.
N8ter said:
That's your opinion, but you have pinch to zoom and automatic text restructuring in these apps that make it trivial to read.
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Of course it's my opinion. Pinch to zoom or text reflow makes no difference to me, I still don't like reading books on a 4" display. That's what tablets are for IMO. Like I said though, I wasn't really commenting on it and agreed that his point was valid.
N8ter said:
Some people just like to have better control over their stuff.
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Better control? How can you have better control than a correctly configured and secured Sharepoint server hosted by yourself? Sure, you could live in the old days and manually copy files on and off your phone, forever wondering if that really was the final version or the second to last draft or whether your colleague had amended it between your last sync and the presentation, but really. Are you serious?
Using your phone as a mass storage device was never a good idea - it was a stop-gap measure because at the time it was invented/popular we didn't have S3 or properly configured corporate networks that allowed users access on-the-go.
sure haven't said:
See, there it is. I've been surfing on my phone since I got it... never had a problem rendering any site. Unless you're going to some flash-laden bloatfest, I don't understand how you can't think that this IE is fantastic.
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I'm not saying its a bad browser, it is in fact very good, but not quite as polished as iOS's Safari browser. I like to organize my bookmarks from most used -> least used, but WP7 only organizes them alphabetically. iOS use's WebKit for its browser which is more supported than IE's rendering engine (what is it?). If you go to gmail for example you will get a hampered down dump phone mobile view (this is simply for example, other sites do this as well).
Yeah, ironically IE renders mobile sites way worse than Android or iPhone. The websites are partly to blame because of course they have had lots of time to optimize for those platforms. I don't mind the rendering of full sites... sometimes the font sizes are way off, but overall not bad and at least it's quick.
All in all the browsing experience is not as good as the other mobile platforms. I've got high hopes that IE9 fixes that.
Sent from my GT-I9000M
Figured I'd post this here as an FYI since I didn't see a thread on it already. I just bought a 2012 Ford Focus and I was surprised at how well my HTC Arrive worked with it after hearing how small the list of phones that are fully functional with it is. I don't know if it started with Mango or if it worked well in NoDo already. I can see my battery life and signal strength from the dash. When someone texts me it kicks right into the voice from the phone that asks if you want to read it or ignore. I can reply back and send texts via voice as well. If I hit media on the touchscreen it shows my phone as an option and starts playing the music, all without needing to plug anything in. My friends iPhone4 and my wife's EVO Shift 4G running the latest official GB update don't do this, they only get the phone call ability really. Here's the latest official tested list, as you can see almost none of the devices are rated for audio streaming and SMS, but mine works.
http://www.nsapp.fordtechservice.dealerconnection.com/sync/usEN/sync_us_EN_iop_2_00.pdf
If you don't know what MyFordTouch/Sync is, here's some info and videos of it in action, it's pretty sweet:
http://www.ford.com/technology/sync...1b08c08d000632e00f00g05h00j00k26m1n0p20110107
The voice I hear though is the same one that comes out of the phone, the TellMe system, not the robotic voice in the videos above.
Glad to know it works, the focus 2012 looks awesome, I'd get one if I could.
That'll be because Ford and Microsoft are major business partners.
The OS that the Touch screen runs on in the new Ford Focus (well, the ST due out next year anyway) was developed by Microsoft, so no surprise at all that they work incredibly well together.
Also just to be pedantic, how can you have bought and own 2012 Focus when we are still in 2011?
Audio said:
That'll be because Ford and Microsoft are major business partners.
The OS that the Touch screen runs on in the new Ford Focus (well, the ST due out next year anyway) was developed by Microsoft, so no surprise at all that they work incredibly well together.
Also just to be pedantic, how can you have bought and own 2012 Focus when we are still in 2011?
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WP7 and the Sync software share much DNA.
As far as the 2012 comment, the new Focus is a 2012 model being sold in 2011:
http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/?intcmp=fv-hpbb-dflt-40mpg-focus
Audio said:
That'll be because Ford and Microsoft are major business partners.
The OS that the Touch screen runs on in the new Ford Focus (well, the ST due out next year anyway) was developed by Microsoft, so no surprise at all that they work incredibly well together.
Also just to be pedantic, how can you have bought and own 2012 Focus when we are still in 2011?
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The thing is that I've seen people complain that the first release of WP7 supported only the voice dialing so I was prepared to be disappointed and then was pleasantly surprised. Figured I'd report in on it. I might do a video review just to get the word out and show it off a little.
Am I the only one that's extremely upset that you have to have a Ford to have this functionality? Wouldn't it be best for Microsoft to make their software available to aftermarket dealers?
You dont need a ford to get what hes talking about...
Most of what he described is standard bluetooth capabilities. With the exception of voice reply and read text messages my JVC unit does all else. I do get a message that says I have a text however. I imagine when I get mango and actually have the read and write through voice functionality It will work seamlessly as well.
Of course the ford system is fancier overall but as far as functionality from the phone as he describes it, its the same.
I am curious though, does the focus have a usb plug? Can you plug the phone in and actually control the zune software? Or is it just bluetooth control?
It depends on the trim level I think, mine has two USB ports though. I think I've read that it controls via USB as well. Here are some other things possible:
http://www.syncmyride.com/Own/touch/entertainment
Found this:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3742033&postcount=6
To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.
It's a nice feature to have (e.g. seeing gf/wife/kids while on the road, etc) but yeah many people don't need it.
However, it's a check-the-box kind of feature. When your main competitors in the iPhone and the Android superphones have it, you better damn well make sure your flagship Windows Phone has it
Aerik said:
To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.
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I agree that it's a nice feature to have. It's a must for video calling, though.
it all comes down to features that are important to the end user, while i'm in the FFC is not all that important camp, there are others who might use it a lot on their current phone, or have a need and use for it, and to them, the loss of the FFC is a deal breaker.
the part that perplexes me is that the N9 has one, which makes the virtually identical 800 not having one irritating.
personally, i'm pretty let down by the 800, aside from the great industrial design, the rest of the phone seems pretty mediocre to me, but again, it's the stuff that the focus s and titan have that more fall into line with what i care about in my next phone which makes them better.
as far as why FFC could be a big deal, common reasons are long distance relationships (apple exploits the armed forces in their iphone4 ads, but it could also be people who travel a lot for business, in which a phone might be a more convenient way to see your loved ones when a laptop can be unweildly) the here and there instances when you need to show someone something, and a call or text won't do, etc.
It's not a big deal. I'm sure most people have complained about the screen size and storage, not the FFC. It's a case of ok if it's there, doesn't really matter if it's not.
Because some people what to video chat with loved ones, or it could be anybody really.
My last phone had one but I never used it. my new phone doesn't have one and I want one now and im not buying another phone without one now that most of my family has them
Just because its not important to you doesnt mean it isnt to other people and really I dont see why they took the ffc out to begin with, even HTC is adding them to their phones.
I think it's because people like to hold Microsoft to a higher standard. Apple and Google can mess up all they want but as soon as Microsoft does all the haters jump at it. The lack of FFC and dual core situation is no different.
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express
JustinTV773 said:
I think it's because people like to hold Microsoft to a higher standard. Apple and Google can mess up all they want but as soon as Microsoft does all the haters jump at it. The lack of FFC and dual core situation is no different.
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express
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The attitude like this sparks the flame wars.
As for the OP: I am using ffc occasionally to gtalk with people when I am not near my laptop.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
lqaddict said:
The attitude like this sparks the flame wars.
As for the OP: I am using ffc occasionally to gtalk with people when I am not near my laptop.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
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who said I was getting an attitude?
Sent from my T7575 using Board Express
Features, quite simply. While you, and admittedly I, do not use it (I don't, at all) we just acknowledge that many see this as a necessary - and at this point standard feature - that from here on out it should be present on any legitimately "high-end" phone. No questions, it should just be there. When Android phones started using it (and I'm aware they were around long before) people questioned it and their overall usefulness. It's obviously a well requested feature and should be as standard as an opposite facing camera, given the greater leaps made in video conferencing / chatting as of recent time.
Its not so much that it's a huge deal, but something that should just be standard.
Sent from m-IUI
Aerik said:
To some people on the internet, Nokia's lack of a front-facing camera is a deal breaker. But tell me why? It has yet become common-use and people, for the most part only use it a few times for novelty purposes. I would understand not getting the lumia 800 because the screen is too small, but stop talking about FFC unless you can see a practical and consistent use for it.
Besides, Nokia compensates in other ways. It has Nokia Maps and its suppose to be the best built-in maps. No competition. Now that has a practical use. It's has a top-notch camera as well. Dual-LED with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. However, I heard it's not on par with the Titan though.
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It's mostly a gimmick IMO. People want it because it exists in other high end devices, so it makes their devices look worse without it.
I had 2 cell phones with front cameras and I only used that feature one time to test it for fun. I believe that not many people would want to hold their phone like a mirror and talk to their contacts with everyone around looking at their personal video calling.
It reminds me of personal assistants like Siri on the iPhone. Everybody likes them, but in the end they get used only inside the house for fun and sometimes away from other family members.
Front Cameras also raise the cost of a device without offering a great functionality.
Never-Ever used front Cam on mobiles i had..
Sent from my Cm7-I9000 using Tapatalk
3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...
also a nice feature for checking your hair
those of you saying it's no big deal.. you are quite ignorant. again, i'm one who would not use it (currently). but i know many who video chat all the time on their phone. if they currently are used to always video chatting, why would they get a phone without one. its very simple to see why many wouldn't even consider a phone without a FFC. it's all opinion guys.. just because you don't see the point in something doesn't mean it's pointless.
Red Grenadine said:
It's a nice feature to have (e.g. seeing gf/wife/kids while on the road, etc) but yeah many people don't need it.
However, it's a check-the-box kind of feature. When your main competitors in the iPhone and the Android superphones have it, you better damn well make sure your flagship Windows Phone has it
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Best answer in the thread.
cgibsong002 said:
also a nice feature for checking your hair
those of you saying it's no big deal.. you are quite ignorant. again, i'm one who would not use it (currently). but i know many who video chat all the time on their phone. if they currently are used to always video chatting, why would they get a phone without one. its very simple to see why many wouldn't even consider a phone without a FFC. it's all opinion guys.. just because you don't see the point in something doesn't mean it's pointless.
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Not only that but MS just bought Skype video chat will be integrated at an OS level we want phones that will be ready for the inevitable.
I honestly only used the FFC for checking for boogers
Aerik said:
3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...
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I don't think comparing a camera to a display type is fair. I'm sure one could make the argument for both, why one is would seem of more use, but one is obviously a stronger mobile standard than the other and offers more legitimate use. One being directed more toward media intake, albeit in a smaller demographic, while the other appeals and offers to a larger demographic. I have rarely used mine, but it is entrely more productive than some display tech. Especially considering when you consider a form that doesn't fill a scale such as HD output does. That's exactly why 3D TVs haven't made that jump yet.
Sent from m-IUI
Aerik said:
3-d and thinness are seen in standard high-end Tvs but that doesnt mean it's a deal breaker. Sure, it's a great to have, but some things can easily compensate. I'd say, in the way I use my phones, that Nokia maps easily well and over compensates for the lack of FFC. However, I do wish the screen was 4inches ...
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You can't compensate that. Its a missing hardware component. Its not like using opera mobile because a stock browser is missing hardware acceleration. If its not there its not there.
All Tablets, higher iOS/WP/Android devices, high end Pmps (galaxy player/ITouch) have it. Most mid range phones are now shipping with vga front cams. Not putting it there is denying your users a whole means of communicating and making your phones less useful to business users who need stuff like WebEx.
However go ahead and downplay it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
Beside video calling it is also great if you want to take pictures with yourself in the picture because you can actually see on the screen what you are shooting.
Anyway, right now I think it is not so important because there is no skype app available, but if Skype gets integrated like Facebook the FFC could really become a deal breaker on the Nokia 800.
In my own case, I would find FFC to be really useful. I may be in the minority, but I was using video-calling over 3g with my old Touch Diamond2. In addition to using it with a mobile, I quite often use Skype to stay in touch with family, both extended family and my own family when I'm working away.
I recently had to travel for work, and due to corporate software policy, was unable to have Skype on my work laptop. This mean I carried an additional (old and bulky) laptop with me on my travels. I personally would have found it so much more convenient to simply be able to make the call on my mobile.
I simply assumed that with MS purchasing Skype, and Nokia buying into WP7, there'd be no question of FFC missing from the latest batch of phones. I was about to go with Nokia for past history of good quality hardware, good cameras etc. And then I found out that the memory would still be limited (I didn't realise how much of the 8Gb on my current Omnia 7 is reserved for the OS/apps, etc) *and* FFC was missing.
Now, in the grand scheme of things, these might not matter to the majority of users. But I miss having my favourite albums on tap, and the ability to video call on those occasions I wish to do so. And sadly, I've not ordered the new Nokia phones and have decided to hang on to the Omnia 7 until next year, when Nokia are due to release more handsets.
Slightly off topic - but regarding the memory, I used to have a 2Gb SD card in my TD2. This was more than enough for me to carry around my albums, but now I have less albums on an 8Gb Omnia 7! (Mind you, I have far more photos due to the ease of use of taking pictures ) I don't fully understand why MS decided to control the use of expandable memory in such a way. I can see why, but in my mind, I keep asking why people aren't allowed to add memory to suit their own needs.
Nonetheless, apart from the two issues mentioned above, I'm really happy with my phone, quite often demonstrating it to my iPhone/Android-toting work buddies. I'd just really like to be able to tell them one day that it also has Flash player support, expandable memory and video calling built in