Ah, the good old video call — it’s been trotted out time and time again by telecom operators as this fantastic new feature that everybody’s going to be doing soon. Of course, every time it’s been introduced, it’s failed to catch on, and 3G has been no exception.
Or is it? Back in August, Martin noticed two otherwise average-looking people making video calls, and now, Ewan’s spotted some teenage girls doing it as well.
Is this a trend, or just some isolated incidents brought together by the magic of my RSS reader? I’m still yet to see anybody use video calls outside a trade show demonstration. Is anybody else noticing more — or even just any — video calls these days?
If you tried video, saying goodnight to your kids from the other side of the planet, you know it’s a given winner in the long run!
Spot a video caller…
Carlo from Mobhappy spots an emerging trend: Okay, So That’s Three Times People Have Used Video Calls… Back in August, Martin noticed two otherwise average-looking people making video calls, and now, Ewan’s spotted some teenage girls doing it as …
Pontus, that is one heck of a KILLER APPLICATION
I mean it… On a more general level, I think we often forget how relatively little people to whom we are emotionally attached actually have phones capable of video calling. My parents, girlfriend, cousins, etc. are almost all 2.5G at the moment. Do I really want to pay extra to see the face of my colleague from work when I call him? - no.
I have a friend who regularly video calls his girlfriend. He even did it from our house once, so our daughter could sing for the young lady in question. He does work in technology, but I’d hardly call him an early adopter when it comes to phones. Before he got this video-enabled phone (which I recommended for him), he had his last handset for nearly four years.
The perfect demonstration of the ‘Virtual Phone Booth’ - essential for video calling! You don’t see people videocalling in public, because it’s not (generally) a public event. Too much ambient noise to a. hear the other person, b. make yourself heard. Here are my favorite videocalling spots (btw I’m in the ‘Away-on-business,-want-to-see-the-kids’ videocalling demographic.
a. Hotel room - quiet and private - and the wife doesn’t get jealous of my jet-setting lifestyle
b. Hotel balcony - at a scenic location, to invoke jealousy in desk-bound colleagues
c. In the car - when the kids are playing somewhere cool - like building camps in the forest, showing me their muddy knees with the sunlight streaming through the trees giving radiance and colour to all god’s beautiful things.
When the operators wake up (like some already have) to making video costs the same as voice costs, my 5 & 3 year olds are already fully trained up video-callers. And when they hit the 18-25 bracket-> your business case is made! Only 13 years to wait then.
Note to the industry - my least favorite videocalling spots
a. Trade show floor demonstrations - too noise, no network capacity, punters who’ve been shown it a zillion times before
b. The trade show floor again
c. You get the message
d. Anywhere public, where you shouldn’t be inflicting your ’speakerphone’ conversation to people trying to go about their daily lives in peace.
Kissing your Kids Good Night or impressing your girlfriend are nice to have niche applications. While you might find a few more ideas to neatly use video calls, that won´t make up a killer app.
What made SMS a killer application?
- its simple
- it´s (relativeliy) cheap
- its anonymous
- you can use it in public
Video Call is the exact antitheses of these success factors.
One thing I can imagine is incoming video calls as a means to deliver personalized mobile marketing messages. Responding to let´s say a print ad, you could send an SMS and receive a video with a message in response.
- it´s free and anonymous to the user
- it´s simple
- you can use it in public (even without looking like a complete dork grinning into your mobile phone)
- it has real entertainment value
As soon as I take delivery on my two Motorola RAZR V3i XX ( on pre-order ) I will report back with if it is easy or works at all…
…besides the V3i XX, what other phones support two-way video calling?
Thanks for the comments, everybody — keep ‘em coming
Todd, most (thought not all) WCDMA 3G phones support video calls.
Love it
I think you’re right Carlo… I reckon it’s still very much isolated and rather embarrassing to do on your own as you’re walking down the street.
I guess I am still looking for Dick Tracey’s wrist video-radio. Seem strangely cool at the time. Now I think about it and I rarely use my vid. It seemed to be the very best of ideas at the time but now…half the time I feel it’ just another invasion of my privacy. Guess I just haven’t found the best practical use of it yet. Just another disadvantage of aging faster than technology.