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Fring Adds Video Calling to iPhone

Tuesday December 1, 2009 10:43 am PST by Eric Slivka

Israeli firm fringland, one of the earliest VoIP services for the iPhone and iPod touch, has announced the launch of video calling for the iPhone and iPod touch. The feature is included in the latest version of the company's fring iPhone application [App Store, Free].

Unfortunately, because the iPhone's camera is on the rear of the device, only one-way incoming video calls are possible, although the application will support two-way video calling if the iPhone and iPod touch gain front-facing cameras in the future. The company already supports two-way video calling on several Nokia phones with such cameras.

Right now iPhone and iPod touch users can receive and make fring and Skype video calls entirely over Internet connection (for free!) and see the person on the other end. When a front camera is placed on these, we'll have two-way video calls available here too just as we do on all the supported Nokia devices.


A promotional video highlighting the new video functionality has also been released.

[ 23 comments ]

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javaGuru
Posted: 32 months ago
Is this available for wifi only or will it be available via 3G as well?
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ipoppy
Posted: 32 months ago
Not impressed with quality but its a great feature. I see ichat AV coming for next iphone then if Apple allowed fring get that. Cant wait :D
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ipoppy
Posted: 32 months ago

Is this available for wifi only or will it be available via 3G as well?


Wifi only but with "Unrestrictor" (jailbroken) works well as tested:D
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Doctor Q
Posted: 32 months ago
Couldn't somebody manufacture a mirror attachment to let you use the back-facing camera as a front-facing camera? It wouldn't be as good as a camera on the front but would it work well enough to let you do two-way videocalls now?

Software can certainly reverse a mirror image so that shouldn't be a holdup.
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nkawtg72
Posted: 32 months ago
i've always wondered why someone doesn't put a small cam in a plugin module, similar in size to a USB cable dock connector. the cam would be facing forward of course, have a light for additional illumination and would be able to communicate with software on the iPhone to do video chatting.
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nagromme
Posted: 32 months ago
The rear camera would be useful to have enabled, for showing things to people for instance.
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ipoppy
Posted: 32 months ago

i've always wondered why someone doesn't put a small cam in a plugin module, similar in size to a USB cable dock connector. the cam would be facing forward of course, have a light for additional illumination and would be able to communicate with software on the iPhone to do video chatting.


Never going to happened. Apple wont allow such device to work with iphone. As a mirror attachment thing; bulky and will be looking really silly so not going to happened neither.
For me fring is good indication that Apple might be planning to implement ichat AV with front camera in june/july iphone. That what I hope for anyway...really badly:rolleyes:
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kdarling
Posted: 32 months ago
The mirror idea was done almost as soon as the iPhone came out in 2007:

Mirror video conferencing on iPhone

Pretty clever-looking, actually... at least for desktop use.
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Doctor Q
Posted: 32 months ago

As a mirror attachment thing; bulky and will be looking really silly so not going to happened neither.

Maybe not walking around, but at home on a desk I could imagine it.
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ipoppy
Posted: 32 months ago

The mirror idea was done almost as soon as the iPhone came out in 2007:

Mirror video conferencing on iPhone

Pretty clever-looking, actually... at least for desktop use.


....and that thing has never seen daylight
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