Apple Appears Set to Support FaceTime Over 3G in iOS 5, But Will Carriers Follow Suit?

facetime cellular dialog box
9 to 5 Mac reports that one of its readers has passed along a screenshot of an iOS 5 dialog box suggesting that Apple is preparing to support FaceTime video calling over cellular networks with the new operating system set for release this fall.

FaceTime Unavailable

Turn on cellular data or use Wi-Fi to use FaceTime.

FaceTime has officially been limited to Wi-Fi on iOS devices since its debut last year, although users have been able to work around that limitation using either jailbreaking solutions or MiFi connectivity.

Official FaceTime support over cellular networks will almost certainly require individual carriers to also be on board in much the same way that carriers have needed to support Internet tethering and other features that have the potential to significantly increase demand on their networks.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forums: iPhone, iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Žalgiris Avatar
171 months ago
The situation with mobile internet in the US is really pathetic. Data plan for this, tada plan for that, want to tether pay more, more, more. For Christ sake it's data and if i bought 5 GB of data i don't give a damn and i will use it as i please (on a phone, on a computer, for video chats, for downloads, for what i need).
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bkj216 Avatar
171 months ago
Given how many issues Apple tends to have with carriers, how long until they just branch off and offer their own service?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KindredMAC Avatar
171 months ago
FaceTime should be offered over 3G since you can FaceTime on an iPad2 hotspotted to an iPhone 4 already...

Ridiculous....
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
171 months ago
Carriers should be fine. They already support other VoIP and video chat apps on iPhone over 3G.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0815 Avatar
171 months ago
Facetime will never be a success without working on 3G - either people can reach me anytime or it is pointless ... so I hope this is true - especially that now that I gave up hope for a true iPad client of Skype due to the Microsoft ownership.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
diamond.g Avatar
171 months ago
Why would FaceTime need carrier approval when Skype, Fring, NimBuzz, etc already allow video chats over 3G?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)