Mom's getting an iPhone 4

Gone are the days when those from the more senior generation were fearful of computers and mobile phones. Nowadays, parents and grandparents are using smartphones, maintaining Facebook accounts, and even tweeting what’s cooking for dinner. This democratization of technology — from being an exclusive domain of a few techie people, to a public playground where everyone can play — is arguably one of the best reasons why everyday life is so much better right now.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard that Apple has released their next generation mobile phone, the iPhone 4, in the US and four other countries. One of the biggest features of this new iPhone is its ability to do FaceTime calls, which is Apple’s new term for video calls. Video chatting is already enjoyed by a lot of people on their computers using software like Skype, Yahoo Messenger, or iChat, but on the mobile phone space, its use is not as prevalent. When the concept of “3G” was first introduced into our consciousness back in 2003, its biggest feature was the ability to make video calls. But the concept never really took off; it was either the whole experience of mobile video calling was bad or it was just too cumbersome to do. That is about to change now with FaceTime.

Zero Setup

During the unveiling of the iPhone 4 at the Worldwide Developer Conference last June 7, one of the things Apple CEO Steve Jobs emphasized was the fact that FaceTime required zero setup. This means no usernames, no logging in, no need to add people to your buddy list; it just works out of the box. On this one, Apple has been able to deliver. To make a FaceTime video call, all you need are three things: an Internet connection via Wi-Fi, the cell phone number of the person you want to video chat with, and at the moment, both you and the other person using an iPhone 4. When you have all three, just press the “FaceTime” button and your video call will start after a few seconds. The way that Apple has made video calling so simple will surely be a hit among the less technologically inclined members of our society. 

But zero setup is not the only thing that makes Apple’s FaceTime a real game changer; there’s a lot more. For one, you can have a FaceTime video call with a person from anywhere in the world, as long as there’s Wi-Fi. It’s also free. You will incur zero international and local charges on your cell phone bill if you initiate a FaceTime call directly by pressing the “FaceTime” button instead of “Call” on your iPhone 4. Also, you’ll be able to use both a front-facing VGA camera and the rear-facing 5-megapixel cam as well. This is perfect for talking to someone face to face, then with a press of a button, showing that person what you see ahead of you. Imagine how that can be used for citizen journalism, or mobile presentation to clients, or connecting with a loved one abroad. One of the best uses is featured in Apple’s commercial for the iPhone 4: a deaf-mute couple having a sign language conversation with each other via FaceTime. Priceless.

Facetime Future

Yet, like any other new technology, it’s far from perfect. The fact that it doesn’t work via 3G limits some of its possible use cases. Apple says FaceTime is Wi-Fi only for 2010, so hopefully, by next year, this limitation will be remedied. As mentioned, right now it only works with iPhone 4s. But that will eventually change as Apple has opened the technology they use for FaceTime, so other cell phone and computer makers can add FaceTime support to their devices. It would also be nice if, later on, FaceTime would have the ability to notify you when someone you want to do a video call with goes online, instead of you constantly trying to initiate a FaceTime call and failing repeatedly.

Everyone I know now wants an iPhone 4, each with his or her own reasons. A grandma wants to video chat with her three-year-old granddaughter in America, an OFW in Qatar is excited to see and talk to his wife back in the Philippines, an out-of-town working dad looks forward to saying goodnight to his wife and kids every night. For these people, Apple’s reinvention of video-calling technology via the new FaceTime feature can’t come soon enough.

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PCOS on STAR is Politics, Computers, and Other Stuff. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/doblezeta.

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Erratum: In the interview with Comelec Commissioner Greg Larrazabal published last June 19, 2010, the Commissioner’s nickname was mistakenly written down as “Goryo.” It should have been “Goyo.” The author sends his sincerest apologies for this oversight.