Video Chat coming in future iPhones/iPads?

Chauncey Dupree
|
February 20, 2010
|
Share

Some interesting information has come to light this evening that may indicate a future direction of Apple's iPhone OS products.  Below is some pretty definitive evidence that future iPhones and iPads will have video chatting capability.  

These icons were found in the 3.2 SDK which seem to indicate that there will be video calling on a future iPxxx device.

But Wait!  That's not all.  If you click below, hidden in some of the underlying iPad telephony apps are some VideoChat strings that are equally, if not more, telling evidence of future VideoChatting capabilities.

Video chat likely means front facing camera on these devices as well.  We'll know more soon.  Also, we've found some references to "iChat".

While it is possible that Apple brought code over from its Mac telephony products, it is unlikely that they also built icons and compressed them into the iPad SDK for such a product if it weren't being built for future release.

Thanks again @sonny788 for your help!

Comments (62)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 20, 2010 - 10:49pm

This seems to match up with macrumor's post that the new iPhone might be "longer" (for the camera maybe?)

shekar55 | July 28, 2010 - 8:29pm

This is nice post which I was awaiting for such an artice and I have gained some useful information from this site. Thanks for sharing this information..
ipodblog

shekar55 | July 28, 2010 - 8:29pm

This is nice post which I was awaiting for such an artice and I have gained some useful information from this site. Thanks for sharing this information..
ipodblog

shekar55 | July 28, 2010 - 8:30pm

This is nice post which I was awaiting for such an artice and I have gained some useful information from this site. Thanks for sharing this information..
ipodblog

shekar55 | July 28, 2010 - 8:30pm

This is nice post which I was awaiting for such an artice and I have gained some useful information from this site. Thanks for sharing this information..
ipodblog

yodaxl7 (not verified) | February 20, 2010 - 11:35pm

Man!! I am getting upgrading my iphone 3gs to this!!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 20, 2010 - 11:58pm

Just why do you use the term "damning evidence?" It makes it sound like Apple has done something very ill-advised or just plain wrong, and you caught them in the act. Such hyperbole is is pretty off the mark.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 8:59am

Apple's unholy alliance with ATT is the damning evidence. Had ATT improved and updated its existing networks years ago iPad would be a much more useful, versatile, and powerful device. iPad is crippled owing to ATT-Apple alliance.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 1:16pm

I hate to break it to you, but iPad's crippled feature set is the fault of Apple and Apple alone... They should have deviated from the pay per gigabyte price structure on the iPad and they should have included quite a bit more connectivity and thus functionality... and I don't mean a camera. There should have been a multicard slot for digital camera memory or for use as expansion in the device...
Apple should have included support for Verizon, Sprint AND AT&T's wireless networks and given the consumer the CHOICE we demand but are yet to receive.

MANY things should have been done differently in the iPad but AT&T isn't responsible for the hardware feature set... so what are you on about...

I EFFING DESPISE AT&T... but put the blame where it belongs.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 4:21pm

So what's stopping Apple from working with telecommunications firms other than ATT? It seems that Apple's alliance with ATT is determined by it's contractual relationship and ATT is dictating to Apple rather than Apple setting goals and priorities. I'm not excusing Apple's failures. Both parties are culpable, I just think that the majority of the liability rests on ATT's shoulders.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 12:33am

If the next iPhone has a front-facing camera and supports video-chat, I think it will be a great shame if the iPad didn't have one aswell.

If the iPhone didn't, it wouldn't be missed on the iPad.

It would be a great marketing tool for all devices to have an iSight though. Ringing the iPad, MacBooks and iMacs from your iPhone gives a quite large base for video-chat already, and probably push sales on all of this hardware.

Baritus | February 21, 2010 - 12:53am

Brilliant story for a Sunday morninng or any morning for that matter. This has been top of my wish list for ages and this looks pretty conclusive. Also 9to5, FIRST again;-)

I also need to say l loved the recent site upgrade but was tres desolé about the crippled RSS feed that served up a taster rather than the full story (usually on an iPhone thro Newsrack). So much so I stopped reading some of the stories. It seems to be back to normal today. Good call!! Thanks.

Indice | July 27, 2010 - 12:37am

ios4 is relly great. My dad loves it too. He is now officially an apple fan. Buy Tires Online

mak33air | February 21, 2010 - 2:36am

fine for a few users with extra $
out of the context for the majority

video calls are way to expensive....
voice over 3g will speed all your monthly downloads...imagine the videos over 3g
the only way is to use in your own home wireless if you have enough bandwithch.

pmz | February 21, 2010 - 5:00am

English is a great tool.

There is absolutely no chance this feature debuts with 3G connectivity. None, whatsoever. People that actually care about this feature are going to be let down (but only because they are clueless and don't know any better. Some people actually expect AT&T to be ready for this, which is a hilarious joke)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 3:02am

Hopefully they will use XMPP (Jabber) and kick AIM.

paruresis | May 16, 2010 - 8:39am

Yeah I hope so too. Actually I'm surprised that there is no videochat available yet. Paruresis

Sovereign1 | July 14, 2010 - 2:21pm

The video chat feature is one that we really all expected would be available. Even a basic application like openpress would have done the job nicely. Still, I'm sure they are working on it.

jamest | July 17, 2010 - 5:18am

I am very curious to see if we would be able to use the iPhones and iPads by video chatting, I still can't imagine this. Hope to read more about this in the future. I do have an iPhone and I like to use it whenever I can, when watching tv, using kitchen appliances like the electric griddle, or even when I am going around with friends. Good luck with this interesting video chatting feature.

life is good

pmz | February 21, 2010 - 4:57am

Absolutely pointless niche feature.

Mike the Dude (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 6:06am

Niche because traditionally cell companies have raped us over the cost of video calls. If this is pure IP video chat and it's just data out of you unlimited (joke) plan, then it could very likely be mainstream, for iPhone users at least.

Curious bit of timing this.

1. The iPad is shown with a lot of functionality missing from iPhone OS, ie. missing apps.
2. Camera location in iPad spotted in some leaked photos of its shell.
3. iPad is due to be released at end of March.
4. We're expecting an iPhone OS 4.0 developer preview around the start of March.
5. Videochat strings spotted in most recent SDK release.

My conclusion, maybe the camera wasn't left out cos they felt it's unnecessary, rather by including it, you imply a push in videoconf, people will assume its in the iPhone too. ie. it's a secondary function for the iPad, so don't show it straight out, especially if the software ain't ready. Wait for the iPhone OS release when you'll be revealing the API's to it anyway and showing your hand that iPhone V4.0 is a major videoconf tool.

It may be shipped with a camera and a iPhone OS 3.2.1 release with basic video support. Then the real meat comes in June with the new OS released to the public and you have 3rd party apps like skype waiting in the wings.

M.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 1:45pm

dood

ur awesome

bölüm izle (not verified) | May 03, 2010 - 9:12pm

i agree i m also waiting 4g

berhan | July 02, 2010 - 3:45am

Wonderful Stuff you post!
Oyunlar1

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 7:06am

I skipped the iphone 3gs specifically for the 4g =D (mostly cause they wouldn't give me a discount but still...)

berhan | July 12, 2010 - 6:14am

I really love this post anyway and i hope you to improve your quality of article
regards

Sohbet
Oyunlar1

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 8:19am

I hope that the useful idiots that purchase iPad languish in deep remorse knowing that in less than a year iPad will have a camera for video conferencing. Provided, of course, that ATT decides to move to the 21st century.

Kamal (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 8:49am

Great news, lets hope they really integrate a camera at front!

Steven (not verified) | February 21, 2010 - 8:55am

This "useful idiot" that plans on buying a 1st gen iPad is _fully_ aware that the next version is _very_ likely to have an iSight. No biggie for me, I already plan on using my 1st gen iPad as an educational tool for my current two year old and baby in progress. Not all of us 1st gen purchasers are idiots, some of us actually have a reason for buying it besides "ooh shiny" and others won't _need_ or _care_ enough about the iSight to justify waiting for it. Also, the majority of 1st gen purchases can easily sell their's online and still make a decent amount of it back.

bbnet | May 26, 2010 - 9:07pm

Great post, thank you for sharing.
du doan bong da
du doan world cup