Ever since I saw a Dick Tracy comic for the first time as a kid I’ve been enamored by the idea of face to face conversations that defy the barrier of distance. Dick’s watch was an amazing feat in communication that allowed him to see and converse with his trusty sidekick from anywhere (for you fans out there, it started as a radio watch but eventually was upgraded to a two-way TV watch).
Other reputable sources such as the Jetson’s spurred on my childhood notion that in the future phone conversations would not be confined to mere audio.
The Birth of Video Conferencing
Skype didn’t invent video conferencing, but it did bring it to the masses. Suddenly grandparents, young children and everyone in between started to show interest in this crazy video calling technology.
I wasn’t joking, Grandmas love this stuff
Apple’s iChat video chats followed and between the two the future of communication seemed closely within our grasp. However, since this technology is stuck on our computers, it hasn’t quite reached the point where most people find themselves using it daily, weekly or even monthly.
Instead we have one of those interesting quandaries that marketers love to study where someone presents an impressively improved product and yet the majority of people still cling to the old way of doing things (sorry Ralph but you were wrong on that one). Video conferencing from home to home is free over your Internet connection, provides a much richer experience than a phone conversation and is by default a hands-free event.
Nevertheless, most people don’t have a computer in their living room, dining room or other places you typically answer the phone. Most people don’t want to stay “signed on” to Skype or iChat 24/7. Most people don’t even know when, if ever, it’s appropriate to ask someone to join them in a video chat.
So is that it? Do we admit defeat? Have we reached a communication plateau with cell phones, Facebook and email that won’t easily be changed in the next decade?
A New Hope
With the advent of FaceTime, Apple has renewed the vision of every day video-driven communications. They’ve taken a huge step in solving the key problem: ubiquity. Rather than tethering video conferencing to your desk or laptop, iOS puts it in your pocket so it’s always with you.
FaceTime, now on the iPod Touch
The awesome combination of front and rear facing cameras makes FaceTime even more flexible than traditional video conferencing as it’s easy to show the other person either your smiling face or whatever you happen to be looking at.
FaceTime is currently on the iPhone and iPod Touch and, as we predicted recently, will surely be coming to both the iPad and your Mac within the next year. I think Mac integration is a really natural step and would be quite surprised if Apple doesn’t see the potential there.
Plays Well With Others
Apple claims that FaceTime will be an open industry standard. Hopefully what this means is that in a few years, most smart phone manufacturers will be able to jump on the FaceTime bandwagon and easily add cross-phone compatible video conferencing to their devices.
This is another huge step towards ubiquity. Currently only new iPhone and iPod Touch owners can make FaceTime calls, leaving several iOS fans without a buddy to chat with. With FaceTime on other handsets the number of users will increase exponentially so that almost everyone will know at least a few people that have FaceTime compatible devices.
Major Hurdles
Despite the exciting outlook for the future of face to face communication, there are plenty of roadblocks to this video calling future, the first of which is the final step towards ubiquity (I promise that’s the last time I’ll use that word).
Currently FaceTime only works over Wifi (or 3G via Jailbreak). This is understandable as AT&T simply isn’t ready for the kind of boost in data transfer that would result from thousands of video calls being made every minute. Until this barrier is overcome, it will be far easier to stick to good old voice calls simply because you can make them from anywhere while you can only make FaceTime calls at home or in a place generous enough to offer free Wifi.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle is simply cultural. For most people not engaging in daily business-related video chats, it’s a little bit of an awkward experience. It’s a strange and new medium and we’re unsure as to the proper etiquette. Do we look the other person in the eyes on our screen or stare into the camera? Should I video call for casual conversations or only important topics that merit face to face interaction? When is it acceptable to video chat in public? Will the other person be annoyed if I ask to video chat with them?
This is bound to get awkward.
Because of unspoken and perhaps even sub-conscious questions like these, video chatting is likely to remain a novelty for many people for years to come. In fact, the recent trend in communication has been more towards basic and impersonal rather than richer and more intimate. Where we used to make calls for quick questions or statements to a friend, most of us now fire off a text message. People are busy and will likely always show a preference for quick and easy over awkward and formal.
What Do You Think?
What say you? Will FaceTime remain a nerd-only affair, loved by Apple nerds and ignored by the rest of the world? Will simpler forms of communication like text messaging triumph over formal face-to-face interactions? Will the iPod Nano ever get FaceTime so I can have a real Dick Tracy watch?
Let us know your thoughts on all this in the comments below!