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Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

Summary: FaceTime is supposed to be WiFi-only. We decided to put it to the test and tethered an iPhone 4 to an HTC EVO. The results are impressive.

Joel Evans

By for The Mobile Gadgeteer |

We previously wrote about a test experience with FaceTime where we called Apple's 1-888-FACETIME line. In that scenario we had some relatively stable conditions.

Last night I was at a tech-oriented event and we decided to try to push the boundaries of FaceTime. Using an HTC EVO 4G on Sprint's 3G network (4G isn't available in Rhode Island), we tethered the iPhone 4 to the EVO using its hotspot functionality, and then dialed up a couple of people using FaceTime.

As you can see from the videos below (shot with an iPhone 3GS), the quality of the calls was spot on. In one case the receiver was at an Apple Store, and in the other case the user was at home on his WiFi.

If AT&T's 3G can work as well as Sprint's did, FaceTime should have no issues moving off of its WiFi-only requirement in the near future.

Thanks to Jason Pamental, Stephen Cross, and Rob Bonner for lending their tech for this experiment.

UPDATE: The folks over at MobileJaw connected their iPhone 4 to the Nexus One and had a great FaceTime experience, too.

Topics: HTC, Hardware, Mobility, Networking, Wi-Fi

About

With more than 15 years of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently the VP of Strategy Integration for Mobiquity, an enterprise-class mobile solutions provider.

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35 comments
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  • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

    Indeed, the sprint network is more reliable than the at&t network. I am getting the evo 4g over the iphone4.
    joc01
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

      @joc01 I wish you luck with that - the EVO is a kick ass device no doubt but in my personal experience the service with Sprint is nowhere near as good as AT&T in my neck of the woods... it took me over 3 months to get them to drop a business internet plan they tacked onto my plan without my authorization when my plan already came with unlimited internet... And I dropped on average about 3 calls a week.
      athynz
      Reply Vote

      • And T Mob in Metro areas kicks Sprints butt

        So.. poor ATT customers... oh yeah.. iPhone users.
        Uralbas
        Reply Vote

      • When did you have Sprint? 10 Years ago? ;)

        @athynz Just admit it, you are one of the hardest core Apple freaks on the planet! :D ....and with it being CDMA, you've never had an iPhone on Sprint!
        i2fun@...
        Reply Vote

      • Google Launching Video Chat Service on Android, Desktop & iPad! :D

        @athynz Since Google now owns GIPS, expect them to be knocking at Apple's back door soon. Google is working on a add-on wireless iPad Video Chat camera with Logitech to use GIPS engine over WiFi! ....but any 3G on AT&T doomed to one way, like their "Video Share" at $5 a month. Just jail break them, then!

        Watch the video GIPS to Android and iPad (possibly iPhone):
        http://www.gipscorp.com/pressroom/inthenews.php

        Google's Gismo for your Desktop:
        http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/06/11/google-voice-desktop-app-webapp/

        Android Phone Awesome HD Video Chat coming soon:
        http://tinyurl.com/2acx8nl
        i2fun@...
        Reply Vote

    • Jail Break Your iPhone is Only Way!

      @joc01 Of course 3G or 4G works on Sprint for video calls. But it's an Open Network. People don't understand that just like Multi-Tasking on AT&T's 3G network, you can only have full multitasking if your iPhone is jail broken. The reason is simple, Garden Walled Networks do not support two way traffic over AT&T's 3G service. That's because Voip signals are a form of Hyper Tunnel. As soon as someone gets one Jailbroken, that's when you'll have full Facetime access!

      So just another reason for Apple to open up their Network. Why should they make only Americans on AT&T suffer from fake Multi-tasking, no 3G Facetime, no Flash? FLASH is actually growing not dying since 10.1 came out, with Hardware Acceleration and Speed Test, Global Settings for Security, etc! Apple need's to pull their head out of their.....? ;)
      i2fun@...
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

    HUGE if on that one... IF 3G on AT&T were even technologically capable of the speeds Sprint gets, they would still be hampered by traffic caused by iPhones not being very efficient in data transfer.
    condelirios
    Reply Vote

  • millions of iphones

    do you really think the sprint or any other network will be able to handle millions of face time calls? apple will sell 3-4 million iphone 4 in the us in this quarter alone. it will be wifi only for a long time to come, sadly.
    banned from zdnet
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

      @banned from zdnet
      Despite popular belief, Sprint had more data travel their network than AT&T last year. iPhone users are not the data hogs everyone makes them out to be, AT&T's network is really that bad. The Evo 4G supports video calling over their network already with Qik. Haven't tried it out yet, but I have heard it is not quite as polished as Facetime.

      http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/report-verizon-sprint-account-for-63-of-nations-mobile-data-traffic/13790
      woofermazing
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

        @woofermazing
        Agreed, the average 4G customer consumes 7gb per month. Not only does Sprint's 4G have the pipe to handle the traffic, but the more bandwidth hogs move to 4G the more it alleviates traffic on 3G.
        eheathts@...
        Reply Vote

      • "Not as polished"

        @woofermazing "I have heard it is not quite as polished as Facetime." This is the key issue, not just with FaceTime but lots of features on Android vs. the iPhone. The iPhone lacks many of Android's features or abilities, but many of those features are pretty half-assed, poorly thought out or otherwise not fully cooked. On Android, you can get them anyway, even if they don't really work very well, and the Android faithful are thrilled just that it's possible. Apple chooses to wait to implement features until they feel they can really do them well, which annoys a lot of people, but when they do release them, they tend to work. Thus, apparently, iPhone users are stupid sheep while Android users are smart and discerning... or something.<br><br>People latch onto the fact that FaceTime is wi-fi only, but even ZDNet's own review basically said Qik and Fring were only really usable over wi-fi. People also latch onto the fact that FaceTime is iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 only, but what exactly is Qik at this point, other than Evo to Evo? There are few phones on the market with front-facing cameras at this point, and if you have a friend with one, they still need to be on Android, the right version of Android, and have Qik. At least if you know someone has an iPhone 4, you're set.<br><br>(Disclaimer: I don't really care, because I have little interest in video calling. I own an Evo, not an iPhone. Just trying to inject a little balance into the usual ZD iPhone hate stream.)
        paferg
        Reply Vote

      • Backhaul is the Problem for Apple!

        @banned from zdnet It's the reason both Sprint and Verizon have better backhaul capacity. They have Better and more Fiber Optic cabling from their towers to Internet OnRamp! AT&T is too cheap to invest in sufficient fiber optic tower to Internet OnRamps! ...well until now. haha... Being pushed by the competition. Verizon Owns Wholesale Fiber Optic Backhaul networks that they lease out. So they have no problems, except many many more towers needed for LTE.

        Sprint delayed their WiMax rollout two years ago to build better Fiber Optic backhaul to support their WiMax deployment. There towers will go up quick only needing one per 25mile radius. In fact they plan on being in 100 cities by end of the year and with WiMax taking far fewer towers to cover the same area.

        http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wimax.htm/printable

        Isn't it obvious..... when Sprint still has Unlimited Data Plans, that WiMAX will kick all other's 4G deployments in the rear? lol... and you can bet AT&T will get hurt the most!

        @woofermazing You know google just bought the best voice and video engine that runs most of the vid chat services. Like Yahoo, AOL (which is the service iChat runs on), etc. It's the reason Apple doesn't have a 3G backend for Facetime (Application frontend) yet. It's the reason Google will soon have their own Android Voice and Video chat App in the market to compete with Skype (which they tried to buy). Can't buy 'em? Buy around them and take 'em out! :D
        i2fun@...
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

      Japan has been using Video calls for more then 10 years now. I've been using it for over 5 years now, so has many of my friends and family.

      And there's always no problem.

      However, there's always network problems no matter you're using "Face Time" calls or not. Network outage also always happens to broadband and normal cellphone usage as well. So despite it being connected using WiFi, it'll still experience outage if your broadband has poor bandwidth.

      (Note I quoted Face Time because most people probably think it's some new technology when it was actually already in existence for 10 years.)
      n305er
      Reply Vote

  • Burn that limited Data Baby

    Of course this is why AT&T caps the new plans. They are deathly afraid of millions of phones and the data usage from video.
    itguy08
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

      @itguy08 That's why I'm keeping my so-called unlimited (5GB capped) data plan...
      athynz
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

      @itguy08 What other way is AT&T going to pay for the upgrades they have to make on their network other than cap their plans and charge a little more?
      metaldogo
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Hands-On: FaceTime via an HTC EVO

    LOl: Facetime is now available on 3G just need 3 phones and 2 carriers.
    Mike062
    Reply Vote

  • Facetime will attract people to the iP4

    Then they will find out it only works on Wi-Fi. Then, they'll finally allow it to work on 3G, and they'll use up their capped data in a few calls.

    Oops!

    PS I think it's so cool that they can only get it to work with an Evo. I love this experiment!
    Hameiri
    Reply Vote

  • Talk about irony!

    You tethered to an Android phone on Sprint (INCLUDED, $20/month on AT&T) to demonstrate Face Time over a competitors network since it isn't available on the network that sells the iPhone. Seriously, this is lost on people? :D

    And it only works iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, whereas some people aren't on AT&T right, where Fring is available on both iPhone and Android. Will Apple be releasing an Android app? (yeah right, lmho).

    TripleII
    TripleII-21189418044173169409978279405827
    Reply Vote

  • Ummm...This has JAILBREAK written all ove it!

    Yea there is a little app that makes the 3GS think it's on WiFi when it is not. I see that coming in handy with the i4!
    Ender330
    Reply Vote
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