Android video chat is finally here, after a few days and more than a little gnashing of teeth, on the Sprint Evo 4G. The Qik app has been up and down as they've dealt with the crush of new Evo's hitting their servers. But we've been putting it through its paces, and it's pretty easy to use.
Just fire it up, and you have options to place a video call, record a video (and stream it live at the same time), record and view video messages (part of those $5-a-month premium features, which are free until July15), and manage all of your videos. Buttons are large and well-marked, and it took zero setup to get things going. You also can choose (on phones with front-facing cameras, anyway) which camera to use -- front or rear.
Placing a video call was simple -- you choose the person from your contact list. That simple, and it works just fine in portrait and landscape mode. Check out more screen shots after the break.
25 Comments
so can the Inc use this
Yep :)
NO, this app is specific to the EVO, this app is for two-way video chat, Verizons network does not support that. Not to mention Verizon does not have a phone with a front facing camera, let alone a device that can two-way video chat.
You're wrong.
First off, why wouldn't Verizon's network allow this to work? Verizon's network supports a 3G data connection, and the Qik app can use that, as well as WiFi and, (for Sprint) 4G.
You don't /have/ to have a device with a front-facing camera. Obviously, you won't be able to see the other person, but the other person will be able to see you.
I've yet to find anything that suggests Verizons 3G network supports "two-way" video chat. There is a reason EVO owners are paying for premium data over 3G, Sprint had to optimize their 3G network to allow "two-way" video chat. The absence of a front facing camera completes eliminates the idea of "two-way" video chat. As it currently stands, devices with a signal camera only support one-way video streaming. Not to mention you're contradicting yourself in your last sentence.
Sprint didn't do anything to "optimize" video chat. Data is data, so long as a Verizon phone can get data it can transmit 1, 2 or even 3 way video as long as the bandwidth is there. Since there isn't a front facing camera available then a proper two way chat isn't possible, however as someone suggested the VZ phone could use the rear camera but he'd be unable to see the other person, however the other person would be fine so long as he/she had a front facing camera.
That said I think the app is set to only show for Evo's so he'd have to do some hacking or get a copy of the apk.
Then why can I use it on my Nexus 1 on T-mobile?
I reiterate, it is not the same app, different software versions. The Qik app for the EVO specifically says, "Qik for HTC EVO 4G". If you can look at your screen and see yourself, as well as someone else, that is two-way, obviously you would have a front facing camera. If you are only able to see one person, that is one-way.
Nope. Used the same app on both Evo and N1. And it's two way using rear camera.
the incredible could have a front facing camera (using a couple mirrors)
?? Do any of these apps (Qik, Fring, etc) integrate into the standard dialer. IE Can I hit PHONE, chose video call, and put my pretty face on?
NO, two-way video chat does not go over voice, it goes over data. However, both Fring and Qik integrate with contacts.
would this be able to video chat the new iphone? im only wondering cuz all my friends are apple fan boys (booooooo!) and it would be cool if i could video chat them without having to use that blasted phone
NO, Apple specifically said facetime only works with other iphones, via Wifi. That will be a deal breaker for a lot of people. The EVO can video chat with other capable phones, as well as mobile to PC and PC to mobile.
Actually the front facing camera will be available to devs just like the rear facing camera so theoretically a dev such as Qik could modify their app to work with the front facing camera to allow streaming with an Evo or any other phone that supports their app. It isn't that hard a thing to do most phones can stream both audio and video and that's all a video chat is, audio and video streamed two ways. Give it some time I bet it will happen, so long as Apple doesn't block/deny the apps...
where can I find this, I checked the app market all ready....
I see now that it is only for EVO
Can this app setup a video call from the Evo 4g to someone's PC? I just want an app that can do this.
I've already commented the EVO does mobile to PC. That feature is not limited to any app. Using Fring the EVO can make a video call via skype to a PC using skype.
So, my wish is to do a one way video call... my wife has a Hero and I have the EVO and I want her to be able to accept a video call from me while I get voice only from her so her phone isn't so taxed from the incoming and outgoing video streams.
This!
Just tested this out. The recipient Evo user has to push a "talk" button to speak. Is this because the Evo doesn't have noise canceling microphones? It makes chatting much less chatty, if that makes sense.
There are two Qik apps - a blue icon (EVO - or at least the one on this review) and an orange icon (which came preloaded - is the standard QIK.
June 23rd, and I'm still getting errors from Qik's site -- I've yet to have a video call work even once with this application. :(
how do i use Qik to video chat from my phone to pc/mac?
I have a dell Streak 7 and would like to know if this will operate on this device.