You make a quick call to a friend to see if he or she’s available. Then switch to FaceTime and talk for hours, face to face. The total impact on your AT&T bill: One minute of 3G connection time.
That’s what iPhone 4 users, enabled by the smartphone’s brand-new front-facing camera, can expect beginning this week if they take advantage of Apple’s new video-chat software. In big news for those without an unlimited plan who tend to stretch their minutes, the computer giant announced this week that FaceTime works off a Wi-Fi connection and won’t incur any airtime charges for either user.
Although the connections will be initiated by voice calls, the clock won’t be running once the users switch to FaceTime — although another call might have to be placed if the connection is interrupted — Apple spokespersons have said in published reports. Both callers must be using an iPhone 4 with FaceTime.
If the sweet deal sounds too good to be true, it just might be. Because Apple reportedly plans to make the next version of FaceTime a 3G application, users could see time used up on their plan as it catches on.
“You know there were fees somewhere along the way,” said Kirk Parsons, wireless analyst at JD Power and Associates.
Market-building freebies have plenty of precedent in the consumer tech world, Parsons said. “Wireless/mobile examples that immediately come to mind include XM and Sirius free trial periods when buying service or with the purchase of a new car,” he noted. “GM On-Star did the same thing with their over-the-air service offering.”
FaceTime was unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month as part of the iPhone 4 rollout. In demonstrating the product, Jobs described it as inspired by the science-fiction communication seen on Star…