FaceTime makes a lot more sense to me now that it’s available over 3G/LTE, and not simply restricted to Wi-Fi. I’m on Koodo in Toronto, and it has worked wonderfully for me on more than a few occasions now. FaceTime used to feel like a gimmicky alternative to Skype video chats or Google hangouts, but iOS 6’s ability to seamlessly transition from a phone call to FaceTime over cellular has made a world of difference. Skype requires that you be signed in and I never bother with Google Hangouts on my iPhone, so FaceTime is far more convenient than tthird party services, simply because it’s built right into iOS.
I was on a call with my sister to discuss a few items on my shopping list when I noticed that the FaceTime button was tappable, so I pressed it and activated my speakerphone and front-facing video camera. The audio never skipped a beat, and we had video working within five or ten seconds of her having “accepting” the FaceTime invite. A few seconds later, I was showing her the items on the store shelf and receiving valuable live feedback (“No, no, no! Not the pink one!”). It was a great, easy way to use video calling – and more importantly, it felt natural.
It’s a lot easier to initiate a voice call with someone, chat for a little while, and then propose switching to video for a more engaging conversation. It’s also much less imposing to answer a voice call than it is to answer a video call, especially when you have no idea what it will be about, or how noisy the other end may be.
If you’ve been neglecting to use FaceTime because it simply hasn’t been convenient to start a video call, keep in mind that you can now initiate the service over cellular data in iOS 6 using a 4S, 5, or iPad 3 (depending on your carrier).
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