Mobile IM - Where’s the video?
There’s no doubting that Instant Messaging is a HUGE global hit. AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Gtalk, whatever your flavor of choice, chances are, if you’re at your PC, you’ve got it up. IM allows us to connect with people from all over the place, and the key part is that you can have different conversations with multiple people at the same time, and the conversation transcript is right there for you to refer to. It’s nearly the perfect connection medium.
It’s quickly translating to your mobile, as well. And you have to pay, which I think is preposterous, but whatever. The bigger thing is that the Mobile IM companies are missing the ball on what I think would be a HOT market - Video IM. That’s right. Bear with me……
Let’s take a look first at mobile video calling. It’s a failure, plain and simple. Let’s do a quick test: If you have a phone that is CAPABLE of video calling, raise your hand. Most of you. K, put your hands down. Now, if you’ve USED video calling on your mobile, raise your hand again. Ah, yes, the number shrinks. Why is that? I think there’s a few reasons:
1. The biggest is that it’s network dependent. Your network operator has to support and offer it. That means no third parties, and calling between operators is, well, unlikely. Given how long it too inter-operator SMS and MMS to come about, I don’t see this in the near future. Thus, you’re limited to communicating with, well, your M2M pool. But wait, there’s more…
2. Both phones have to support it. This is another stupid one. Why do both phones need to support it? How come one end can’t be just a receiver? How is that different than one party opting not to share video? It’s not.
3. Costs - Carriers historically charge EXTRA for this. Why? It’s just data being sent over the network. Same as internet browsing, or mobile email.
Ah, is it? Then, how come there’s no Video IM? Does anyone else realize how disruptive this would be to the industry, specifically in the U.S.? Now, I know there’s limitations. EDGE, for instance. Kinda kills it. But alot of our phones have WiFi in them. That’s fast enough for video IM.
So why hasn’t Agile or Shape Services or someone else added Video IM? I don’t know. There’s a HUGE market, because there’s a TON of S60 devices in the US and other parts of the world that are being shipped with a basically useless front camera. I personally don’t see Video Calls really taking off. It’s not comfortable. How often are you really sitting down, ready to face your phone when you call someone? On the contrary, when using IM, you’re pretty much always already in that position.
And, since IM is currently done over any data connection, and not the operator’s voice network, it’s just packets being sent back and forth. Why not?
What do you think? Would you use Video IM faster than you would Video Calling? Would you like to be able to use this on ANY carrier and not have to worry about compatibility? Which IM community would you most like to see this on, or would you prefer to have a new community built JUST for mobile Video IM participants?
I agree 100%
It would be much more usefull - that way you could also Video IM home to family and friends sitting on their computer, or as you say, phones without a camera buth with the ability to stream video.
I too am surprised that no one has made such an app yet.
In the immediate short term, I found this mobile-centric video site:
http://m.mycorner.com/
http://www.mycorner.com
Far from perfect, it may provide some of what you are asking for. In the longer term, and as a true “mobile phone video IM” solution that assumes that people have added an unlimited data option to their calling plan. I mention this not only as a “cost” issue, but simply as a matter of user knowledge. Statistically, what percentage of all users, not just N95 owners are aware that they must make the conscious effort to add an unlimited data plan?
…a quick in formal poll of the people around me shows that the idea of video IM “sounds cool” but is tempered with an aversion to making changes to their calling plan, then paying $20, $30 $70 a month extra.
Additionally, all of my unlocked RAZRs do not have a limit on the size of MMS messages ( which could be used for quasi video IM ) but should one attempt to send an MMS larger than the carrier regulated size, the message is blocked.
Finally, have you tried to make use of YouTube’s “video response” feature?
http://www.youtube.com/mobile
There is an API for the above.
Todd - thanks for the comment. I’m sure there are limitations, but compared to Video Calling, I think Video IM has a MUCH better chance in the marketplace.
It removes the 3 hurdles that Video Calling has faced historically: interoperability, price, and device.
Think of it just like IM on your PC. Only on your phone. As for the unlimited data, I would bet that S60 users have a MUCH higher percentage of unlimited data plans than non-S60 device users.
If it was something that Agile, Shape Services (IM+) or Palringo added to their apps, it would be killer.
UPDATE: I just read about Flick IM
“…FlickIM also lets you easily search for and send links to YouTube videos and Apple movie trailers over IM by typing /y or /t before the search term. It pops up a window where you can pick the right video. Since your EDGE connection over AT&T can be spotty, FlickIM will save messages if your friends IM while you’re offline.”
source: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/16/flickim-bored-startup-makes-awesome-im-for-the-iphone/
Todd - thanks again for the contribution, but I think you’re missing the idea. I don’t want to share video clips with the other person, I want live video chat, using the front-facing cam on my Nokia N95. I.e. if you have a webcam hooked up to your PC, you can chat with someone via IM, but also see their face and facial expressions on there. I want this, only on my mobile.
I don’t know how it is in the US but over here in Europe video calls between different carriers is as certain as breakfast. I call my father and my friend and there both on different carriers. But I agree videocalls from phone to pc or phone to phone shouldn’t cost more since it is just data being transfered.
I don’t think video IM is really any more compelling… I have an IM client that supports video chat, and so do many of my friends. I’ve probably used the video chat feature twice. And it’s free. I like IM because it’s casual, you can pick up and trail off the conversation whenever you want, and I can talk to multiple people at once. With video chat, you have to sit in front of the computer (or whatever) and talk to one person. You can’t do something else at the same time. I don’t think there’s really as much of a difference between video chat and video calling as you imply. It has limited uses, sure, but not widespread appeal.
Also, how many people: know how to add an unlimited plan or that there is such a thing, own a device with a front-facing camera, and own a device with a fast data connection. Very, very few in the US.