why not create app, at least for android?! web browser experience is not that great on mobile, at least for mobile platform. Do Apple have resource constraint? or is it intentional?
FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
231–240 of 352 posts
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#232Maybe this means Apple will bring iMessage to Android in a year or two just to mess with Facebook Messenger.
I agree. This seems like Apple is finally conceding it needs to bring FaceTime and Messages to Android and Windows, but it wants to do it slowly so that it looks like they don't care much. BTW outside of the US, Whatsapp is (AFAIK) the most popular messenger. At least in the Western world. I don't know about China.
WeChat is the most popular chat app in China. It's a domestic messaging app with a lot of other apps built in.
I think Whatsapp and other E2E encrypted chat apps are banned.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#233Wow. That is unexpected. I have to say that FaceTime in a browser sandbox is one of the few Apple products I would consider using. I wonder what made them take this path? I also wonder if someone could build a Matrix bridge if it is available via web, that would be fairly cool. Some questions: - Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? - Is spam going to be a problem? Previous Apple…
> Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? You can use FaceTime without a phone number. Just create an Apple account, then give your contact your AppleID associated email address to add to their contact card for you and you have a working FaceTime destination.
> You can use FaceTime without a phone number. Just create an Apple account
You cannot create an Apple account without providing a phone number.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
I see from the responses that one thing that is omitted is the clearly higher audio/video quality. I had someone call me on facebook messenger, but had to ask them to call me on facetime purely because of quality, and its not the first time. As with all Apple products "it just works". I wonder if that may change when it goes to the web.
Duo and WhatsApp have significantly better video quality (especially off of Wi-Fi) than FaceTime
The audio in WA is good, but the video quality is TERRIBLE on WA.
LINE which I use more often is far better quality than WA.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#235The new SharePlay feature is actually quite cool. You wouldn't think it would be terribly difficult to share a movie or TV show on a video call, but actually due to the DRM that everyone uses it's almost impossible. Using the normal screen sharing feature of most video conferencing apps simply doesn't work and shows a black screen instead of the video. The workaround that people I know have been using during the pand…
I got the impression that with Shareplay HBO Max subscribers could only watch HBO content with other HBO Max subscribers. (And then all involved parties are streaming from HBO, not the share initiator)
It wouldn’t make any sense any other way, given you can sync TV to TV.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I wonder what made them take this path? it was literally an email that surface on the Epic store litigation, where one Apple exec says (quote from memory) "We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids" So it will be crappy and have TONS of limitations (wouldn't be surprised it it only work with one apple device hosting) because it is only…
> We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids I might be missing something... Is there something in this that is illegal?
It seems to violate various competition laws depending on jurisdiction.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I wonder what made them take this path? it was literally an email that surface on the Epic store litigation, where one Apple exec says (quote from memory) "We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids" So it will be crappy and have TONS of limitations (wouldn't be surprised it it only work with one apple device hosting) because it is only…
> We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids I might be missing something... Is there something in this that is illegal?
> illegal
besides being immoral and a literal F-U to your consumers, it can bring anti trust cases when you are as big as Apple.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in
But other than that, well, just go celebrate your $2 gain on your APPL stocks despite the fact you were prohibited to call 50% of your friends just so someone couldn't save a few bucks when buying a phone for their teenage kid. Go you!
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#238But not iMessage, so I still can't send a simple text message from a decent app from my Win 10 computer.
Signal has an OK Win10 app.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#239So, people without an iDevice get less functionality? Sounds like Apple.
[redacted]
Attacking and doxxing other users like this is obviously beyond the pale. Also pretty shameful. I've banned this account.
Please don't create accounts to break HN's guidelines with. We're trying for a very different sort of site here.
Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web
#240Wow. That is unexpected. I have to say that FaceTime in a browser sandbox is one of the few Apple products I would consider using. I wonder what made them take this path? I also wonder if someone could build a Matrix bridge if it is available via web, that would be fairly cool. Some questions: - Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? - Is spam going to be a problem? Previous Apple…
> I wonder what made them take this path? it was literally an email that surface on the Epic store litigation, where one Apple exec says (quote from memory) "We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids" So it will be crappy and have TONS of limitations (wouldn't be surprised it it only work with one apple device hosting) because it is only…
That email was about iMessage, not FaceTime: https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/9/22375128/apple-imessage-an...