If we were to make a “Amazing ideas” list and a “Things that have totally failed to take off” list, there would be at least one item that you’d find on both: mobile video chat. Blame the carriers for not agreeing on a standard, or blame the consumer populace for not pressing hard enough; either way, its an idea that has been sitting on the launch pad for ages.
That might be about to change. The popular P2P VoIP service Fring has just announced that they have begun to add support for Skype video calls to their messaging client. Skype has hundreds of millions of users, and this service allows for mobile-to-desktop calls – in other words, mobile video chat finally has a chance at being useful and — more importantly — used.
For the time being, video chat support has only found its way into a handful of Nokia devices: the X6, N97 Mini, N97, 5800, N82, and N95. If you’re not touting an N-series device, fear not: Fring promises that support is “coming soon on other popular platforms”. Time to start adding front-facing cameras to your hardware again, manufacturers!