Android By Lee Mathews Nov. 26, 2013 3:29 pm
It’s likely only a few more months until Samsung announces the Galaxy S5, and there will be more than just new hardware to unveil. Samsung will have new software to show off, too, and it may include group video conferencing.
The new functionality will get bolted on to the existing ChatOn app, which currently ships on all Samsung phones and tablets. ChatOn already offers two-person video chats, and it was just updated with SMS support. Group video chat is one piece of functionality it needs to catch up with Google’s own Hangouts app.
The updated ChatOn interface detailed in Samsung’s documents shows that users will be able to use either the front or rear camera on their devices. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but perhaps Samsung *has something special planned that isn’t printed on the pages of this particular filing.
Still, the release of the Galaxy S5 could be several months away. If Samsung sticks to their routine, the S5 should be revealed in late March.
There’s no real reason Samsung would have to wait that long just to add group video calls to ChatOn, but they may feel like it’s the kind of “splashy” feature that will get consumers excited when they brag about it in commercials — like burst mode in a camera app.
If Samsung does save this update for the Galaxy S5 launch, they’ll need to have plenty of other things to shout about. Tweaks like multi-user video chat aren’t going to do anything to convince people that Samsung is still bringing innovative features and functionality to its new devices.
Now read: iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C lose to Galaxy S3 in touchscreen accuracy test
More...
The new functionality will get bolted on to the existing ChatOn app, which currently ships on all Samsung phones and tablets. ChatOn already offers two-person video chats, and it was just updated with SMS support. Group video chat is one piece of functionality it needs to catch up with Google’s own Hangouts app.
The updated ChatOn interface detailed in Samsung’s documents shows that users will be able to use either the front or rear camera on their devices. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but perhaps Samsung *has something special planned that isn’t printed on the pages of this particular filing.
Still, the release of the Galaxy S5 could be several months away. If Samsung sticks to their routine, the S5 should be revealed in late March.
There’s no real reason Samsung would have to wait that long just to add group video calls to ChatOn, but they may feel like it’s the kind of “splashy” feature that will get consumers excited when they brag about it in commercials — like burst mode in a camera app.
If Samsung does save this update for the Galaxy S5 launch, they’ll need to have plenty of other things to shout about. Tweaks like multi-user video chat aren’t going to do anything to convince people that Samsung is still bringing innovative features and functionality to its new devices.
Now read: iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C lose to Galaxy S3 in touchscreen accuracy test
More...
