The video killed the star of the phone…
You know the ’80s song, “Video Killed the Radio Star.” It was a huge hit and one of the first videos to air on MTV. Well, what became true for music videos is on its way to becoming true for the phone.
You are already the star of all your phone conversations, right? Everyone loves hearing your voice and having endless phone conversations with you… well, you’d better get ready to dress up for your appearances now too.
Yes, video phones are now the latest trend to hit the market and they are also not provided through your traditional carrier. The video phone is only available through a broadband phone provider or a phone carrier, but it’s already taking off in the market as the next household necessity, just like the cell phone and high-speed Internet did.
My privacy… I just got out of the shower!
Before you worry about invasive privacy issues like just getting out of the shower, most video phones are optional in their viewing modes. This means that you have the option to be in front of the camera or not. Ugh, you got that off your chest.
the whole globe
Now the great part is that it is through broadband voice providers that most broadband phone services are available globally. Therefore, it is very likely that if you have family far away, you can video call with them abroad.
Cost savings with one catch
With broadband phone calls, long distance or international calls now cost as little as 3 cents a minute or less, so you don’t pay much to call. You might even call it a robbery. What’s the trick? Well, it’s the videophones themselves. Phones cost around $500.00 or more a piece. Oh!
However, with a little shopping ingenuity, you can find lower prices on these videophones. Packet8, a VoIP broadband phone company, has a mail-in rebate for the time being on its line of videophones to cut their price by 50%. Their phones after the rebate are $250.00, which for many households may still be too expensive.
History promises the trend
However, don’t be too put off by phone prices, this trend is still in a growth stage. Cell phones are free these days and only the rich and famous can afford them. Everyone has a cell phone now, a camera phone for that matter. So if the price is holding you back now, you can anticipate lower prices and even free offers in the future.
Video Phones Save on Travel
If you travel to visit relatives often or even once a year just to see them face-to-face, the videophone may very well pay for itself with travel expenses. So you can’t give them a hug, well would you believe there’s a prototype for a virtual kissing phone coming out for cell phones? Yes, you can virtually smooch between the owner of another phone.
Technology will never cease to amaze, and prices can’t stay high forever, so there’s a good chance you’ll eventually become a consumer in the video phone market. Rest assured, today’s growing technologies will have you saying, “Back in my day.” I already say it
