New iPads on cellular networks still can’t make FaceTime calls

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FaceTime is great for video conferencing. Show off the baby to Grandma, or hop on a video call with a client. If you’re in an Apple-dominant environment, everyone will probably have a FaceTime client as well as a half-way decent camera. Since FaceTime launched, it has only been available over Wi-Fi
— not over 3G. When the first LTE iPad was announced, there was a brief glimmer of hope that maybe the ridiculous restriction hampering the usefulness of FaceTime would be lifted. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

Dieter Bohn, The Verge:

[…]attempting to initiate a FaceTime call over LTE fails out with a message exhorting you to connect to a Wi-Fi network. It’s the exact same behavior that iOS devices on 3G networks have always exhibited, and it’s doubly frustrating as many of those devices can serve as Wi-Fi hotspots.

The fact that the carriers are still insistent that Apple put restrictions on the way you use the data that you pay for is offensive. They’ve already done away with the possibility of an unlimited plan, so why can’t I use my allotted bandwidth however the hell I want? It’s silly, anti-consumer, and I can’t believe Apple is putting up with this. How long until Apple gets one cell network to allow it, and then competition forces the others to allow it as well? If you have a guess, take a moment, and sound off in the comment section below this post. We’d love to hear what you think of the telecom’s tomfoolery.

Source: The Verge

Grant is a writer from Delaware. In his spare time, Grant maintains a personal blog, hosts The Weekly Roar, hosts Quadcast, and writes for video games.