FaceTime Video Calls, iOS 4 (iPhone OS 4.0) Feature, Won’t Use Any Voice Minutes

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We have extensively covered WWDC 2010 this year and one of the most important iOS 4 (also known as iPhone OS 4.0 before the event) features is FaceTime, Apple’s own take at voice calling and video conferencing.

As you already know iOS 4 will be available today to all iPhone and iPod touch users, but FaceTime will only be available to iPhone 4 buyers. As you already may know, FaceTime is exclusively an iPhone 4 feature which means you won’t be able to use it on the iPhone 3GS or 3G.

Some of you will tell me that neither the iPhone 3GS or the 3G have front-facing cameras. While that’s true, I’ll remind you that FaceTime will let you use both the front-facing and the back camera to stream videos to your friends through FaceTime. That means that, at least in theory, you should be able to have a FaceTime version work at least on the iPhone 3GS, the more powerful iPhone 4 predecessor.

Moving forward with FaceTime I’ll also remind you folks that video calling is only available, at least for now, over Wi-Fi, which means you won’t be able to use the feature over 3G. Video chats can be started during a regular phone calls but, in order to actually enjoy them you’ll have to have a Wi-Fi network at hand as Apple will drop the phone call and move the video call over to the Wi-Fi network automatically.

That’s not, however, all bad news as Apple will offer you FaceTime without having it eat your plan’s voice minutes. That’s right, you can have as many video calls as you wish and they won’t count towards your monthly bill with your carrier.

More importantly, you won’t have to worry about seeing AT&T’s 3G network drop your FaceTime calls anytime soon as you’ll simply rely on regular Internet connection to enjoy the new feature.

We might not like the fact that FaceTime is only available to iPhone 4 users for now and only over Wi-Fi, but, as it turns out, it’s not such a big deal as this iOS 4 feature is skipping the carrier altogether. And I guess carriers already see the bigger picture, in which they won’t be able to cash in on any FaceTime conversations, which, in the following years, could be available to iPhone 4, next-gen iPhone (iPhone 4G?), iPod touch, next-gen iPad and MacBook users. That’s the general idea, isn’t it, Apple?