ooVoo finally released their video chat client for iOS devices earlier this month. The recently updated app offers free video calling to Macs, PC's, Android phones, and other iOS devices.
The number of features the free app offers is rather staggering, including three-way (3 people + yourself, 5 + yourself for the paid version) video and audio calls, users without phones can receive the chats in-browser, HD video, and direct uploads of video calls to youtube.
Video call quality is exceptional, especially on wi-fi, but I wouldn't say it's any worse or better than some of the more established competitors like Skype. Skype makes users pay for the ability to hold group video calls with their premium subscription.
The only problem is getting everyone you know to start using ooVoo. That's made a little easier during the sign-up process, as ooVoo will message everyone in your contact list (if you choose to do so) with an invitation to try ooVoo. Also, users can participate via a web browser if they don't have the client downloaded or just don't want to sign up.
While ooVoo does offer a number of great features in the free version of the app, with some reasonable paid plans (adds call minutes, call recording, online storage of calls), so do a number of its competitors like Skype, Fring (free 4-way video calls), and Tango. What all these apps point out though, is how woefully inadequate Apple's FaceTime is. Hopefully the release of iOS 5 will be accompanied by an extreme FaceTime overhaul.
Chances are though we'll be using our favorite oddly named video-calling applications indefinitely. Well, until a new more incomprehensible set of letters trademarked as a video calling application comes around.
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ooVoo: I Have No Idea How To Pronounce That
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