Google announced the launch of Google Talk with video and voice chat for Android phones. Apple’s FaceTime is becoming less of a unique draw to the iOS.
“You can now video or voice chat with your friends, family and colleagues right from your Android phone, whether they’re on their compatible Android tablet or phone, or using Gmail with Google Talk on their computer,” Google explains. “You can make calls over a 3G or 4G data network (if your carrier supports it) or over Wi-Fi.”
“In your Google Talk friends list, a video or voice chat button will appear next to your contacts and you can simply touch the button to connect with them,” the company adds. “Any text chats from the person you’re talking with will be overlaid on your phone’s screen so you can read them without having to leave the video.”
That’s a nice feature that should leave the conversation in tact, particularly if you’re the type that often forgets what you were saying in the middle of conversations (especially if that conversation is spaced out over time).
“And, if you need to check something else, the video pauses automatically so you can go back to your phone’s home screen or another app,” Google adds. “The audio will keep going even though the video has paused.”
Google says Google Talk with video/voice chat will roll out to Nexus S devices gradually over the coming weeks, as part of the Android 2.3.4 update. It will come to 2.3+ devices later.
Earlier this week, Qik (recently acquired by Skype) launched a new app for Android, along with an update for its iPhone app, which allows video chat between users of both platforms.
