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Nokia: Video Calling Uptake Slow Because People Are Vain

This is rich. Video calling services that send live video feeds to/from mobile phones use really interesting technology that has many potential uses. The problem is, most people have decided that the view of themselves captured by mobile phones "isn't very flattering."

Think about how difficult it is to use your camera phone to take a regular picture of yourself. It's not an easy task, especially if you don't have a mirror handy and need to extend your arm out and snap off a shot without seeing what it will look like ahead of time. It takes some effort.

Now, picture framing yourself for a video call. Cameras that can beam live video feeds often have a secondary, user-facing camera for this purpose. The problem is, when you typically hold your phone to look at it, the camera is aimed up your nose. The resulting images don't exactly show everyone's best side, unless you happen to have a particularly appealing set of nostrils. This is the reason that video calling has not taken off, so says Nokia.

Speaking at last week's S60 Summit in Barcelona, Nokia's VP of category management for N Series devices, said, "users 'aren't interested' in video calling, mainly because they find the angle a handset must be held at for the best quality video-call 'isn't very flattering.' Tech Digest reports that he also said "when people take photos, it's generally from a higher angle, looking down on the person, as it makes for a better photo, and that the location of a Web cam on a laptop or PC monitor is always on the top, for the same reason. Users want to look good when they video-call, which is why the function never really took off."

The Nokia staffer didn't say much about videosharing, which is a separate service which sends a one-way video feed from one handset to another. This service typically uses the phone's standard camera, which is aimed away from the user to share experiences. AT&T is the only carrier to offer that service in the United States, and it has been in the market for about a year. AT&T hasn't shared information on how many people use it, but prices are extremely high.

Pricing aside, people apparently need to develop more self-confidence in their image before they are willing to share it via video to (who would presumably be) their closest friends.

Video calling "hit the market too early, maybe it will still be a success," said Sari Stahlberg, Nokia's director of product and technology marketing, after making the remarks. "There wasn't enough support from carriers."

Now that AT&T's higher-speed 3G network is running in more cities, perhaps adoption will begin to pick up.

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