A camera on the iPod Touch?  Not news, everyone expects it to happen sooner or later.

Video capture on the iPod Touch?  Once you have the camera this seems like a no-brainer for Apple to also add at minimal overhead.

FaceTime on the iPod Touch?  Now this is the game-changer.  If Apple brings FaceTime to the iPod Touch, they open the floodgates for a true data calling over IP service that bypasses the existing cell networks.  And once the iPod Touch is onboard the FaceTime bandwagon, there’s absolutely no reason for Apple not to allow any iSight-enabled Mac to play too.  Suddenly every Apple device becomes a phone (at least on Wi-Fi…for now) and the users can decide if they want the conversation to be text, audio or video. 

The only obstacle I see is how does AT&T feel about it.  Is it cheaper to support a data network over a voice network?  Would they be ok losing the revenue from overpriced text message services if they’re able to make it up through potentially more lucrative data network charges (a step they’ve just taken)?

If AT&T is smart they’ve seen that the writing on the wall is data and I’m sure Apple has been doing their best to convince them of that.  The new data plans and tethering capabilities are a start.

yeah it sort of goes right along with Steve’s keynote statement “hundreds of millions of Facetime enabled devices by the end of the year.”

correction…tens of millions.

I think that a camera and FaceTime on the iPod Touch probably going to happen sooner rather than later.

I would love to see FaceTime working between an iPhone/Touch and a Mac.

Camera is a good thing (if true this time around). I’m not going to upgrade from my 1G touch unless there’s GPS as well though. The accelerometers and gyroscopes are nice but nowhere near as important to me as finally having GPS.

Skype, iChat, AOL, etc. use a username as the handle for calling people. This method allows users to sign-in to their accounts from multiple devices. FaceTime does not use usernames, it uses the phone number of a FaceTime device as a handle (iPhone only for now).

You don’t sign-in to your FaceTime account like you do with traditional messaging applications so how will FaceTime be supported on computers, iPod Touches, and other devices. I would imagine that Apple thought through all of this and either have a secret method in mind -OR- will limit the FaceTime technology to smartphones only, i.e. devices that have phone numbers assigned to them.

Thoughts anyone?

As much as I want it to be true, I’m hesitant to believe Apple will add Facetime to the next Touch. They need to retain a certain amount of differentiators between the iPhone and iPod Touch. Historically, that’s been 3G and a camera. Now that it’s almost certain they’ll add the camera, they’ll have to create new differentiators. Whether the Retina Display will be one of those is difficult to say, but Facetime would be the next obvious choice for Apple to keep as an iPhone-only feature.

But I’m still looking forward to editing HD video on iMovie with a Touch!

You don’t sign-in to your FaceTime account like you do with traditional messaging applications so how will FaceTime be supported on computers, iPod Touches, and other devices. I would imagine that Apple thought through all of this and either have a secret method in mind -OR- will limit the FaceTime technology to smartphones only, i.e. devices that have phone numbers assigned to them.

My initial post alludes to the former - that Apple does have something up their sleeve.  Great technical analysis of what needs to happen for all Mac devices to play well with FaceTime.  My only addition would be that every device has a unique logon ID rather than the user.  Devices could be assigned to a user (or more than one user, for devices used by more than one person in the home for example) and those devices could have a status that continually updates (online, away, offline) to help give other users an idea what device is currently being used.

If the latter is true - that only SmartPhones will be able to use FaceTime, then that pretty much squashes this rumor, no?

Eventually it will, but I highly doubt it will happen in this generation.  The moment I read it would be included in this article I thought to myself “hmm.. I don’t need an iPhone 4 now”.  That’s exactly the thinking Apple will not want.

Maybe next year after the iPhone 5 comes out.

I think we’re much more likely to see an AppleTV update with apps.