At CES 2011, a Microsoft employee mentioned off-hand that one direction for the smartphone OS, Windows Phone, would be a FaceTime-like app, according to neowin.net on January 9. Some evidence presented from a WP7 .dll supports that.
The Microsoft employee also hinted that the future requirements for Windows Phone 8 would include a front facing camera. Evidence was supplied in the form of a screen shot of the Microsoft.Phone.Media.Extended.dll that suggests such a camera.
via neowin.net
The idea that Microsoft may be working on such a product isn’t surprising at all. What is surprising is Microsoft’s leisurely timeline. The Apple iPhone 4 introduced a front facing camera and FaceTime in the summer of 2010. With the market share of WP7 and Windows Mobile solidly in fourth place (in the U.S.) behind Android, Apple and RIM, Microsoft’s casual approach suggests that the company doesn’t see this feature as something that will help them close that gap.