Back in the 1990s, browsing the World Wide Web, primarily in India, involved a long wait for even the most basic websites to load. At this juncture, one of my favourite cartoon series was the Jetsons , featuring flying cars, automated walkways and other gadgets that were supposed to make life in the future easy. One of the major innovations to catch my attention was the ability to use video calls for normal conversations. In the last two decades, but for flying cars, the Internet has revolutionised human interaction and communication. Instant messaging apps, unheard of six years ago, have subscriber bases exceeding a billion and social media has become a place where everything from dinner recipes to revolutions are planned and dissected. Among these innovations, video calling, once considered the next level of communication, lies sidelined in India. While most of the developed world uses FaceTime and Skype, India seems to be comfortable with WhatsApp and good old voice calls. With the launch of Duo, a Google video calling app, will video calling become as popular as messaging platforms?
Shabbir Hussain, a marketing executive contends, "I prefer using texting apps such as WhatsApp or making a voice call instead of chatting via video. I feel very conscious about talking on video. I can take an official voice call at home without bothering about how I appear to the people on the other end of the call. That is a luxury video calls take away." IT consultant Vinayak Sharma agrees, "I think one of the major reasons video calling has not become popular in India is that video calling apps on Android are very few. With 4G and high speed internet still making a mark in India, most users will prefer voice calls and texts to watching blurred images on a screen. I hope that something like Google Duo would make a change.”
He adds, "Video calling apps make sure we can witness important ceremonies in the family without being physically present, though Facebook Live is bridging the gap on that front too. I think that it will take many more years for video calling to catch up and replace voice calls and texts, especially in the case of informal conversation. On a personal level, I would think that convenience is key for video calling not catching up with voice calls or messages. You need multiple logins, have to ensure your friends are also online and have a good data pack for a video call. All you need for a texting app or voice call is a functional SIM and you can call anyone up immediately. It hardly uses up data and works perfectly almost everywhere. I do not have to worry about the lighting in the room, whether the other person has electricity and other such minute details.”
Another reason that video apps lose out is that people tend to use text messages for conveying regular information. Instant messaging apps allow users to send videos also. Having said that, FaceTime has made video calling the go to option in the West. With connectivity improving and faster data plans crowding the market, video calling may yet see a new dawn in the country.
Popular video calling apps
FaceTime
Tango
Google Duo
Skype
