Video chat on smartphones has
come
a long way in a relatively short
amount of time, and the tools
available for Android have matured
from gimmicky to genuinely useful.
You have a lot of great options, but
we think that Google Hangouts
deserves the crown for the overall
best and most well-integrated
method to see and talk with
friends.
It's been a while since we updated
this post, and in the time since we
last selected Skype as our favorite
video chat application for Android,
the arena has shifted entirely. Lots
of
people went from not using their
phones for video chat or video calls
at all to having a best-in-class tool
built in that they use on the reg.
Here's our new favorite pick, along
with where the competition stands
today.
Google Hangouts
Platform: Android (and others)
Price: Free
Download Page
Features
Places video calls to desktop
and other mobile devices over
3G/4G and Wi-Fi
Supports group video calls
with up to 10 other people
Synchronizes your Hangouts
and their history across devices so
you can see what you talked
about in the past, and review
shared photos, links, or other
media
All video calls to other users
are free (excluding data charges)
Supports front and rear-facing
cameras
Supports calls to mobile and
landline numbers via Google
Voice (or right through Hangouts
in iOS)
Supports bluetooth and wired
headsets for audio
Supports chat, SMS, MMS,
group SMS and MMS, video and
picture sharing, animated GIFs,
emoji, and more
Supports location sharing
Integrates with Google+