Verizon 4G LTE video calls only enabled phone to phone?

[RichardClark]

Check out this page on Verizon's web site advertising the ThunderBolt: Check out the first 4G LTE Smartphone

Look at the Skype Mobile section. Note the asterisk in the statement "Video calling that works Smartphone to Smartphone, Smartphone to PC*, and across the world." Then look at the footnote that says "*Video calls must be made between Verizon 4G LTE devices or 4G WiFi enabled PCs."

Am I just being paranoid or does that mean that a 4G LTE smartphone would not be able to video chat with a PC user on a home internet connection? Sounds like they want to keep all of the video call traffic within the 4G network. That would be a major disappointment since the friends and family I was most looking forward to video chatting with on the go are either with other carriers or don't plan on getting video-capable phones for a good while. Major bummer. And, if that's the case, how could anyone video call "across the world" when Verizon LTE doesn't exist outside of the U.S.?

 

[Hand_O_Death]

This would be incredibly stupid if true. Why wouldn't they allow skype to off network phones and PCs? That is what I would use it for most.

I can only hope it is a typo for now.

 

[Chrisy]

Ant news on this?

 

[RHChan84]

It sounds like it. But with the world part, it throws everything off. LTE frequency in the US is not used anywhere else.

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

i have heard an read that skype will work to any device with skype. but there was a recent article leak that skype wont even be working at launch as its not ready....

im not a verizon cust yet. but they are starting to annoy me with this phone leaking last year. announced at ces. an it seems to be taking forever to release it, still no info an half the reps dont even know what phone this is. now skype wont be active at launch. what next they wont give us that 32gig micro sd card?

 

[anon62607]

It sounds like it. But with the world part, it throws everything off. LTE frequency in the US is not used anywhere else.

I believe to be an LTE device it must be capable of communicating on all defined LTE bands, TDD or FDD. This was specifically to get rid of the world roaming problem.

 

[RHChan84]

From some of the stuff I have read, LTE devices from VZW will only be on the 700mhz band. Since other countries uses different bands, don't think it will work besides the US.

 

[anon62607]

From some of the stuff I have read, LTE devices from VZW will only be on the 700mhz band. Since other countries uses different bands, don't think it will work besides the US.

Unless I'm not remembering correctly, VZN has already said that they would supplement their 700 mhz LTE band with other bands in markets where more spectrum is needed, which if true implies their LTE devices are multiband.