A growing number of Android phones including the HTC Evo and Samsung Galaxy S have front-facing cameras, which means you should be able to use them to make video calls. Of course, in order for that to work, you need software that supports video calls — and the folks at Fring have launched the first app that does that.

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Fring is a multi-protocol app for Android, iPhone, and other devices that lets you chat and make voice calls to your Fring contacts as well as Skype, Google Talk, AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo contacts. Today Fring launched an updated Android app that also supports video calls on supported devices (with front-facing cameras).

I tried to test the app on my Google Nexus One running Android 2.2 Froyo, but it kept crashing.

I’m guessing that the problem is Froyo rather than the phone’s lack of a front-facing camera, since the Fring blog suggests that the app should work on the Nexus One. It’s just you need a device with 2 cameras to support 2-way chat. Phones with a single camera like the Nexus One support 1-way video chat, which means you might have to flip your phone around to shoot video.

Fring is available as a free download from the Android Market.

You can check out a video showing Fring video calls in action after the break.

via Android and Me

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since...

10 replies on “Fring brings video chat to Android”

  3. Android does have momentum but the quality of apps & the priority from developers is what its future depends on. I like the fact that more quality apps are coming out for Android. With all this I hope more reviews will be done for these like there is on the RawApps.com. I don't want to spend money for an app unless it's worth it.

  4. Android does have momentum but the quality of apps & the priority from developers is what its future depends on. I like the fact that more quality apps are coming out for Android. With all this I hope more reviews will be done for these like there is on the RawApps.com. I don't want to spend money for an app unless it's worth it.

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  6. DAMN!!!! I wish my new HTC Incredible had a front-facing camera. Oh, well…..guess I have to wait
    'til 2012, when I get my next phone. With technology, it seems we're always just behind the curve. (stares sadly at his one year-old, non-3D, $2,0000. Sony Bravia.)

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  8. I’ve had video calling for years ever since my first 3g mobile phone… they have ALL been able to do it over the network… so thats like 5 years of video calls…

    Now this is cool as it uses wifi and not expensive minutes, but what I don’t get is why anyone would ever buy a phone without a front facing camera?? surely its not 3g if you cant make a video call thats the purpose behind it!

    1. Actually only true in some countries e.g. UK & EU. Emerging markets etc, 3/4G mostly used for internet connectivity, video calling is hardly in use. Hence you are right, with data bundles getting cheaper by the day video calling via chat programs- gtalk, yahoo, skype, facetime would soon be a must have and means we will no longer have to pay for voice calls, multimedia or text messages! hooray

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