4. Videophone

It is now possible to talk face to face instead of making a traditional audio call. This is a video call whereby a video link is established during the call so you can see the person you are talking to.

The picture above shows a typical video call being made with a smart phone. The built-in camera in both phones is capturing video and this video signal is transmitted along with the audio.

There is also a picture-in-picture so you to check that you are pointing your camera correctly.

Some of the latest phones have two cameras built in that you can switch between them during the call. This allows you to show something in the room or place you are in without having to move the phone around too much.

Video calls do take up a lot of bandwidth, therefore the person should be mindful of the cost of the call. Especially if they are overseas and are using data roaming.

VoIP

Another way of establishing a video call is to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The caller has a web cam pointing at them that then feeds into the VoIP application. The recipient can choose to switch off their web camera if they do not particularly want a two way video call.