Some time the TRE launched videophones, cell phones equipped with front, as well as rear cameras, to make video calls. They were a flop: people do not like to show themselves on the phone if not with a very intimate person and, above all, the cost of video calls was decidedly high if there were no active promotions. On modern smartphones, on the other hand, various types of applications can be installed to make video calls with friends or relatives, free of charge, using internet, data or wifi connectivity. On Android and iPhone or iPad, there are at least 8 excellent applications to make video chats and video calls on smartphones equipped with a front camera, to look at each other in the face.
Although the video chat applications are excellent, it should be noted that they work well when the phone is connected to a Wifi network. If you use a 3G network, the call quality can vary a lot depending on the speed of the network and its clogging (at night they work better than the day). In addition, when making a video call from an Android, iPhone and iPad mobile phone or tablet, to prevent audio and video from becoming unstable, care must be taken to close all other applications that consume memory and network resources.
READ ALSO: Best VOIP Apps to call low cost from smartphones and tablets
1) Skype, for Android and iPhone, is the main application in this category. The initial home screen is simple and clean and you can access the list of contacts and recent conversations, make calls in VOIP (via the internet), chat, video call, send files or SMS. Skype for Android works as a video call application only on certain supported models of tablets and mobile phones. Video calls must be enabled from the settings menu.
Video can be turned on or off during a call and can be streamed from both the front and rear cameras.
2) Video calls can be made with Whatsapp, by pressing the phone button and then choosing the video call option instead of the normal call option. Whatsapp also supports group video calls, with a maximum of 4 participants.
3) From 2015 you can make video calls from Facebook Messenger, on Android and iPhone.
4) Facetime to make free video calls from iPhone
5) In 2016, the Google Duo app , similar to Facetime, was released for quick and easy video calls
6) Snapchat, the photo and selfie app allows you to make video calls.
Snapchat video calls are certainly the most fun of all applications because during a video call you can also send photos, writings and emoticons making everything more interactive and nice.
7) Google Hangouts, for Android and for iPhone and iPad, is the best news among online video chat applications and services in general.
The Google Hangouts (formerly Google Talk) application allows you to connect to a small group of people and communicate with them by videoconference. From Android, just start a normal conversation as a text chat and then click on the camera icon to start the hangout (called Hangout). Video chat in Google+ is similar to that of Google Talk, with the difference that you can chat with more than one person at a time. Also you can invite other people to video chat.
8) Tango is an application for Android and iOS. Tango is similar to Viber with the additional functionality of being able to make audio and video calls to anyone else who uses Tango on Android, iOS, Windows Phone and PC.
9) Viber, for Android and for iPhone and iOS, is among the best free programs for video conferencing and video chat from PC. Viber is an application very similar to Skype, to video call other users for free.
10) IMO is a newer video chat for Android and iOS that works both as a chat and messenger and as an app for video calls, completely free.
BONUS: Out of the list, it is worth reporting free video chats with strangers to see yourself online on smartphones (best apps)
