How To Use iPhone 4s : Easily the most important new feature of the fourth-generation iPhone was FaceTime, a foolproof way of making and receiving video calls. Unimaginable outside science fiction just a decade ago, mobile video calls offer a whole new type of communication – the downside being that it’s only possible to make or receive FaceTime calls using a recent iPhone (4 and later), iPod Touch (4 and later), iPad (2 and later) or Mac (OS X 10.6.6 or later).

Video calling required the addition of an extra camera lens on the front of the iPhone so that the user’s face can be captured without spin­ning the phone around and obscuring the screen. Best of all, because there’s a camera lens on the back too, it’s possible at the tap of a button to switch between the two views — one of you and one of your view.

Using FaceTime

Assuming FaceTime is switched on (you can check within Settings > Phone), then making a video call is as easy as tapping a button — though you’ll need to be on either Wi-Fi or 3G to do it. To initiate a video call, either:

-       Tap the FaceTime button on a contact’s page in your contacts list.

-       Make or receive a phone call in the usual way and then hit the FaceTime button on the call screen (pictured here).

Either way, the person you are calling will immediately receive a FaceTime invitation. If they accept, the video call will begin. During the call, each user can toggle between their iPhone’s two cameras using the “switch camera” icon located at the bottom-right of the screen that displays while you are using FaceTime.

Using FaceTime on Macs

FaceTime is also available as a 99?/69p download for Macs, enabling you to call friends, family and colleagues on their FaceTime-capable iPhones (4 and later models). You can also call Mac to Mac, if both computers have cameras and FaceTime installed – a similar experience to using Skype or iChat.

To use FaceTime, first download it from the Mac App Store. To make a call, choose a contact from the list. Then, to call that person’s iPhone, click their phone number; ‘to call their iPad, iPod Touch or Mac, click their email address.

Voice-activated dialing

On any iPhone since the 3G model, it’s possible to initiate a call using your voice – though it works best with Siri, which was introduced on the iPhone 4S.

-       To call a contact Press and hold the Home button for around a second until the Voice Control screen pops up and you hear a double-beep. Then say “call” or “dial” followed by a contact’s name. You can add “home” or “mobile” if you know the contact has multiple numbers. If you don’t do this, your iPhone will next ask you to clarify which number you want.

-       To call a number Press and hold the Home button until you hear a noise. Then say “call” or “dial”, followed by the number, speaking each digit. On older iPhones, avoid phrases such as “double” and “triple”, which can cause confusion.

Other call features

Call Forwarding

If you’d like to have incoming calls forwarded to another number, click Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and enter a number. This can be very handy if, for instance, you’re going to be outside your network’s coverage area but available on a landline. When this feature is active, a special blue icon appears at the top of the iPhone’s display to the left of the clock.

Caller ID (outgoing)

If you’d like to call someone with­out your name or number flashing up on their phone screen, click Settings, then Phone, and switch off Show My Caller ID.

Super Caller ID

Tap by a received call in your Recents list and you’ll see options for calling back, adding to contacts, etc. This page includes address details, when known, for callers already in your contacts list. For unknown callers, if you’re in the US, you’ll see the area where the call came from. This “Super Caller ID” feature can be very handy when you receive a call with an unfamiliar area code. Unfortunately, the same info doesn’t flash up when the phone actually rings.

See Also

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• How Can you Create Incredible iPad Applications?
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• How to Use iPhone 4s | Sync and Use Calendars