Android Tablets For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 8

Text, Voice, and Video

In This Chapter

Setting up Google Hangouts

Doing a video chat

Calling a phone in Hangouts

Texting with Skype

Making a Skype video call

Using Skype to make phone calls

The holy grail of communications has always been video chat. Back in the 1960s, the video phone was touted as the harbinger of the future. The film 2001: A Space Odyssey features a key character making a video phone call to his daughter on the “Bell network.” (Cost: $1.70.) Obviously, seeing and speaking on a phone was considered a big deal.

Years after that film was to have taken place, a video phone call is more commonly known as a video chat. It’s a feature that your Android tablet is more than capable of offering, along with text messaging, voice chat, and even real phone calls. The future is here — and rather than cost $1.70 for a 2-minute video call, it’s free.

Can We Hangout? ...