New In iOS 5 Beta 3: AirPlay Mirroring For FaceTime Calls
by Joe White
July 13, 2011
Here's a great, new feature discovered in the latest beta version of iOS 5: When making FaceTime calls, it's possible to stream the video to an Apple TV via AirPlay, and make the call using a "big screen."
The feature was discovered by Rene Ritchie of TiPb. As you can see in the above image, the feature works just like AirPlay Mirroring (which mirrors the iPad 2's screen on an AirPlay-compatible device). Obviously, users of the feature need to keep their iPad at hand, because they'll need its camera. And for this reason, one-to-one FaceTime calls may be better suited to the iPad itself, rather than an HDTV.
However, the same cannot be said for group FaceTime calls: With this feature, everyone in the room can see the recipient of the call, even if the recipient can't see everyone else. As TiPb notes, this feature is perfectly suited to "families and businesses alike," and I agree. Here's hoping the feature makes its way into the final release of iOS 5.
For more information on iOS 5 beta 3's new features, take a look at our post.