Since first introducing the ability for iPhone owners to use AirPlay to stream video from their smartphones, Apple’s been expanding the reach of the feature. We’ve seen homebrew apps that enable AirPlay where it otherwise wouldn’t be an option, and Apple’s added to the list of what can be done over AirPlay in past iOS updates. Developers running the latest iOS beta have reported that yet another doorway for AirPlay has opened with this most recent release, finally letting you stream the video from a FaceTime call.
With AirPlay enabled for FaceTime, you can finally video chat using the large screen of your television. You’ll probably want to invest in a stand for your iPhone, or else you’re liable to end up filming yourself at an unflattering angle, no longer using the smartphone as your primary screen, but this sounds like it could be a pretty handy feature, prep-work aside.
Besides giving yourself a larger screen with which to video chat, using AirPlay will allow you to effectively share the call with a group for things like keeping up with family or talking business with colleagues, all without needing a dedicated teleconference setup.
There’s no word from Apple if this feature will stick around to the public iOS 5 release, but it’s here now, at least.
