The AT&T VideoPhone 2500 was one of the first videocompatible phones aimed at the consumer market, launched in 1992. This device represented a significant technological innovation for its time, allowing users to make video calls over traditional phone lines, without the need for advanced Internet connections.
INSIGHTS
The VideoPhone 2500 was equipped with a 3.3-inch color LCD screen and an integrated camera capable of transmitting low-resolution images. The video quality was limited by the bandwidth of analog phone lines, resulting in a low frame rate (about 10 frames per second), but sufficient for basic visual communication.
Aesthetically, the device resembled a traditional landline phone with a solid body and a handset connected by a cord. However, it featured an intuitive interface with dedicated buttons for managing video calls. Installation was simple: you just needed to connect it to a standard phone line and a power outlet to start using it.
Despite being a revolutionary technology for its time, the VideoPhone 2500 did not achieve significant commercial success due to its high cost and limited video quality. However, it represented an important step in the evolution of video communication, foreshadowing the era of Internet video calls, which are now an integral part of our daily lives.
For more information
[1] S. H. Early, A. Kuzma and E. Dorsey, “The videophone 2500 — Video telephony on the public switched telephone network,” in AT&T Technical Journal, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 22-32, Jan.-Feb. 1993, doi: 10.1002/j.1538-7305.1993.tb00519.x.
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRLv3N7Fa5E&ab_channel=CNNBusiness