Yahoo has launched a new messaging service called Livetext that features live two-way video chats for mobile device users, but with a ‘silent’ twist.
Pitched as “live video texting without sound,” Livetext lets users communicate through facial expressions and typed text- but no sound.
Yahoo said the immediacy and spontaneity of Livetext affords brings the service closer to real life conversations.
A silent live video app addresses problems with both text and voice communications, Yahoo claims.
For example, users often misinterpret texts or take hours to respond, while telephone conversations require a relatively quiet environment.
“We see video as a way to make your conversations more authentic, and we see text as a way to connect that’s quick and non-intrusive,” said Arjun Sethi, senior director of product management at Yahoo.
It seems Yahoo is positioning Livetext as more of an augmentation to texting, not a stripped down video chat client. It remains to be seen whether or not customers agree in light of other mobile-centric video messaging solutions like Apple’s own FaceTime.