This clip from the 1993 concept video Vision demonstrates why the videophone has never caught on.
There is nothing communicated between the characters that necessitates visuals. If the best application of videophone technology you can think of is proving that helicopters exist, there probably isn’t a pressing need for the technology.
See also:
Vision (Clip 1, 1993)
Connections: AT&T’s Vision of the Future (1993)
Writer and Producer of Connections: AT&T’s Vision of the Future
The Road Ahead: Future Homes (1995)
Starfire (1994)
Apple’s Grey Flannel Navigator (1988)
Apple’s Knowledge Navigator (1987)
AT&T "You Will" (1993)
