Posted on 03/30/2009 2:47:33 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Skype is set to launch its iPhone application Tuesday, bringing its much-anticipated Net-based phone service to Apple's mobile platform. With the Skype iPhone app, users will be able to make free calls using Wi-Fi to other Skype users as well as use their Skype accounts to make reduced price calls to traditional landline phones. Skype announced its iPhone application will be available on Tuesday for free, with a version for the BlackBerry available in May. Mobile versions of Skype are already available for Nokia, Windows Mobile, and Google Android phones.
From what we can tell, the Skype for iPhone looks great; but it has some drawbacks. One disappointment is that users won't be able to place calls over cellular networks, but only via Wi-Fi. Still, for international callers especially, Skype's iPhone app will save callers money by allowing them to avoid AT&T's traditional wireless phone network and adds the convenience of allowing Skype users to use their iPhone handset for Skype calls.
Looking more like a traditional iPhone app rather than the desktop Windows counterpart most of its 400 million users are used to, Skype for iPhone features five tabs at the bottom of the screen, displaying contacts, chats, a calling panel, call history, and your profile (with Facebook-style status).
Skype for iPhone will use phone numbers directly from your phone's address book, so no more nasty duplicated contact lists. It even displays your contacts' photos (if they have one set up on Skype). Conference calling is available, but for the moment you can only take part in one if someone invites you.
(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...
Ping
Just another reason why iPhone is the killer app.
It’s the applications.
I will get Skype.
I use Skype and love it.
$0.021 per minute from either China or Japan to the US when I travel.
I’ve used Skype for years. They just made some kind of huge upgrade, and in the process I’ve lost all the money I had in my account, and now cannot update it. Never received a response from them for all my complaints.
Very disappointed in Skype, which has essentially ripped off all the money in my account. Be careful with this outfit.
Hank
Neato. Now if they could just get flash to work on the damn thing!
Well, the statement that there is a Skype version for Google Android is sorta true ... there is, it is called “Lite version of Skype Beta”. It is from Skype, has gotten average to under average reviews at best, as reviewers are reporting a number of problems signing in and what have you, and it doesn’t support WiFi.
So ... why bother? I certainly didn’t download the application to my G1 phone after reading the reviews.
If it works as stated on my iPod touch bye bye Time Warner phone long distance plan. Daughter in NC, Son in Law in WA me in WI
Yes, folks have made WiFi-based telephone calls on the iPod Touch using a plug-in mic. There are a number of video demonstrations on YouTube.
Is Skype on the iPhone as much of a pig as it is on Windows? Truly one of the worlds more overrated applications.
Flash, nope. Rumor is they are developing their own in-house flash type application. And it has been in process for a while.
It’s just a lil ole phone after all. :)
“Is Skype on the iPhone as much of a pig as it is on Windows? Truly one of the worlds more overrated applications.’
Nope, it’s not windoze man, it’s a UNIX based operating system.
And the OS X on computers is what the iPhone is basically using as well.
So no piggish windoze allowed.
Tomorrow thought this will be interesting. But the Skype iPhone application will require WIFI. It can do chat via 3G though.
So, let me see if I get this right...people are using a very pricey cell phone, with a must-have (and very pricey) data and internet package (try getting the iPhone without the AT&T data package and all you have is a pricier iPod Touch)...to use the internet...to make phone calls.
Not very smart, now is it?
Data plan is optional but why get an advanced phone without it.
For those with plenty of wifi available, Skype is an alternative.
We find out today.
Doesn’t mean the application can’t be a pig. Apps can suck memory like a cheap whore on every OS.
My experience, limited as it is, tells me a cell signal is more readily available than wifi. YMMV
Downloaded and tested. It works fine on my iPhone. For those with family/friends in Europe and around the world, it’s nice to be able to speak to them for free.
They’ll probably improve it too. But it’s not an application hog. In fact all the apps I use on the iPhone are fine with memory.
Of course a cell is more available and it has something called a price attached.
Reports of Skype users in Europe are that it works on 3g too.
US 3g networks are not allowed to use Skype though. One day though....
Give it time, Skype on Windows doesn’t eat all the resources right away, it’s got a leak somewhere, so in a few hours things get kind of ugly. Skype is one of those examples of popularity and quality being largely unrelated. It’s not even close to the the best internet-phone software, and yet somehow it’s become the name in the industry. Sad but true.
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