• Skype Officially Coming on the iPhone

    Skype Officially Coming on the iPhone

    Techtree News Staff, Mar 30, 2009 1436 hrs IST

    Free calls over WiFi

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Truphone's VoIP app had transformed the iPod Touch into a WiFi iPhone. And now, Skype is all set to launch their iPhone application. Skype's arrival will create a competitive situation in the cellular service provider market, reported Wall Street Journal. The common man can look forward to cheaper calling rates on the VoIP.

EBay's Skype is set to launch Skype App for the iPhone platform. The Skype VoIP app is already available for the Symbian 60, Windows Mobile, and Android platforms. Later this year, Skype intends to launch the app for BlackBerry devices as well, and a panel for Sony Xperia X1 is anticipated soon. Skype as a service always existed through a multi-account IM application called Fring.

Skype uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which allows users to make voice calls for free to other Skype users on a computer or supported mobile phones, using the Wi-Fi hotspot. Also, landline numbers can be called, but at a charge that differs from country to country.

Last month, Skype had signed an exclusive deal with Nokia at the Mobile World Congress 2009 to offer Skype as a pre-installed app in their upcoming mobile handsets.


 


 




The VoIP major Skype's initiative will help mobile phone owners to reduce their calling costs; this could be disturbing to cellular service providers. Skype offers landline and international calls at more affordable rates than mobile service providers.

When Skype hits App Stores, iPhone owners would be able to call other Skype contacts for free. Also, iPod Touch owners can use Skype, utilizing a headset with a microphone. All the abovementioned features would make Skype attractive to iPhone, iPod Touch, and supported mobile phone owners. Skype uses a 6.25 kb per second data connection; users on an unlimited GPRS data plan can benefit from this. Now, users may wish for a front panel camera to make video calls as well, using the WiFi network, since it could be data intensive on a GPRS connection. Such a feature may be included in the next generation iPhone, hopefully.


The big question is whether cellular service providers will allow Skype to provide international calling facility to users. Allowing Skype to do that will directly affect their income from international calls.  

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Skype Voice over Internet Protocol VoIP Truphone s VoIP app mobile phone phone mobiles WiFi iPhone iPhone iPod Symbian 60 Windows Mobile Android

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Discussion Board
(1) Comments
mudit
,noida, on Mar 30, 2009 04:07 PM
"The common man can look forward to cheaper calling rates on the VoIP. " Can you please tell, how can a common man afford Iphone in India????
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