Skype For Mobile Phones Improved

I wrote last year about Skype finally getting really mobile, but at that time, it was still lagging well behind the key players in mobile VoIP, with support for only a handful of handsets. Skype just launched this week its lite version in Beta that runs on Java machines, and is supported on nearly a hundred mobile phones and handsets. That should make mobile VoIP available to millions more of Skype users.

Besides the enlarged device set, the mobility too has so much improved that it challenges competitors like Yeigo and Fring. Skype Lite does not require Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity to place calls - it uses the GSM carrier to do so. This implies that users can make Skype calls anywhere they get GSM coverage. This will also imply, on the other hand, that no call will be completely free (as would have been the case with a PC) since the mobile plan (GSM part before switching to an IP network on one of Skype's servers) will be charged, even on a Skype-to-Skype call. That's why Skype recommends users to avoid using this outside the reach of their local carrier (like e.g. abroad). Read more