Skype Lands On iPhone And BlackBerry
While rumors of Skype adding mobile device support have been floating around for some time, the E-Bay owned company is now delivering the goods ahead of the CTIA Wireless show, which begins Wednesday in Las Vegas.
The first device to get support for the VoIP service will be Apple's iPhone, with availability starting Tuesday, according to a report in the New York Times. Interested users will be able to download the Skype application through the Apple App Store this week. The iPod touch will also function with the application.
Meanwhile, RIM's BlackBerry will be getting the same functionality about a month later in May.
On the iPhone, the Skype application will be somewhat limited. Users will not be able to place Skype calls via carriers such as AT&T, only on Wi-Fi networks. Callers therefore will not be charged for cell phone minutes when making Skype calls.
While rumors had been circulating about Skype's appearance on mobile devices, that speculation gained fuel last week when tech blogger Om Malik of GigaOm wrote that a tipster told him the iPhone app was coming soon.
"A few months ago, I asked Skype CEO Josh Silverman when was he going to launch the iPhone version of the P2P voice and IM service that has now been downloaded more than 405 million times," Malik wrote. "He smiled and said, 'Stay tuned.'"
It turns out that 'stay tuned' merely meant waiting through the weekend.
Skype users can also expect the capability to chat, take photos within the application, using an avatar and sorting contacts by name or online status.