Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Skype for iPhone and the Blackberry gets official


It is officially official, Skype will be launching an iPhone version of its popular VoIP software on Tuesday and a BlackBerry version in May. Skype for the iPhone will be the standard run of the mill Skype application with an interface consistent with the iPhone’s slick UI. As with the desktop version, Skype to Skype calls will be free, while Skype to traditional numbers will incur a nominal fee. The VoIP service will require access to a Wi-Fi network and will not run over a cellular connection. Additionally, the iPhone version of Skype will also support chatting and, thankfully, this feature will be available via a cellular connection. There’s also several unique features including the ability to use the camera hardware to capture a photo or to pull in a picture from your photo album for use within the Skype application. Incoming conference calls can be accepted but the ability to initiate an outgoing conference call is not yet available. Not surprisingly, video calling will also not be available in these upcoming mobile versions but is reportedly being considered for future releases for the iPhone and other handsets. Best news of all, the Skype app for the iPhone will be available from the App store for free. Sorry BlackBerry users, but no additional information on the BlackBerry version yet. With a launch slated for May, you all may have to wait until WES rolls around. Hit the jump for a few more screen grabs.

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