Skype App Updated, Allows 3G Calling On the iPhone 109
silverpig sends this excerpt from the Wifitalk.ca blog: "Skype has just announced that an updated version of its iPhone app has been released to the App Store and now allows calling over 3G. While this functionality has been available on the iPhone since a January update to the SDK, and while other apps such as Fring have enabled 3G VOIP calling through their apps, Skype has been noticeably absent from the VOIP-over-3G landscape. Until today." A reader adds: "Included in the app update are some UI tweaks and a call quality indicator to help you predict what your VOIP-over-3G call quality will be like. Most interesting in the announcement is the suggestion that while Skype-to-Skype over 3G will be free for 2010, Skype is investigating pricing options and may charge for it in 2011. This could lead to smartphones being sold with data only + Skype plans."
Er, not to intrude on the soapbox (Score:4, Informative)
...but there's a half-dozen carrier-neutral SIP/IAX2 apps on iTunes, and even more free apps purpose-built by companies offering VoIP over wifi/3G. I use one to connect to an Asterisk server and get great integration with my office PBX that is effectively a high-quality wifi phone.
The announcement here was that Skype feels it solved problems inherent with changing latency of 3G to the point you can walk around and have a decent phone call. That's huge if it works because service quality where I am can change block-by-block. I'm sure they'll have an Android version of this too in no-time if that's the case.
Apple is "Evil to the core(tm)". By choosing their products and harsh requirements for software reliability I'm forcing vendors to jump through hoops to sell me something. Maybe that's the trade-off for a device that just works.
-Matt
Re:I predict... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I predict... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Er, not to intrude on the soapbox (Score:5, Informative)
All that shit "just works" on my N900, including Skype. Imho, the only mobile platform that doesn't "just work" is Window Mobile.
Re:I don't get it.. (Score:2, Informative)
Net neutrality campaigners aren't just worried about "normal" internet connections, whatever that means. Net neutrality principles apply to *all* internet connections.
This situation is the reverse of the normal network neutrality problem. Normally you would expect AT&T to charge extra for the use of Skype, and that would be a clear net neutrality violation. Having Skype charge extra for using AT&T's network is less bad; Skype is not an ISP and there are many competing VoIP alternatives which do not charge. However, if AT&T is involved in Skype's decision to charge, for example if AT&T is charging Skype directly and Skype is passing that cost on, then it's still a net neutrality problem.
That's nice (Score:5, Informative)
Gee, thanks for "allowing" this, you're all too kind. Of course the Nokia N900 [nokia.com] has had Skype over WiFi and 3G since last fall, and with the latest update does Skype-to-Skype video calls as wells (over whatever TCP/IP connection you have of course, including 3G)! But I'm sure it will be a great innovation and a lot of fuss about it when the iPhone 4G or whatever invents video calls later on.
Re:even slower? (Score:4, Informative)
iPhone OS 4 will support keeping Skype and other similar programs running in the background (essentially), if you hadn't heard.
Re:Er, not to intrude on the soapbox (Score:3, Informative)
Skype has been working over any data connection on nokia phones for years, both via 3rd party applications as well as native one.
Heck, the main complaint is that native skype app on nokia won't give you video calling at the moment, unlike the 3rd party apps that do.
Yes, but it works the other way... (Score:2, Informative)
The cell company will still have access to your IEMI and know that you aren't using an iPad.
That is true, but just because they have access do that data does not mean it's blocked or will not work. There has been plenty of success in people using the iPhone sim in the iPad 3G (though the phone companies have less reason to care about use in that direction).
In a data only plan, data is just data and because the plans are sold with explicit data caps it seems like they would be OK with other devices using the plan, as long as originally you had bought an iPad to use the plan to start with.
Skype 3G VOIP "Just Worked" on WM Since 2007 (Score:4, Informative)
the only mobile platform that doesn't "just work" is Window Mobile.
Skype Mobile on WM has done 3G VOIP since 2007 on my Sprint network. It pretty much Just Worked. Bonus: have been enjoying occasional Video VOIP calls since then with Microsoft Portrait. That Just Works as well.
Typical Apple Newbie Profound Lack of Knowledge (Score:3, Informative)
Skype has been noticeably absent from the VOIP-over-3G landscape. Until today
Skype has been doing VOIP over 3G on my Sprint HTC Windows Mobile phone since 2007. And fring has also been doing that for almost as long. Bonus: for several years I have proudly demonstrated my nose hairs to a chosen few with Video VOIP using Microsoft Portrait on Windows Mobile. I hear that Apple's newest phone may finally have Video VOIP thus summer... I guess we will have to eagerly anticipate a bunch of Apple Astroturfers chiming in with "Video VOIP has been noticeably absent from the mobile phone landscape... until today"-type comments.
PR1.2 (Score:3, Informative)
Nokia only just added video calling for Skype on the N900 last week in PR1.2, but that delay seems like just Nokia's Symbian heads acting like douche bags with respect to the Maemo/MeeGo platform designed to help them hold the high end phone market.