iPhone gets Skype service, of sorts
Skype is just one service that US users with an iPhone but who don't want to pay for phone calls through AT&T have been hoping to see on their shiny new device, and so a recent press release from Stuttgart-based Shape Services to provide third-party access to Skype sounded promising.
In fact, "IM+ for Skype Beta" performs best for Skype chatting, not for making voice calls, so for the moment free or low-cost calls over the Internet via an iPhone seem out of the question.
The application, as with most others on the iPhone, is accessed via the Safari web browser, where a Skype user name, password, and call back phone number needs to be provided.
TG Daily, who have tested the service, say that chat has a noticeable delay of between 10 and 20 seconds. Additionally, it highlights the fact that the iPhone's on-screen keyboard is not really well-suited to lengthy, real-time instant messaging conversations.
As to attempting to make a voice phone call:
The voice portion of the application is another story. We do not subscribe to any of Skype's premium plans and were not able to find out if this is a requirement for Shape's application. Without such a plan, it was possible to establish voice connections to other Skype users for a few seconds, which however did not permit any voice communication. These calls were automatically cancelled, typically within 10 seconds.
Whether voice calling is supposed to work is another matter, though. Shape Services' web site claims "Pure Skype quality with no extra voice delays" for their application, and is based on having SkypeOut credits.
The company also claims that IM+ for Skype works worldwide in any 3G/GSM/CDMA network, and doesn't require Wi-Fi.
Product page (via TG Daily)
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MyToGo for Skype does the same thing for calls and works for ANY phone including the iPhone and it does NOT require the use of any browser or software on the iPhone. More information here:
http://testing.onlytherightanswers.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=58
Posted by: ZOverLord | August 14, 2007 6:39 PM