Just when Skype was making such great progress with stuff like carrier deals and plugging into TVs, they retract download availability of their voice over IP app for Windows Mobile. Why, you ask? This knowledgebase article explains:
“We’ve chosen to withdraw Skype Lite and Skype for Windows Mobile because we want to offer our new customers an improved mobile experience – much like the version that has proved so popular on the iPhone, and which is now available on Symbian phones. Our focus is on providing a rich user experience that allows you to enjoy free Skype-to-Skype and low cost calls as easily on the move as you do at your desktop.
We felt that Skype Lite and Skype for Windows Mobile were not offering the best possible Skype experience.”
With Windows Phone 7 gearing up for public availability, I would expect Skype is cooking up something snazzy that takes advantage of the fresh look and functions, but does that necessarily mean that they want to leave legacy devices in the dust? I could understand discontinuing support or updates, but pulling the app down entirely seems a bit drastic, even in the name of providing an optimal end-user experience.
If you already have Skype installed on your phone, you can keep on using it, just make sure to back it up somewhere, or not delete it. Besides, there’s always Fring, right?
[via WMPoweruser]