Holiday Gift Guide »

Skype now available for Android, you need a device running at least Android 2.1

Categories: Android, Applications, Featured
By: , IntoMobile
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 at 4:20 AM
skype

Skype, the application that practically everyone who has ever heard of the internet uses for things such as calling Mom to save money or having webcam sex with their girlfriend while you’re on business, has now released an Android application. Skype is now native to both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system, so we can all stop using Fring … that oh so buggy software that’s a terrible kludge. The video is pretty self explanatory; hell, Skype is pretty self explanatory. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure things out.

How will operators feel about all of this? It’ll be interesting to see how much data a typical VoIP call takes. I can’t imagine it’d be more than loading a web page or two. What separates Skype from their legacy circuit switched operator cousins however is their advanced codec. Anyone who has recently had a VoIP call using a high quality headset knows exactly what I’m talking about. CD Quality doesn’t even begin to describe the joy it is to be on a Skype call. The only operator we know of that’s actively pushing higher quality voice calls is Orange UK. Now that they’re merged with T-Mobile UK I wonder if they’ll continue pushing such a niche technology to customers?

All in all today marks the day Android grew up. This writer remembers when Nokia announced their Nokia N800, and toted that it had built in Skype capabilities. Sadly the device shipped without them, and even with later firmwares the support was never really rock solid to use full time. Skype on the go is something I’ve been greatly enjoying on my new iPhone 4, and since most of my geek friends have switch to Android from Symbian, it’s nice to see that we’ll be able to save on calls seeing as how unlimited data packages are the norm.

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • http://www.news.raafatrola.com news.raafatrola

    thats really cool…infact Skype was needed to launch this because of increasing market of Android.

  • DavidB

    Hate to burst your bubble, but its wifi only in USA.

    • kd5bwp

      Verizon customers can use Skype over 3g and over the voice network for free

  • Blanca Perez

    i Personally think its an awsome phone:) GO verizon GO!!

  • http://telkomsel rico.nice

    good….aplication….

  • Charle

    Son of a bitch!

    Currently does not support Samsung Galaxy S handsets (>.<)

    • Melissa

      Doesnt sign in on Samsung Galaxy S in Australia

  • Eric

    Looks nice and polished. It’s good to see more good UIs popping up in the Android eco-system these days, they were few and far between even just a few months ago.

  • Shekhar

    I would definitely download and try this.

  • Rob

    I can confirm is working on my Galaxy S (on the Froyo Beta) here in Canada over both wifi and 3G. as for the authors comment about today being the day Android grew up, that smacks of typical iphone user condescension. Android was is and will always be a more robust os than ios. Did ios only grow up when it got skype…um no. Guess what we can ftp to and from our phones, bittorrent on our phones, watch flash on our phones, get content on and off of our phones WITHOUT the crapware called itunes, and we can also personalize every aspect of our phone…can you say the same. Makes me wonder when ios will grow up

  • TheReviewer

    skype ? who needs that ? got no real cell or phone ? bah !