Hello, Skype for your mobile!

By Andrew Brennan on April 24, 2008 in Mobile, Skype Mobile.

Whoa whoa whoa! Hot on the heels of Skype's new global calling plans comes (in my geeky opinion) some even more exciting news--the release of Skype for your mobile beta!

So what is it and what can you do with it?

Skype for your mobile (beta) is a 'thin' client for Skype that works on Java-enabled mobile phones. It lets you use many of Skype's features on the phone you already have. On the main information page (here), you can get instructions for how to install it on your phone and you can see a list of phones that Skype for your mobile has been tested on (though it may work even if your phone isn't listed, the phone needs to be Java-enabled).

Using Skype for your mobile beta, you can

Make Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls
Receive calls from Skype contacts and from people calling your online number (SkypeIn)
Send and receive instant messages (including group chats)
See whether your contacts are online
Set your online presence
Adjust your account settings

There are a couple things to be aware of though:

It's beta

Skype for your mobile is a beta and the full feature set is not available everywhere. Right now, you can use all the above features in the United Kingdom, Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Estonia. Elsewhere you can use the data-only features (like sign in, see who's online, conduct chats and set your presence) and receive Skype and online number (SkypeIn) calls, but you can't make calls. And because it's beta, it may not always work perfectly--known bugs are here, and you can report other ones you find here.

There may be fees

Skype to Skype calls are and will always be free, but because you're interacting with your mobile carrier to use Skype for your mobile, there may be additional charges you need to be aware of.

Skype for your mobile uses your mobile's data connection to connect to the Skype network so you can see which contacts are online, have individual and group text chats, and set your presence. If you don't have a data allowance or an unlimited data plan, you'll probably be charged by your carrier for data usage (but the client doesn't use that much data--a person with 20 contacts, who’s online for 1 hour, IMs for 10 minutes and has a 20 minute call each day will use about 1MB of data per month).

Skype for your mobile uses your phone's voice minutes to make calls--the client 'dials in' to the Skype network and uses the network to make the call. Therefore you'll be using your contract minutes (or paying for pay-as-you-go minutes) to call Skype contacts. You can call regular phones too, and in that case in addition to using your phone minutes, you'll use your SkypeOut credit (or make the call as included part of one of the new global calling plans).

Receiving calls

When you're signed into Skype on SFYM and you receive a call from a Skype contact or from someone calling your online number (SkypeIn), Skype for your mobile treats the call like it's being forwarded to your mobile, so you'll pay the SkypeOut fee for calling a mobile in your country when you answer incoming calls. It's worth noting that when you're signed in to Skype on your computer and Skype for your mobile, both devices will ring so you can answer the call on the computer without any fees as you would normally.

My impressions

When I was testing out an early version of Skype for your mobile, I found it really liberating to be able to call family and friends overseas using my SkypeOut credit (and contract minutes) wherever I had mobile reception. I got to play with the version released today and will post a video of the interface shortly.

Learn more about Skype for your mobile beta (and download a copy for your phone) here.

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Comments

Andrew,
I have been using Fring for one year, mainly with Skype. I can make VoIP calls with all my Skype contacts and do not have to pay a penny for this.
In Brazil we have an expression that means "miss the train", in other words, whether Skype does not solve the problem of not allowing its users to make skype to skype calls without charging any fee, the users will use another software. Just to remember that we already pay the carrier to access the web. And we do pay a lot. Then, why whe have to wait? Does Skype have any other idea?

Best,

Mary Jo Zilveti
editor in chief at GSMmania, a bi-monthly magazine about mobile computing, and co-author of Nomadismo Celular (http://nomadismocelular.wordpress.com)
skype: zilveti
twitter: zilveti
Google Talk: zilveti

How can I make voice skype to skype on My sonyEricsson k810i? Is it possible? I can't find it on my phone. Are You planing to include skype to skype video calling?

Hi Andrew,

Great news today!!!

For the past full week I've been banging on the mobile download page and finally today it was there!

Skype for my brand new HTC Touch Diamond running Windows Mobile 6.1 - Big Thank You to the Skype Team!

Yes, I downloaded, installed and it actually started! (the previous version installed but didn't execute )

Yes, I'm happy, but I have an unlimited 3G plan from Vodafone, however skype says it cannot connect to the network!!! What's the catch?

I will try to use my wifi lan when I get home, looking forward to it, but actually I need the GPRS/3G network to work.

Ok, I know it was released yesterday, but have you tested it?

Has somebody made it work yet?

Please enlighten me!

Cheers,

Marcelo.

Hi Andrew, I have Nokia N95 mobile. I followed your instructions and downloaded and installed Skype Beta version. In setup I have used the same Skype name and the password as I use to sign in on my Laptop. After selecting access point it goes to Sign in page and sits there for a long time untill it will time out and comes back with Access point selection. The mobile has internet access. I rang my provider asking maybe there is something they need to enable from their end, and there is nothing else that they can do. I did try new Skype name and password that didn't work either. Any ideas? Am I missing something? Please help. I would love to get this feature working. Regards Zina

i have htc diamond with WM6.1 and need to download skype but i couldn't find it anywhere and the other versions don't have high speed for mt to do my work .could you tell me where to download it for WM6.1?

cheers

Hani

Hi Andrew,

I downloaded skype for my mobile and got very excited at the idea of using my unlimited data package. Unfortunately, I guess due to limitations with mobile phones, skype doesn't actually use VOIP to carry the call from your phone, it uses the normal phone network. (Which I don't have unlimited use of) At the moment I can plug my phone into my PC, but obviously this isn't ideal. Do you know if there are any current phones up to real VOIP?

Thanks
Jamie

Hi
I'm using skype beta for my SE K750i, I'm sharing my PC broadband via Bluetooth using SE developers kit so that I am not charged anything for internet connection in my phone. But there is a problem when someone online(skype contacts) calls me it says user busy
ANY SOLUTION!!!!..........
thanks

I just bought a T Mobile G1 Google Phone and cant find the Skype app anywhere.
Its not on the Skype Mobile list or in the Android Market site.
Yet I do see demos and available now with no links, so I need some help
Does anyone know if a link for the Skype Lite Beta app?
Thanks for your help.
Harry

I was trying to install skype mobile beta version on my mobile HTC TyTn II with WM6.1. Could not find my phone from the list of phone names. Can anyone help as to how to go ahead?
Dela, Norway

Skype mobile beta is java so any java phone can download and install it.
It uses the network to connect to skype account, but phone calls are done on the mobile network, so you pay your skypeout mobile rates for any call, that are in fact all received; if you call any number you pay in addition skypeout rates to the number, pay TWICE. It is useful only if you don't have a flat internet, and are calling someone abroad.

Skype must understand that it is fundamental to do some software that uses wifi for communication! What are they doing? it could be faster while preserving security, and avoid that someone can do VOIP rates comparison.. skype must also understand WELL that people must be able to use commonly open channels for voip/skype communications.

Hope some skype manager has clear what I'saying..

ih i downlod the beta skype on my nokia 95 8gb and i already have a skype accunt but it wont lit me sign in . and when i downlod it, my contry not avelabl when you have to choz one so pls hellp

I tried it on my Nokia e51 and it works. That is interesting, as e51, e52, e66 etc. are not in the list. I decided to try it with the nokia 75.
If you send a link via skype, the link is useless as it could not be clicked.

An interesting first step. The next must be a free call out and call in via WLAN. I understand the need for using the mobile connection to make a call, if there is no WLAN ore to gimme a selection of preferred way as there are many provider inhibiting voice over IP or P3P. But at home it should work. Please improve that and make the links clickable.

hi, I read that I have to pay also for receiving calls both from skype users and skypein ones...why is that? With fring I don't pay anything for receiving calls