A look at Skype 2.5 for Windows Mobile

It's been a busy week for Skype in Barcelona at this year's Mobile World Congress. As you might have seen on the main blog, there were 2 big Skype-related announcements: A new partnership between Skype and Nokia which will put Skype on Nokia NSeries phones (starting with the Nokia N97 later this year), and the release of Skype 2.5 for Windows Mobile (as well as a Skype Panel for the Windows Mobile-based Sony Xperia 1).

I'll hopefully be able to try out Skype on the N97 when it's out later this year. For now, here's a look at the new version of Skype 2.5 for Windows Mobile:

Windows Mobile devices vary a great deal--I tried Skype 2.5 out on a Samsung i600 running Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone (no touchscreen). It has a relatively small screen, so Skype on this phone may look a bit different from Skype running on newer Windows Mobile phones with larger screens.

After typing in your username and password, Skype signs in as you'd expect:

Across the bottom of the screen you see icons for your Status, Contacts, Dial phones, Chats, and History. The Status screen lets you edit your profile and shows you how much Skype credit you have (among other things):

The Contacts list shows your friends' icons and statuses:

Dial phones is straightforward:

Active chats are easy to access:

And the history shows recent calls and chats:

Making calls works as you'd expect. On this particular Windows Mobile phone, the audio comes out of the back speaker, so Skype works like a speakerphone. You could also use a headset for more privacy:

And there you have it--another way to use Skype on the go. One particularly nice thing about the Windows Mobile version of Skype is that it can use WiFi or 3G to make calls directly, without having to use your phone's minutes like Skype Lite.

You can download Skype 2.5 for Windows Mobile from this page--point your phone's browser to it or download the CAB file to your computer and install via ActiveSync.

The next version of Skype for Windows Mobile, version 3.0, will be out in beta next month. I'll show it here when it's released.

Comments

Your review claims that you can use a bluetooth headset on a mobile to avoid the sound coming out the back speaker (at loud levels)> Have you done that and how? On Skype 2.5 there is no capability to change settings for mike or speaker. My Plantronics bluetooth headset works with the phone on normal calls, other laptops but not Skype on mobile.

I have the same concern. My bluetooth headset works with Skype on my PC and works with my phone, but not with Skype on my phone. Anyone have a different experience? If so, how did you change the audio settings to get your headset to work on Skype mobile?

I too am having this problem where skype on my windows mobile phone comes out of the back speaker. I have tried to use my bluetooth headset and have tried a wired headset and neither have eliminated the sound coming through the speaker phone for Skype mobile. This really is inconvenient for privacy. Does anyone have any ideas or do we just have to wait until Skype comes out with an upgrade software to fix this?

I have a Uniden ELBT595 base home phone with ten wireless phones through out the house. This base unit connects with up to six Bluetooth phones. I can receive income calls from all of the cell phones. I can assign one of those Cell phones to make out bound calls.

I what to use the home phone base unit to establish a Bluetooth connection to SKYPES on my cell phone and using the WIFI feature to call out from my home phone handsets just as if I can on my HTC Touch Pro cell phone using.

Here is the advantage. It is a much simpler interface than the use of a PC and a USB unit to make calls. I have a VOSKYPE unit and it word great. The problem is that I will not leave my PC on all the time because it is fire hazard and energy consumption. Therefore I don't use SKYPEs to out bound calls.

I would have no problem leaving a cell phone on all the time.

I wish to get rid of my home phone line and use SKYPEs for all my out bound calls. This feature would allow me to save a $310 a year. That makes Skype’s with every options you can put on it look affordable and practical to use from a home phone or small business system.

Most mid to high end home phones have the ability to connect via Bluetooth to cell phones. I would think that people how buy such system would also have a spare unused Cell phone hopefully with WIFI.

I believe this would open up a new market for the use of SKYPE and provides a new revenue stream.

It is the closes thing to having SKYPE built in to the Route that I can think of.