Skype is planning to launch its own mobile handset this month, following in the footsteps of Apple, and the all but confirmed mobile phone from Google.
According to BusinessWeek, Skype will offer the handset in conjunction with 3 Mobile in “late October” in Britain, Italy, Hong Kong, and Australia, with the 5 remaining 3 Mobile terrotories to follow. For anyone who has ever looked on in envy at tech rollouts in the United States, there are no plans at this stage to launch the mobile phone State side.
The handset is said to have been developed by iSkoot and is equipped with multimedia capabilities and high-speed data for mobile Web browsing (3 Mobile is a 3G network only, at least in Australia). A big button above the regular keypad activates Skype’s service for long-distance and international calls, and Skype buddies and regular phone contacts can be displayed.
3 Mobile won’t charge extra to use the Skype feature however customers will be required to spend a certain amount per month for other services, such as regular mobile calls, ringtones, or text messaging. 3 primarily markets itself with set monthly calling plans.
The only limitations within the target launch countries will be coverage; in Australia 3 mobile coverage is primarily only available in capital cities and although 3 network phones can roam on other networks outside these coverage areas, only people living within 3 zones can sign up for a phone.
This is good now everyone can get cheap calls using skype. Arent there other phones which let users use skype on them?
FMA
I’m not sure about phones but I do know that eBay/ Skype have a pre-existing relationship with 3, at least in Australia. When you walk past a 3 shop you see Skype and eBay logos on the outside…some sort of content/ handset agreement in place, and 3 has great data plans….which is why it irks me that I’m not in a 3 zone. The new thing here is that this is a Skype created handset.
You can actually already use Skype on – for example – Symbian phones via Fring (www.fring.com) which provides instant messaging and VoIP (even SIP) capabilities. I like that though it seems to be a bit buggy from time to time. Not comparable to an all-skype-enabled phone though.
We’ll cover the roll-out in Hong Kong when it comes here.
But – most 3G phones in Hong Kong ALREADY come with Skype or VoiP-capabilities so not sure what a Skype phone is exactly. Is it going to be a Skype branded phone with its logo on it? Because that is the only thing that would make HK mobile phone buyers curious in the least, because of its strong brand name here.
Fun Fact: HK people call Skype, “Sky-Pee.”
Cassidy
3 phone in Australia do as well, this is a Skype created phone as opposed to simply Skype on someone else’s handset. I can access Skype on my iPhone as well via a web app btw
Here in the UK, 3 also seems to have content arrangements with eBay and Skype. There 3g coverage here isn’t too bad but its not up to the standards of the other providers yet.
I think many of the mobile network providers block Skype access or don’t include in bundled data plans (In the UK), so this is a very good deal for 3.
Hopefully we will all see the end of per-minute call charges in the near future…
When I say hopefully and near – I don’t expect it to be within the next couple of years though!
Duncan,
Ok, that is more hopeful and is a good idea in our market here. It should turn some heads, as long as it looks good
I recently wrote a blog post on Skype as well. Check it out…
Sorry forgot the website:
http://dustinsd...07/10/17/skype/
3 already has the X Series offering that comes with Skype and a few other apps and is supported on a small number of handsets. The Nokia N73 for instance. But the current X Series implementation of Skype actually uses a standard phone call on the mobile network that is terminated by a Skype bridge and then uses the normal IP codec over the internet. This new Skype phone uses IP from the handset over 3G broadband so there’s no bridging required. The call quality will presumably drop as a result.
Just to clarify something else in the article. All 3’s networks are 3G only with 2G backup from another operator. Most of 3’s cool services only work when there’s 3G connectivity.
ok lets see gphone iphone sphone and im sure the yphone
lots of competition in hardware software freeware openware everywhere
But what abot price diffs in calling costs? Im interested in cost per minute to me including my local getto the web cost cost plus my out of the web cost. Wheres the cphone? c is for cheap calling..???
Well this is like truphone, http://www.truphone.com will do the same on the iPhone if you check the blog on http://www.truphone.com/blog they have a video showing the iPhone in IP call mode.
A friend of mine is already using Skype for his mobile phone and he’s doing it abroad. He has a domestic number fowarded to a Skype number then that number calls a different Skype number and that call is forwarded to his mobile phone in Belgium…Skype is phenominal and I hope that blow thos AT&T iPhonies right out of the water.
http://actionstalk.com
Sorry forgot the website Too
http://YouTubeLL.com
Zune Phone coming soon, save your money.
http://fakestev...er.blogspot.com
Give me Ekiga on an Open Moko with SIP and H.323 support and phones will no longer be something worth discussion. Oh and an Asterisk PBX, so I don’t have to deal with the telco’s 4 minutes of rambling before I can even leave a message.
Yes Save money and time sitting at the system …frenz