Skype to support Android, Java-enabled mobile phones, Intel mobile Internet devices

Tony Austin
Friday, 09 January 2009 12:41

Opinion and Analysis

Skype has released a 'lite' or 'thin client' for Skype for Android-powered devices as well as more than 100 other Java-enabled mobile phones, plus a beta version of Skype for Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs).

With the theme of "liquid communications" or "Skype Whenever, Wherever," Skype is aiming to liberate the Skype experience from a captive device (desktop) to more user-aware devices (mobile, TV as well as embedded into appliances).

They are well on the way to doing this. For example, 41% of Skype calls on Christmas day involved video, only to be surpassed at 47% of calls on New Years day.

On 8th January, at their CES 2009 Las Vegas press conference, they announced the release of Skype Lite, a thin client for Skype that can be downloaded onto Android-powered devices as well as more than 100 other specific models of Java-enabled mobile phones.

They also announced a beta version of Skype for Intel-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs).

Skype also announced new desktop clients: Skype for Mac 2.8 (just launched as a beta at Mac World), and  Skype for Windows 4.0 (with a February 2009 release date, though many people have been happily using Skype 4.0 in beta mode for months).

This launch builds on successful public testing last year and the incorporation of user feedback to an earlier beta version which was only available on a limited number of mobile devices. The updated beta now makes Skype software broadly available to millions of mobile users worldwide, including for the first time mobile users in the USA.

The Skype Lite version delivers core Skype capabilities including:

• - Making Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world
• - Sending/receiving instant messages to/from individuals or groups
• - Making Skype calls at low rates to people on landline or mobile phones
• - Receiving calls to your online personal phone number on Skype
• - Seeing when your Skype contacts are online/available to chat

"Making the Skype experience available for download to Android-powered devices, as well as hundreds of other mobile phones from the world’s leading handset manufacturers is a major step forward for Skype,” said Scott Durchslag, COO of Skype.

“Nearly half the world’s population are mobile phone users today," he continued, "and we know that many people who already use Skype want the option to use Skype on their mobile phones. We are committed to working towards our goal of getting Skype into the pockets of the mobile masses.”

The lite version of Skype is currently available for Android devices, which today include the T-Mobile G1, the first Android-powered mobile phone currently available in the US and UK. It is expected to also work on other future Android devices.

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