Skype comes to Android

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 05 October 2010 20:01

Your IT - Mobility

Skype has released client software for Android smartphones that enable Skype VoIP calls to be made over WiFi or cellular data connections.

Skype for Android requires Android 2.1 or later and, according to Skype, uses Skype's SILK codec for CD-like audio quality.

Users with Skype accounts will immediately see all their Skype contacts on the mobile device. Contacts can be synchronised between Skype and the phone's address book and after synchronisation Skype calls can be placed direct from contacts in the native address book.

The app can be downloaded to the phone from the Android Market or from skype.com/m. Skype says it has been tested on HTC Desire, HTC Legend, Google Nexus One, Motorola Milestone XT720, and Motorola Milestone, adding: "It may work on other Android phones, but we can't guarantee full functionality or compatibility. We're aware of some problems with the Samsung Galaxy S, and we're looking to address these in the future."

Skype for Android supports: Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese & Traditional Chinese.

This latest version makes Skype available on three of the most popular mobile platforms: Android, Apple's iOS and Symbian. Skype has been promising a BlackBerry version for months; it abandoned the Windows Mobile version when Microsoft decided that version 7 of its software would be a complete rewrite.

In a posting on 28 December 2009 on Skype's blog site, Russ Shaw, general manager of Skype's mobile business, apologised for the delay in the BlackBerry version, saying Skype had faced delays beyond its control. "The BlackBerry app is in private beta testing at the moment, and we're working hard to create the best possible Skype experience." There does not appear to have been any news since then.