Skype to release video-calling for mobile devices?

[Emil]

Skype, the company known for providing voice and video calling services over the Internet, might be getting ready to release video calling for mobile devices that have a front-facing camera. Skype has been hinting for a while now that it will be making video-related announcements at CES 2011 and that it's participating in a panel called "Video Calling Gets Ready for Primetime." In other words, the details will become official next month.

Skype recently posted a help document on its website detailing how to make video calls using Skype for iPhone, according to Engadget. Unfortunately, there did not appear to be a corresponding document for Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Phone, webOS, or other mobile operating systems, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Skype is limiting the launch to the iPhone. Remember, most tablets that are currently available or that are launching early next year, also have front-facing cameras.

Skype already has video conferencing built into its PC and Mac applications that users can access via their webcams. Bringing video calling to Skype's mobile app, one that is available on multiple platforms, would be revolutionary. Skype already has a huge user base and it could grow that number very quickly if this leak is right on the money.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/41726-skype-to-release-video-calling-for-mobile-devices.html

 

[matrix86]

So you want to put your software on an OS that comes on only one phone, compared to an OS that comes on multiple phones? I know they'll eventually get to Android, but either releasing for both android and iOS, or starting off with android seems to make more sense to me, especially since there are more android phones with front facing cameras than apple phones.

 

[mojorisin23]

there already is a skype app for blackberry... its called iSkoot. works fine by me.

if the company itself refuses to fill a void, theres always another company that will step in. the beauty of capitalism!

 

[JudaZ]

So whats the big deal? I've had video calling in my cell phone since 2004 .. is this suppose to be new?

Even the old Nec 313 had that built in .... besides Skype on cellphones nowwadays sux .

Try using it on an iPhone 3Gs, and you will have even worse battery life the that phone already has..... maybe 4 -5 hours.. The skype app is nuts ..

Its the same on a Nokia that usually have great battery life, but put skype on it ,and that goes waaay down.. (that is with the latest version, older was not as demanding)

Now Skype have released Skype for Symbian^3 .. but they didnt think about the fact that its a touchscreen phone. Does not use the sensors at all so you keep touchning the screen and turning of the mic of or the program all together ... common skype ..get a grip!!

 

[JudaZ]

Skype is already avalible for symbian and have been for years ... and most phones already have videocalling over 3G, and have had that for some time....., its only iPhone that doesnt as far as i know..(only suppors over WiFi). thats why its interesting to release Skype to that locked down thing so you can get video calling for that device as well (whatever you are suppose to use that for ... it flopped 10 years ago, then 5 years ago ...i cant thing of many occations i would need videocalling in a cellphone... .)

 

[matrix86]

Video calling on cell phones is different today than it was years ago, because now we have front facing cameras on our phones, so we can actually see what's going on. And you act as if it was a surprise that battery life sucked with old video calling. That should have been no surprise. You were running a large app, running your camera, while transmitting and receiving video all at the same time. That was pretty demanding for those phones, and slightly even still for today's phones.

 

[Guest]

My Nokia N900 has had Skype video calling for at least 4 months.

Skype are unlikely to ever "get it together". They're owned by PayPal / eBay and are
therefore *****s by association.

 

[Guest]

Skye is an over rate piece of trash! User beware!!!
when they first started out I used it all the time and it was ok but I had a several month absences from using it and a different computer, now it seems they are wanting to take over your computer upon installing their program. Not in a million years for this chump, I'll pass!