Printer-friendly versionSkype is also working hard on a client for Android-based smartphones
Skype and Nokia have released a new Skype client for the Symbian mobile OS.
The free client, which will initially work with about 20 phones from the Finnish phone maker, can be downloaded from Nokia's Ovi Store. It will let users make free Skype-to-Skype calls, send instant messages and share files, including photos, via a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. Users can also use the client to cut costs for sending SMS (Short Message Service) messages to phones abroad.
Nokia and Skype have developed different clients for Nokia phones that have a touchscreen, including the Nokia N97 mini and the new X6, and those that use regular buttons, including the E72. But the functionality is the same on both clients.
Since the client uses a mobile data connection, Skype recommends the use of an unlimited data plan. Phone calls, on average, use between 8K bps (bits per second) and 20K bps, according to Jean-Jacques Sahel, director for government and regulatory affairs at Skype in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Skype will soon introduce versions of the clients for Symbian smartphones from other manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson, it said. Developing a client for Android is also a top priority, according to company spokesman Paul De Lara, but there is no launch date yet.
How mobile operators view Skype is changing for the better, according to Sahel. A recently announced relationship with Verizon Wireless is proof of that. However, there are still operators in the U.K, France, Spain and Germany that either prohibit subscribers from using it or charge "discriminatory" extra fees, Sahel said.
But Sahel is optimistic that these operators will eventually start treating Skype traffic like any other data. Hopefully, when Skype comes to Cebit next year it won't have to talk about the issue anymore, Sahel said.
On Thursday, Russ Shaw, general manager for Mobile at Skype, will give a talk at Cebit on how operators can make more money by working with and not against Skype.
Skype and Nokia unveil app for Symbian phones
VoIP service Skype has unveiled an app for Nokia mobile phones running the Symbian platform that allows users to make free calls to other Skype users from their handsets.
The app, which is compatible with a number of Nokia phones including including the N97, the X6 and the 5800 XpressMusic, will route Skype calls over the internet using the handset's Wi-Fi or 3G connection and can be downloaded for free from Nokia's Ovi store.
The Skype app also lets users send and receive instant messages from other Skype users when they are online, save money when making calls or sending text messages to international numbers and receive calls directed to their Skype number on their handset.
The Nokia N97 is one of the handsets compatible with the new Skype app
"We're seeing around 1.5 million downloads a day on Ovi Store now and believe that the Skype client for Nokia smartphones will have wide appeal to Symbian users," said Jo Harlow, senior vice president for Smartphones at Nokia.
The app will run on any Nokia handset using Symbian ^1, the latest version of the Symbian platform.
Skype also revealed it planned to make the app available for handsets running the platform from other manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson, in the coming months.