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Software Skype Beta 2.2 for Windows Mobile Now Supports Smartphones
Chris Peredun - December 12, 2006 1:03 PM

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10 comment(s) - last by JNo.. on Dec 13 at 6:51 AM

Cellular users with generous data plans now have another way to make calls

In a move sure to have cellular providers slapping fine print onto their data-plan contracts faster than you can say "unlimited usage", the Skype Group has enabled Windows Mobile Smartphone support in the latest beta release of their self-titled application.

Skype has made a name for itself recently for allowing free outbound calls from Skype users to landlines in North America - an offer which expires at the end of the 2006 calendar year. While there might only be less than twenty days remaining in that time period, cellular subscribers with a Smartphone and data plan can now get on board and merrily decimate their monthly bandwidth allotment making calls through Skype's VoIP (Voice over IP) system.

Whether or not the call quality will be up to par is another issue. While the peak bandwidth available to cellular phones has risen rapidly with the advent of EV-DO and EDGE networks, latency is a more pressing issue, especially when dealing with voice communications. An article written in November by Mr. Ken Camp describes the quality as "so bad I shut the recorder off." He includes a link to an MP3 format recording of a call in progress.

While the quality may be poor, the promise of free calls may be enough to outweigh this downfall. It does show that it is possible, if not currently practical, to use VoIP for cellular calls. Cellular providers are sure to be revising acceptable usage clauses in their "unlimited" data plans to prohibit VoIP abuse, similar to prohibiting use of devices as tethered modems.

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Is it worth it?

By kalgriffen on 12/12/2006 2:31:04 PM , Rating: 2

Speaking from experience, using Skype's VOIP functionality over an EDGE network (Cingular's in this case) is pointless. The network speed and latency aren't quite up to the task. This should work well for IM conversations using Skype though. Has anyone had a better experience than I?

RE: Is it worth it?

By IsDanReally on 12/12/2006 3:04:23 PM , Rating: 2

In an EVDO covered area with Sprint it works almost perfect. Sometimes there is breakup, but not so much you cannot hear the word being spoken.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By Azsen on 12/12/2006 4:50:03 PM , Rating: 2

I have made calls using my iMate JasJam PDA/Phone connected through my home WiFi(G) connection and Skype mobile. It works fine, although the sound comes out through the phone's loudspeaker instead of the phone's normal speaker so the other caller gets an echo of their own voice.

It is listed as a known issue so I hope they are working on it. At the moment it's not really usable as it is. When it's fixed I'll be able to make calls on it like a normal phone call, but for free.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By kkwst2 on 12/12/2006 10:17:55 PM , Rating: 2

OK, but this is not really what people are talking about. They're talking about using the cellular data connection to transmit the VOIP. If you've got an unlimited data plan, you could in theory use it anywhere you've got data service and not use your voice minutes.

Using it with your W-G connection has worked for a while, I think.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By MobileZone on 12/13/2006 1:22:06 AM , Rating: 2

Me too.

Have been using earlier versions of skype for pocket pc & smartphone thru Wi-Fi and always had good quality (same as pc). The down point is that the sound never comes out from the phone speaker, but from the regular one (so I need to use an earplug to avoid the audio feedback noise).

About EVDO, why worrying with it since you can use HSDPA? Hong Kong has a city-wide 3.5G coverage, so, there is no point to worry about an inferior technology.

GSM is the present & future. Period.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By jonnybradley on 12/13/2006 4:36:40 AM , Rating: 2

I think Azsen has the idea, best use for WiFi. With talk of WiFi MAX coming soon and possible total coverage I would think Skype are just readying themselves for this day.

Until then, make best use of it where you can. WiFi networks are now coming online city wide and the wireless network is only going to grow in years to come.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By CSMR on 12/12/2006 10:32:01 PM , Rating: 2

I've used Skypeout on fast broadband connections in the US and UK. The quality is absolutely lousy (dropouts, periods of silence, disconnections, and compression distortion). So it may be Skype's solution that is causing the problems rather than an absolute limitation of the networks.

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RE: Is it worth it?

By JNo on 12/13/2006 6:51:19 AM , Rating: 2

Hear Hear! I want skype to work so much, it has so much potential but even with decent broadband (bulldog 8Mbit and Be 24 Mbit) and calls to friends in the same or nearby cities, I experience tons of drop outs, crap quality and unreliability. The big horrible truth that I hate to admit is that Skype sucks

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SKYPE!!!

By seaker on 12/12/2006 6:36:04 PM , Rating: 2

Skype already runs on my phone (Cingular 8125 aka T-Mobile MDA ....It's the one in the picture)

The quality is crap, but by overclocking the processor, the quality gets better... Is this new mobile version designed to work better on crappy processors or is it even more demanding than previous versions?