In what seems to have taken the better part of forever, Skype has finally enabled their wildly popular app to make iPhone voice calls using your 3G connection. But the upgrade comes with an unexpected surprise.
Making and receiving Skype-to-Skype calls over your mobile network will eventually include a monthly subscription fee. The update includes a free 3G calling trial that's in effect until the end of August. Whatever the " small monthly fee" will be, has not yet been published.
The 2.0 update, available now, also promises near CD-quality sound when making Skype-to-Skype calls using wideband audio (SILK codec) on iPhone 3GS and 2nd generation iPod touch. Another long overdue upgrade.
The quality of my Skype-to-Skype calling test was noticeably improved, but my call using Skype to iPhone 3G direct was painfully mediocre at best.
I'm still hung up on the whole monthly fee thing. My next Skype call may be to the FCC.
What's the big deal with a monthly fee? Skype offers a way to circumvent the majority of your iPhone costs by providing VoIP service using 3G as well as Wifi and you want it to be free? I use Skype's app on my iPhone now and would pay a few bucks for it even with the wifi limitation - adding the ability to call via 3G might allow me to reduce my minutes and corresponding plan significantly.
If you use Skype from the desktop/laptop (as my entire company does - extensively) and subscribe to their $2.95/month unlimited calling plan (anywhere in the US or Canada) you'd agree that the ability to do this from your iPhone would be a significant advantage… isn't that worth a few bucks a month?
How would companies like Skype support their infrastructure and development costs if they did everything free?
Posted by: Scott Goldman | May 30, 2010 at 07:05 AM