Recently rumbling from across the pond at Skype have revealed that a new Skype iPhone 3G app is on the horizon.
The news was announced by Skype towards the end of January and recent updates on the Skype blog have filled in a few more blanks.
While issues have been raised as to phone companies, who generally charge the customers through multi-minute packages, teaming up with a company that offers free-to-no-much calling via IP connections, it can’t be ignored that this could potentially be a massive win for the business market.
There seems to be an upward trend in modern media companies to offer their staff company iPhones and with the benefit of low-cost, “cd-quality” communication being available, the trend can only continue upwards as companies see an opportunity to cut costs.
Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg – here’s to modern smartphone culture linking up with the growing VoIP market.
Full article via DSLReports.com can be found here
It is known that Apple and AT&T have an agreement to block VoIP applications from using AT&T’s mobile network. However an article on zdnet states VoIP apps using WiFi are fine.
The Apple and AT&T agreement is stated in a letter sent to the FCC by AT&T. The letter clarifies that AT&T and Apple agree that Apple will not enable the iPhone to uses AT&T’s wireless service (2G, 3G and WiFi) to make VoIP calls without accessing consent from AT&T.
It is suggested that without this agreement the price of the iPhone would have been greater than it is. AT&T frequently review their capability and feature policies, and are said to take a “fresh look” at the possibility of authorising VoIP capabilities on the AT&T 3G network for the iPhone. For more information head to phonesreview.
In a recent deal, not only will Starbucks being servering up coffee, but they will also be providing their customers with Wi-Fi access.
The coffee giants have done a deal with BT to provide around 650 starbucks coffee shops across the UK and Ireland with Wi-Fi access and the ability to ’surf the web, email and make VoIP calls‘.
The partnership will include O2’s iPhone customers, who are already benefitting from the new Skype app.
The idea came about after it became clear that the number of people using BT’s Wi-Fi doubled last year and the popularity of being able to work or log onto the internet in a coffee shop became apparent.
Read more about this at Brand Rebublic
Last month iPhone users were able to download a Skype application from iTunes.
Users who have downloaded the new app from Apple will not be able to make calls over 3G connections and will not have all of the functionality offered by alternative Skype clients, so many have asked why have they bothered?
The news was announced at the CTIA – The Wireless Association – the iPhone application will allow users to make free calls to other Skype users and will provide them with cheaper calls using SkypeOut, but one of the users will have to be connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Although many industry bods have said that this is a great step and development, other functionality such as text messaging, file transfer and integrated voicemail are still missing. You also cannot pay for the additional Skype services in the usual way and instead have to go through iTunes, which seems a rather cumbersome way around the issue.
The iPhone is not able to run more than one application at once, which will make multi-functional applications like Fring and NimBuzz a lot more popular as these use multiple messaging and VoIP networks, including Skype.
There is much discussion around Skype and the iPhone, which seems to be advancing all of the time. Read more about this at The Register.
