HTC wants Skype on their Windows Mobile-powered Smartphones?
posted Dec 10th 2004 2:31PM
Sounds like they're just feeling things out for now, but apparently HTC, the Taiwanese company behind lots of those Smartphones and Pocket PC Phones which end up with somebody else's logo on them (like the Audiovox SMT 5600, the XDA III, etc), is reaching out to Skype about porting Skype's VoIP software to the next generation of Smartphones they're currently working on. Many of those phones will probably come with WiFi built right in, which means they're probably looking at ways to make it easier for people to make Voice over WiFi phone calls from their handsets, but we're not sure how far they'd get with that, since Skype (or any other VoIP software for making free Internet calls) would probably be the first feature a carrier would have removed from a phone before they'd carry it. And it's not just Voice over WiFi calling they're worried about, either. With a 3G handset you wouldn't even need to bother using your cellphone minutes (or finding a WiFi hotspot) to make calls, you could theoretically just use a VoIP softphone client (like Skype's or Vonage's) and make and receive "free" calls over your data connection.
It would be easier done on a gsm/gprs phone as the wireless phone cannot regulate the phones you use so well.
This is the issue: The phone companies are their own worst enenmies, because phone plans haven't got any cheaper these last couple of years, especially when you compare to POTS all you can eat plans and rival VoIP. So no wonder the wireless phone companies are scared, they want us all to be prisoners of their expensive voice plans and want to offer us crippled/or expensive data. There is room for a good phone perhaps like the Treo 650 and putting a VoIP application on an added flashcard which can use the all you can eat $15.00 pm data plans for VoIP. Of course the wireless phone companies will fight this. But then 6 years ago Verizon told me categorically. "We cannot give you a stable SDSL service for $180 p.m. (384/384) because WE ARE A VOICE COMPANY"..... How times change.
Skype is not free,
There are costs associated with using skype to call landlines and cellphones that don't have skype on them
Ok, so I'm not the only one reaching the conclusion that we really could use Skype on the Treo. Please send them a letter about it. I am willing to buy $50 in Skypeout minutes right off the bat for the privilege of making their platform stronger.
Actually, Skype have already said publicly that they are currently working on versions of their software for 'other mobile platforms' (besides the existing PocketPC version, that is). Not sure if that means PalmOS or SymbianOS, neither of them, or both... But i guess if Palm is going linux then we can expect skype for Palm around the same time (since they already have a linux version).
I just tested Skype on the Sprint pocket pc phone. It works great most of the time, but as you hit cell dead spots it gets garbled. I don't think it would work well on gprs because of the slow speed, but maybe edge.
xten.com already has a SIP VOIP phone for Windows Mobile. Vonage usage SIP. SIP is the protocol that has been seeping through the cracks in the last few years almost all VOIP providers are using it. Unless wireless carriers (that must acknowledge their future as just wireless ISPs and allow un-walled content/services) start blocking protocols, or placing even worse NAT-based scenarious in place then VOIP via GRPS/3G is entirely possible - it's just that you get screwed on the data charges. If the carriers don't play ball, WiMAX will race ahead, and HTC will likely then make WiMAX compatible devices by 2007 and to hell (along with their losing shareholders) with the carriers then...
"we’re not sure how far they’d get with that, since Skype (or any other VoIP software for making free Internet calls) would probably be the first feature a carrier would have removed from a phone before they’d carry it."
Well - No...
I wish Engadget be a little less US-centric... it blinkers you from seeing the bigger picture and to the possibilities of change in the US as well.
Not all countries have subsidised phones that come with expensive call plans. In the rest of the civilised world we buy our phones and then shop around for the cheapest plan. For instance, I bought my T610 18 months ago direct from a SonyEricsson shop.
This means that if these VoIP WiFi phones were ever made then you can be sure thay'd sell like hot cakes in Hong Kong.
I am continually bemused by the groans of the "If Verizon ever releases it here" sort. It's like only being able to watch NBC on a TV that was subsidised by the tv station. You'd go out an buy your own TV.
It makes sense to get a choice of service, save money in call costs, and get the latest toys by kicking the subsidised phone habit. The carriers are like drug-pushers... they get you hooked only on what they want to give you and you can't give it up. This is what Engadget is so good at advocating for other gear - hack it to get a choice.
There is a market for VoIP WiFi phones - but perhaps not in the US... or at least if there is it's not with the dinosaur telcos.
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3446429
Perhaps this is the future - free WiFi hotspots and no plan WiFi mobile phones. I'd sell your Telco stock if I were you.
About Skype on GPRS: This is unlikely to work well because of the latencies that are really the killing for any voice application. But 3G is coming.
About subsidized phones, it's true that in many countries phones aren't subsidized. A good example is China, not a small market. On the other hand, many countries don't have cheap all-you-can-eat data plans like already available in the US. Just a matter of time I guess.
But it's true that with the current mobile phone market, all the power is almost in the hands of the operators. Because of this, phones and applications are not developed for the customer, but to get operators more money. This makes it's difficult for a company like Skype to get in:
http://www.oberle.org/blog/2004/11/06/on-skype-phones/
The same reasoning could be hold for Apple: In a normal market with normal competition rules, we would already have a device that has the best of the iPod and a phone:
http://www.oberle.org/blog/2004/07/06/why-dont-we-have-an-ipod-phone-yet/
Vincent Oberle
I should add that I'm an Englishman in North America - I buy my unlocked GSM phone from www.expansys.com (all legal of course) and use it in NA and UK without issues, i.e. just because they mostly sell a lot of locked/subsidized phones, doesn't mean they are the only ones that can be used. Of course most consumers don't know that they can buy an unlocked phone, get a SIM from the carrier and off they go. The only downside is the bull from the carrier about not supporting the phone - but the tech support guys either wouldn't have much idea about the phone anyway or want to know all about it 'cos they want one - hey many of them are techheads too.
I have a wifi/voip phone already, it's the zyxel model - I know of only one other model.
Also agree that GPRS is not good enough for sustained VOIP conversations 38.4 down and 9.6 (4 channels down, 1 up) up just doesn't do it - perhaps EDGE. But again 3G is not broadband - it is more like broadband lite. WiMAX is aiming at wifi-like speeds with metropolitan coverage, starting with larger equipment for businesses and residences first - wimaxforum.org
It's not surprising that many carriers are struggling to get 3G going - there's saturation with phones now (it's like moving Windows 2000 biz users to Windows XP), and the licensing fees (in UK at least) were horendous. The poor device manufacturers are at the mercy of the carriers (save for having some nerd customer that buy unlocked - and this segment will probably grow), and have to add features that the carriers want to make money from. The cost of data on wireless carriers is 'extortion' and they had better be scared that they'll lose all of that business to wifi/wimax if they don't become competitive wireless ISPs. I believe Primus (telco) started lingo.com (voip), so it wouldn't surprise me to see a wireless carrier have stock in a (wifi/wimax) company. The revolution is coming...
I got a HTC device (branded as Orange SPV M2000, also known as XDA III or Qteck 9090) that has Quadband GSM, GPRS and WiFi built in. Skype worked very well, so did several SIP based VoIP clients like the one from telesym.com. While it's nice to be able to do WiFi VoIP calls at home or in the office, using paid PWLAN hotspots (with poor coverage) for VoIP is not interesting as at my place usually high usage fees apply...but watch out: When 3G or 3.5G (HSDPA) will be widely available, things will change very fast!
It'll be interesting to see if the amout of 3G data required to perform a skype call will cost more than the same amount of normal call minutes. If the data is cheaper, skypes a winner. If not...