Skype for iPhone coming soon?

We're still filing this away in the rumor folder for now, but we'll be honest -- this is totally believable. GigaOM has it on authority that a bona fide Skype for iPhone client will be launched as early as next week, and with CTIA kicking off on April 1st, we'd say the timing is just about ideal. Of course, we've already seen a variety of alternatives for bringing Skype and other VoIP apps to Apple's darling, but by and large, they've been supremely unimpressive. There's no word on pricing (we're crossing our fingers for free) or any other tasty tidbits, but you can bet we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

[absolutc @ Mar 26th 2009 3:02PM]

This is going to be interesting. Skype for the iPhone - new iPhone with a possibility of front facing cam for video conferencing? The next wave? Mmmm..

[Tony @ Mar 26th 2009 3:57PM]

Well, it would be *a* step towards the Dick Tracy watch...

[stephen @ Mar 26th 2009 5:07PM]

has anybody ever herd of fring, it's already on it

[Izzy @ Mar 26th 2009 5:19PM]

Fring is great. Skype would have to have an earth shattering app for me to even consider switching.

www.fring.com

[MarnBeast @ Mar 27th 2009 4:10AM]

Yeah I use Fring and it is pretty sweet. Truth be told, I've never actually used the skype voip service over it being that I only have 1 friend who uses skype, but from the outside observation of the dialer and contacts I'm sure it works just as one would expect.

[intense @ Mar 27th 2009 3:10PM]

The lack of background processing makes me wonder how it will accept calls. Surely, I don't see this happening by "Push"

[Veraxus @ Mar 26th 2009 3:06PM]

*yawn* The Nimbuzz and Fring apps already offer Skype VOIP on iPhone.

[suneohair @ Mar 26th 2009 3:50PM]

I understand how you would be tired. Both those apps work terribly and it is tiring trying to get past the delay and poor audio quality. I can only hope an app from Skype would work better in these regards.

And as others have said, this will have no problem getting into the Store as it will be allowed over WiFi only. However, if you jailbreak you can get past that limitation and use it over 3G. But, it doesn't really make a difference in my opinion in terms of sticking it to AT&T. You are locked into a voice plan anyhow. If I could do data only, sure it would be excellent. I barely use my minutes and I have 4,000+ rollover.

It is nice for having a second number for your business however. With backgrounder and SkypeIn, your iPhone can have two numbers in, one for personal and one for business. That is what would excite me most if this app performs well.

[nikster @ Mar 26th 2009 6:52PM]

@subeohair SkypeIn would become possible with the iPhone OS 3.0 and push notifications.

I have tried Fring, quality and usability were both absolutely terrible... though it's been a while, maybe it's better now?!

[Brandon L @ Mar 26th 2009 7:01PM]

@suneohair

I've used fring on my iPhone 2G for a while now, and the voice quality was almost as good as the cellular call quality. Only drawback was a slight (.5 seconds or so) delay in speech. Besides that, I've used it to make emergency calls over wifi and it was just like calling someone with the network.

[gabe @ Mar 26th 2009 3:06PM]

gizmodo beat u 2 it this time

u guys still hate each other?

[FcknJuStiN @ Mar 26th 2009 3:07PM]

Can someone see Apple denying Skype access to the apple store. This threatens AT&T's business model. I can't see them allowing this

[neodorian @ Mar 26th 2009 3:18PM]

I might be wrong but those are my thoughts exactly. Since when does Apple allow anything that opens things up outside the Apple ecosystem? And since when does any carrier allow an app that advances attempts to turn it into a dumb pipe? Seems very un-Apple and un-ATT to me.

(Also April 1st)

[Ignacio @ Mar 26th 2009 3:34PM]

They have already allowed several apps that provide Skype VoIP, the limitation is that they can only do so over WiFi (AT&T requirement)

[Michael R Johnson @ Mar 26th 2009 3:49PM]

@neodorian

I fail to see how this is an "Apple ecosystem thing" at all. The network usage restrictions come from at&t, and Apple doesn't have a VoIP system that this competes with. If Apple were planning on implementing an iPhone iChat with audio/video chat, then perhaps it would conflict. But in that case, they probably wouldn't have allowed the other VoIP apps they currently have.

[Frankenstein Black @ Mar 26th 2009 3:56PM]

Skype already works over at&t's HSDPA pipes on WinMo devices. I'm more interested in Apple approving the Sling and Sirius-XM Apps. I don't have an iPhone but getting these Apps woulds make me get 1 or 2. Just sayin...

[Captn Apollo @ Mar 26th 2009 3:10PM]

Coming out April 1? Sounds like a foolish prank...

[nomadic0ne @ Mar 26th 2009 3:18PM]

I certainly hope this is true.
Yes, there have been other apps that give Skype access, but none that are anything to write home about. (And, as far as I know, none that allow all of Skype's features)
And no, I don't see Apple rejecting this.
The Stevemiester himself stated that VoIP was allowed, just not over the cellular network...only wifi.

[Fox @ Mar 26th 2009 3:21PM]

Oh yes please, hopefully AT&T don't stop it...

Having Skype on the iPhone would complete it for me, ideal for calling my international contacts...

[James @ Mar 26th 2009 3:25PM]

Ive had skype on my tilt for months. it works pretty well, my only complaint with it is only being able to use the speakerphone for calls :-/

[djmanoloco @ Mar 26th 2009 3:44PM]

I had Skype on my HTC Wizard (Cingular 8125) and now on my HTC Fuze. Works very well but I don't know many people here in the United States who use it. Most of my Skype calls were to France, Mexico, and Argentina. The application works great on my phone. I always use a wired headset however to improve call quality, but speakerphone is also suffice in a quiet environment. I certaintly do hope this app is released on the iPhone so it increases in popularity and it gets more people using it. Does anybody in here have Skype for the PSP? I've heard the call quality is not very good. Can anybody confirm?

[SHotta @ Mar 26th 2009 3:28PM]

This is GREEEEEEEEEEAT!!!!

[Marc @ Mar 26th 2009 3:34PM]

So are frosted flakes!

[ilya @ Mar 26th 2009 3:31PM]

I was at an iphone dev conference at Ebay headquarters a couple of weeks ago and they were looking for iphone devs to work on Skype. Sound real to me

[required @ Mar 26th 2009 3:29PM]

Just think, one day the iphonepodtouch will catch up with the feature set of Sony's PSP.

[absolutc @ Mar 26th 2009 3:35PM]

Yeah, because everyone wants to lug around a PSP. Not to mention it's not a mobile phone to begin with. Nice try though :)

[Marc @ Mar 26th 2009 3:39PM]

Well the PSP has been out 2 years before any touchscreen product from apple and also PSP is not offered from a PHONE service provider so they dont have to worry about things like this eating into thier service plan...so highly doubtful it will EVER get this without a jailbroken phone.

I have a PSP and an iPhone btw.

[required @ Mar 26th 2009 3:43PM]

absolutc, are you implying that the ipodtouch is a phone? What in the heck do you think Skype is? Also, I'm pretty certain that there are more PSPs than there are iphones out and about.

[required @ Mar 26th 2009 3:49PM]

Marc, are you suggesting that if Skype makes it to the iphone OS it won't make it to the ipodtouch $10 OS? If true, I don't understand how anyone can suggest the ipodtouch as an alternative to the iphone for those that do not want to pay a monthly usage fee, it doesn't have a camera either.

[nomadic0ne @ Mar 26th 2009 3:51PM]

Lol. Funny...I thought the inital reviews of the Skype "feature" on the PSP were stating that ti didn't work well at all...
Also, I would say it would be the other way around...one day the PSP will catch up to the feature set of the iPhone/iPod Touch. :-D

[required @ Mar 26th 2009 10:30PM]

Funny that you thought that of the reviews nomadic0ne, seriously now, the iphonepodtouch is having a hard time even coming close to the feature set of the five year old portable gaming system, it's pretty pathetic. Especially seeing as how their asking twice the entry fee.

[JonFitt @ Mar 26th 2009 3:30PM]

The 3.0 firmware support for notifications would really make this viable. So far any app is only really useful for outgoing calls.

[nikster @ Mar 26th 2009 6:54PM]

My thoughts exactly.

[Kris @ Mar 26th 2009 3:35PM]

Now that OS 3.0 is opening up the bluetooth hardware for the iPod touch, any chance we might see a Skype for iPod using a bluetooth headset?

[Zertilux @ Mar 26th 2009 6:40PM]

Finally. I am surprised they have not had this yet.

[Patriks7 @ Mar 26th 2009 3:36PM]

I just wish that the creators of BeeJive IM could integrate Skype into their app. Then it would be the best app ever (communicationwise).

[huth.sebastian @ Mar 26th 2009 3:37PM]

Uhm, I don't see any problems with it passing the App Store, Fring did (though I don't know what kind of connections it works with), and I think that they'll just block any mobile internet connections, so you'll only be able to use it with WiFi.

However, going through some ads today, I took a closer look at the fineprint of T-Mobile Germany's conditions, and according to the contract you're not allowed to use IM with T-Mobile. And this may not have anything to do with the topic, but they also cut down your speed to 64 KB/s for everything over 300MB. Did anyone say flatrate???

[bytor4232 @ Mar 26th 2009 3:37PM]

Kinda too late to the game Skype. I couldn't get fring to work, but I was able to make calls on my ipod touch through Nimbuzz. Worked great.

[jordn @ Mar 26th 2009 3:41PM]

i hope to god this is true, i need this so bad!

[User32609 @ Mar 26th 2009 3:46PM]

Just use nimbuzz for the iphone. Just create a FREE user account @ nimbuzz. Then enter your skype username and pswd. Wow - VOIP on the iphone. Skype is a little late.
http://www.nimbuzz.com/

[Aguiluz @ Mar 26th 2009 3:59PM]

I won't trust giving my skype name and password to a website.

[justme @ Mar 26th 2009 4:11PM]

Now only if we could run this in the background, it would be a winner. Using Nimbuzz sucked cause it takes so long to log in, not the kind of app you can just open and close at will.

[Aaron S @ Mar 26th 2009 4:18PM]

Skype would be sooo cool on the iphone and ipod touch - especially if the iphone's camera could be used for streaming video calls.

[Nate @ Mar 26th 2009 4:34PM]

Who the hell needs VOIP software on their cellphone? Newsflash: IT'S ALREADY A PHONE :/

[m-p{3} @ Mar 26th 2009 4:40PM]

Could be interesting for those who don't want or need a voice plan, just a data plan.

[bkessler @ Mar 26th 2009 4:43PM]

International calls, international roaming, 2nd business number. Newsflash: you're an idiot.

[Jared @ Mar 26th 2009 4:44PM]

Um I don't know, maybe I want to have unlimited minutes for the additional cost of $0.00

[Edmondo @ Mar 26th 2009 5:25PM]

Skype also has a Video conferencing capability with other Skype users, match that with the potential of video capabilities on the next iPhone release and you have mobile videoconferencing! (Of course they would have to move the camera to the front of the iPhone as well)

[m-p{3} @ Mar 26th 2009 4:39PM]

I see the telco companies hissing in the corner..

[romanzy @ Mar 26th 2009 4:48PM]

Maybe Apple should buy Skype.