Skype for iPhone now live in US
By Ross Miller 
posted Mar 30th 2009 11:56PM
posted Mar 30th 2009 11:56PM
Update: We're getting reports the app is crashing for jailbroken iPhones -- and possibly non-jailbroken ones as well. We just got our first denial when dialing out over 3G via a popup notification, but it only happened once and we were back to old habits one call later. We did experience a brief period where no sound was coming through, but that might have something to do with using OS 3.0 and was remedied by restarting the phone.
Update 2: So far, it looks like dialing over 3G's only working for those with OS 3.0 beta, but unfortunately all of us in that situation are now suffering from frequent crashes and loss of audio. Things seem to be going smoothly for those running the latest non-beta firmware, but the calls only work over WiFi. That said, when using the app as intended (non-beta firmware over WiFi), audio quality was surprisingly good, far better than any third party apps we've used.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
NICE
Oh yeah, just got it and it works great! No complaint so far.
I'm sure AT&T will now find a way to charge for long-distance emails or something
doesn't receive files .. ffs Apple time to open the vice like control you're exerting over MY device! .. or I could just jail-break it for real freedom!
I wonder why Skype for WinMo, (released a coulple of years ago) never got this much attention on Engadget, or any of its following versions?
@ iHater
Maybe it's because more people are interested in third party applications now that Apple has essentially screamed about their existence for the past year. Regardless, STFU.
@iHater
Exactly what I was thinking. I've had Skype on my T-Mobile Shadow for a while now. What's the big deal about this?
You don't get it
Give your kid a candy every day and after a month he won't be even happy after receiving one
Tell him that he will get a candy in one year and when time comes it will be the most exciting moment of his life
it is how they do it with iPhone
they make you wait, wait and wait ... and when it comes it is so exciting
... even of other boys had candy way before
@ Steward
you sound like a just a perfect fat ass apple fan boy, trying to it in with the cool people just cuz you have an iPhone. Heres an update, they laugh behind your back, Get real. And dont you ever, try to curse again. Cuz if you do, im gonna call yo mama to get you cut off and you wont have enough to pay your iShit bills.
*just like a perfect fat ass*
*trying to fit in*
And this is news...why??
lol at nerd fight
first?
people that just post "first" deserve to go to that special part of hell.
if you really want to be first, wait for some boring news, and post a proper post in there...
Special part of hell indeed. The part they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.
Nah, that would have been WinMo or S60 both of which operate Skype over 3G and both of which allow video conferencing.
Why all the hate? Am I the First to speak up against people who hate people who say First?
yeah, im excited for this, will now be putting my voice plan down to 450 a month....
Any news when it will be available at the Canadian store? It won't let me download it :(
available everywhere with the exception of Canada? http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/03/30/skype-iphone.html whaaa?
That sucks, I wasn't aware of this but thanks for the link. Maybe some fellow jailbroker will release the IPA for us here in Canada!
It is official.....
I'm pretty sure Apple thinks Canada is an urban myth, just like everyone else outside of Canada. So maybe we'll get it in a couple of weeks.
"Chaim Haas, a public relations representative acting on behalf of Skype, said the application is available in every country in which the iPhone is on sale and in which Apple has an iTunes Store — with the exception of Canada."
Say WAAA? SERIOUSLY? I just can't take that shit anymore is it the work of the CRTC yet again? I was looking foward to this and bam something goes wrong in canada... Am I the only one pissed off?
"Haas said this is because of patent-licence restrictions but would not elaborate except to specify that it is a patent issue related to Skype, not Apple."
And that patent does apply to other apps?
i meant "and that patent doesn't apply to other apps?"
someone posted the IPA here
http://www.theiphonespot.net/2009/03/30/skype-for-iphone-ipa/
grab it while it still lasts!
DOWNLOADING NOW best phone ever
woo...i m buying an iPhone
Each time they add something like this I reconsider the iPhone as my next phone (have a dumb-phone now). Good going, Apple.
1) apple had nothing to do with making the app
2) You still gotta be in a wifi area, so if it's this you want you're as well with an iPod Touch
3) You can get this and more with Skype for Windows Mobile or S60... Like making calls over 3G.
"Betcha wish you could ditch that AT&T voice plan now, huh?"
Too bad it only works over WiFi.... just not feasible for people to only be able to call me when I'm in a hotspot.
however you'll now be able to make calls from home/work without wasting your mins. which for me is where i make just about all of my phone calls.
also college campuses will also be a good place to get free phone calls.
except skype calls aren't free...... unless your calling someone else's computer.... which is rare....
well assuming you already have skype...
Unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles withing the US and Canada are 2.95 a month on Skype. Might as well be free.
"which is rare...."
Wooooooooooow. Hold it buddy. Are you kidding? I know SOOOOOO many people that use Skype for calling other computers. I mean what more can you want? Free calls WITH webcam!
patrik, step outside the engadget/technologically saavy community and you will understand that there are few people who would sit down at their computer to make a phone call to their loved ones, their casual friends, or their business clients. it may be cool and cheap, but it is still strange for many people to sit in front of a screen just to talk to someone while you can still pick up a landline phone and do other things.
Or pete, it might be time for you to step out of your cave (or moms basement)...
should have read
"Betcha wish you bought a iPod Touch, huh?"
does the ipod touch have a mic necessary for this? or do you have to buy a 3rd party app
You'll either have to buy Apple's headphones with the mic attachment or get a third party microphone (which may or may not work until the 3.0 OS goes live).
Why does it say "released on March 23rd"?
I saw that too, curious. Maybe that's when it was given approval by Apple to be added to the App Store?
.. probably took a week to clear the App store (this is roughly right for a complex app) March 23rd is the likely submission date.
I'm super pissed that Skype for iPhone isn't coming to Canada.
This sucks.. no Skype on the Canadian Store...
Waiting for that too =/.
probably Rogers got greedy.....
Our prayers are with the Canadians and their families.
Just because it's not "officially" available.....doesn't mean you can't get it.
Works perfect on my Rogers iPhone!
And by 'families', Alex meant groups of beavers.
My guess is it is due to the CRTC's Enhansed 911 rules for VOIP phones. They have to dial the nearest 911 Call center while I do not believe skype currently does this. Easiest thing to do is make an american itunes account and download it there. It will work fine. Just come up with an american address and you are good to go.
Tried twice to make a call to the skype echo test and it crashed both times... looks promising!
The app seems to be quite promising...that is, until opening it and attempting to input my username and password the app repeatedly crashes. I have tried rebooting, respring, reinstalling the app, and keeping airport mode on with wifi on.. all with the same effect of the app crashing when trying to input username/password. So far NO GOOD, and sad to say..
weird, mine's working fine. I also only have 1 contact, so it wouldn't exactly be a strain.
Yup, that's me as well. Doesn't seem to be loading the keyboard inside the app.
turn off all keyboard themes... i think thats the problem
I have a jailbroken iPhone and it crashed for me too. What I did is disable a few things on my Winterboard and then tried again. It worked PERFECTLY.
You have to download the Mobile Substrate update on Cydia so that it doesn't crash anymore. Just open Cydia and it will show up in the Changes section.
Thanks Saurik
Get ready for the storm that is building...
Still pushing the BB Storm? That's over, dude.
I think he's referring to the AT&T and other telcom backlash to VOIP on a phone.
It is working flawlessly for me. So sweet. Only made one local call, on quality WiFi, but voice quality was great.
Restarted iPhone. App keeps crashing on login screen for me. The only app that's crashed on me in months. iPhone is jailbroken and running stuff like SBsettings and Winterboard so maybe the Skype app is just a hog.
Same here, but only when I initiate the sign in by clicking on the login spot.
Skype crashes when it calls the keyboard.
Are you really surprised that it crashes when you are running unauthorized software on your phone? Don't expect things to work perfectly when you go outside the bounds, just sayin. Lowest ranked comment ever, here I come.
Nate, update mobilesubstrate in cydia and you should be fine.
Confirmed. Updating Mobile Substrate in Cydia fixes the crashing issue. Everything works now. Thanks B.
Working nicely here and in good time to cause i just burned all my roll over minutes today so this in gonna come handy.
same here constant crashing. im jb'd
Skype opens and crashes after about exactly a minute. I guess we'll have to wait for the first massive update. You would have thought the dev team would do some testing before the launch date, apparently they were either high or drunk :P
I tried in two different 1G/2G Jaibroken/Unlocked iPhones, Installed them twice, restart iPhone and still nothing, the App just keeps crashing as soon as tried to enter my loggin information. Man, this is Bull and is very frustrating.
I'm getting the same thing...
What OS version are you running? did you download it to your computer or directly via the device?
I'm having no issues with OS3.0 .. haven't tried it on older firmware yet
Has worked flawlessly so far. I absolutely love it. We've been waiting for this for a while.
Crashes at login on jailbroken 3G
The RAGE!!!
Everywhere except Canada...
So far all the crash comments have been on jailbroken phones. Anyone out there with a non Jailbroken phone experiencing the issue?
I'm guessing this isn't going to work on jailbroken iPhones, judging by what myself and others have experienced. Crashes galore. Frankly I'm surprised some of you managed to get the app to load. Mine crashes on launch.
My 3G iPhone is jailbroken, Winterboard and SBSettings are running, and the Skype app doesn't crash.
Works fine so far.
What is.. the point though? You have a phone, just use the phone... I mean you are paying for it.
I need it for international calling. What if you are abroad and by a wifi connection? This will save me a ton of money and hassle on trips overseas.
My phone contract with O2 gives me 1200 free minutes per month. And that's great for calling anyone in the UK. But If I want to call friends or family in Europe or the US, those free minutes can't be used, and O2 will charge me an arm and a leg.
I don't know about other countries, but here in the UK, the app store description of the Skype app says quite clearly that you can use it via Edge, 3G, WIFI and GPRS. So it's not just limited to WIFI hotspots.
Ah not really, just buy a prepaid sim card when you are in that country and pop it in if you have a global phone.
Anticrawl @
"Ah not really, just buy a prepaid sim card when you are in that country and pop it in if you have a global phone."
Yeah, that's great if you want to make calls to other phones in that same country. But what if you want to call back home? That pre-paid sim card won't let you make free calls back to your own country. When I go on holiday, there's always free WIFI at the beach. Now I can call the UK whilst relaxing on a sun lounger. And it won't cost me a single penny.
I was actually able to make a call, and the sound quality was great with no delays, but then the app just crashes after about a minute.
Anyone else find it weird that when you call somebody the ringing noise is played over the speaker rather than the earpiece?
Yah I did. Weird
WOW, no Canadian version,
Big FUCK YOU to whoever messed that one up.
i used it tow times, and crashed.. hmm.. tow times
Crashed on me twice in less than a minute. :(
Just downloaded it and it works flawlessly. I have been talking with my brother who lives in Dubai and it sounds better than an iChat audio chat.
From Canada, even with a US login to the app store, won't D/L, but if done straight through the iPhone, downloads without any issues. No crash on wifi, but comes up with an error message when trying to make a test call through 3G.
I try and try but always it crush when I try to put my userid and pass. I am using 1st gen iPhone with 2.2 firmware.
Need a fix imm.
working Perfect in USA over WI-FI
I just call a friend in Paris and Another in Guatemala...
THIS IS AWESOME!!!
I LOVE IT
You guys have it crash on the login screen, mine only shows the initial Skype splash before crashing back to the home screen! Could jailbreaking remotely have anything to do with this?
Yeah its a jailbroken thing. I'm guessing the iphone dev-team is gonna come out with another patch soon.
hey guyz good news! the app loads and instantly goes into the background because every time i load the app it disappears
...
LOL!!!!
You see the login screen?
Lucky you, I only get the pretty sky & cloud graphics and then poof, back to the old spingboard...