…but only available over WiFi in the U.S. And some phones like Galaxy S line aren’t yet supported.
It seems like just yesterday, I was lamenting about how Skype had dropped the ball on Android and Blackberry by going exclusively with Verizon devices over the last six months. Well, a lot can happen in 24 hours. A Skype CEO can get shown the door and a new guy with different objectives can step in.
Former Cisco VP Tony Bates took over the reigns at Skype yesterday and less than twenty four hours later, Skype releases a version of their product for all Android devices. Bates is a heavy hitter who managed 14,000 people Cisco’s enterprise and service provider groups so he obviously knows how to get things done. But, could it be that simple: New CEO walks in the door and says, “release the Android version!”?
Who cares?! I’ve got Skype on my Android phone. Finally.
As for the App itself, it installed and works on my T-Mobile G2 and Sprint EVO, though it did have some crashing issues and there are reports of it using a lot of CPU.
Skype says that phones like the Galaxy S line from Samsung are not yet supported and you’ll need to have Android 2.1 or 2.2 on your phone to get the app running. Another monster hiccup: Skype remarkably doesn’t work on 3G in the U.S. I say remarkably because the Verizon version of Skype only works on 3G. And you can’t install the WiFi only one over the 3G version. Messy.
The iPhone version of Skype has had 3G + Wifi for months so I’m not sure what the hold up is, at least on AT&T.
You can download Skype from the Android Market, or from skype.com/m on your phone.
Video embedded below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVYJJES1_w&w=610&h=375]
The fine print:
- Skype is not available in the Android Market in China or Japan.
- Skype has been tested on HTC and Motorola devices with Android OS 2.1 and above. It may work on other Android phones, but we can’t guarantee full functionality or compatibility. We’re aware of some problems with the Samsung Galaxy S, and we’re looking to address these in the future.
- It’s free to use Skype in a WiFi zone. If you use Skype with a mobile data connection, operator charges may apply, so we recommend an unlimited data plan.
- In the U.S., you can make calls only over WiFi.
- A fair use policy applies to unlimited subscriptions.