Skype coming to the iPhone (officially) – not in Canada!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Written by: Jed

update 03/31/09: I was wondering why the rest of the world was able to install Skype on their iPhones except me. Turns out it’s a Canadian issue. Not cool…

A story from Engadget, claims the Skype app is scheduled for release this tuesday (tomorrow). And yeah it’s free, but is limited to wifi-only use.

Of course for those iPhone owners who’ve wanted to get their Skype on, fring has been available in the app store for a while now (which also gives you access to several IM/chat services). Like the upcoming Skype app, fring is bound to wifi use, unless of course you go the jail breaking route – but really all bets are off when you do that.

Truthfully I’ve barely used fring, but it’s been a mainstay app on my iPhone (along with a number of unused task/memo apps) , just because I can? In my few uses of Skype over it, I’ve been underwhelmed by the call quality, apparently the official app doesn’t have to do “extra audio transcoding workaround” unlike its unofficial alternatives which could mean better audio? But then again, as well as the iPhone’s been received, it’s never been known to be a great functioning phone.

My desktop use of Skype has also been limited, very few of my friends have accounts – and even if they did phone/voice calls are my least preffered form of communication. I’m a text guy. But Skype has been great for one thing, podcasting, or at least the dream/potential of starting a podcast. flagrant3 has always been tinkering with the idea, but our lack of focus has always been the barrier of entry. But through Skype we’ve always had the technology to do it. You may recall a software pick I made back in the wordpress.com days, Call Graph is still around, still offering a free service – and still providing decent recording quality. With an official mobile Skype app that may improve call quality on the horizon, we’re running out of reasons not to start a podcast.

Until that day comes, Skype, along with the unused suite of life-organizing applications on my iPhone will exist only as signs to remind me of the person I aspire to be.