Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Skype for iPhone Now Supports Multitasking, No Charge for Calling over 3G

Skype for iPhone Now Supports Multitasking, No Charge for Calling over 3G
Skype has announced an update for its iPhone application, adding multitasking support for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 running iOS 4. The update is imminent. With the multitasking support, that means you can receive skype calls while other apps are running and when your iPhone is locked. What’s more is you can switch to other [...]

Skype has announced an update for its iPhone application, adding multitasking support for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 running iOS 4. The update is imminent. With the multitasking support, that means you can receive skype calls while other apps are running and when your iPhone is locked. What’s more is you can switch to other apps (say, jotting notes or checking calendar) during your skype call.

That’s cool, right?

I have just upgraded the Skype app and roughly tested out the app. It just works as advertised. No matter you are working on a note or your iPhone is in lock state. You can still receive Skype calls. To answer the call, you can simply tap the “Answer” button. If you miss any calls, there will be a notification showing you how many calls you have missed.

The company also boosts the graphic quality of the Skype app to support iPhone 4’s retina display.

Two months ago, Skype 2.0 for iPhone was released to support VOIP call over 3G network. At that time, the company mentioned it would charge a small monthly fee for the service, in addition to the operator charges for data. Along with this update, the company announced skype users can enjoy free skype calls over 3G. No additional fee will be charged. What you need to pay for is the mobile charges for data. Here is what the company said in its blog post about the free call:

At Skype, we believe that better call quality and better availability (which is achieved with an app capable of multitasking and/or making calls over 3G) lead to increased call frequency and longer calls. We also believe that the mobile world is in a period of significant change, for example, with some operators starting to move to tiered pricing models.

In light of that, we no longer have plans to charge a supplement to make calls over 3G. We’re delighted to make it easier for you to talk for even longer and do even more together using Skype.

I highly recommend you to upgrade the Skype app if you are running iOS 4. Go ahead to App Store and upgrade it. Or you can simply click this direct iTunes link for download.

As always, I would like to hear your experience about the app. Feel free to leave us comment and share anything about the new Skype app.

Note: Multitasking is a new feature coming with iOS 4. However, it only works on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.





Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima

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