Further to our recent feature on the future of Skype and mobile phones, today it has been announced that Nokia will be bringing a Skype app to their Ovi store.
The Skype for Symbian app will be an entirely free download and will enable Wi-Fi or 3G connected Nokia users to make phone and video calls free of charge from their mobile.
The press release from Nokia states that the Skype app will have the following features
- Make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world
- Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad
- Send and receive instant messages to and from individuals or groups
- Share pictures, videos and other files
- Receive calls to their existing online number
- See when Skype contacts are online and available to call or IM
- Easily import names and numbers from the phone’s address book
So it appears that phone manufacturers are getting on board the free calling train but it’s now over to the Networks to truly allow users to have complete access to VOIP services like Skype and mayby even change the way that mobile phone contracts work altogether.
Perhaps instead of having a Minutes and Text based bundles the network operators could do packages similar to Broadband, where a user is allocated limited and unlimited data connection amounts. Its all a dream…. a long far off and frankly weird thing to dream about but still… its a dream.
Anyway! The Skype app will be available on all S60 Symbian handsets (the latest version of the Symbian platform) but the initial release will be compatible with the following handsets touchscreen devices: Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia X6, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia 5530 and the following non-touch devices: Nokia E72, Nokia E71, Nokia E90, Nokia E63, Nokia E66, Nokia E51, Nokia N96, Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8Gb, Nokia N85, Nokia N82, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8 Gb, Nokia N79, Nokia N78, Nokia 6220 classic, Nokia 6210 Navigator, Nokia 5320 and can be downloaded here>>.
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