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iPad, iPod touch, & iPhone app reviews from our editors—and you!
Filed Under:
Developer:
Skype Software S.a.r.l.
Age rating: 4+
Compatibility: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.
Requires iOS 4.3 or later.
SkypeCurrent Version: 4.0
See more Free Social Networking app reviews »
Plus call and text your Contacts (or any other number) at Skype’s low rates. It’s great value with Skype Credit.
Skype for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad is free to download and works over 3G* or Wi-Fi.
*** We now have an optimized-for-iPad app in the AppStore. Download "Skype for iPad". ***
•Share moments over free* video calls with front and rear-facing cameras:
Enjoy video calls with Skype contacts on, iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, compatible mobiles, PCs, Macs or Skype-enabled TVs.
•Call Skype-to-Skype, wherever you are:
Call Skype contacts for free on 3G* or Wi-Fi.
•Save on calls to Contacts or any phone number:
Text and call phones anywhere with Skype Credit. It’s especially good value to international numbers.
•Send free* instant messages for an instant response:
Message friends, wherever, and whenever the mood strikes.
•Near CD quality sound for Skype-to-Skype calls:
Enjoy wideband audio (SILK codec) on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad and 3rd generation iPod touch.
*Operator data charges may apply
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
* iOS 4.3 or above.
* Send and receive video using front or rear camera on iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4th Generation.
* Send and receive video using rear camera on iPhone 3GS.
* Receive video only on iPad 1st generation and iPod touch 3rd Generation.
* Works with any H264 compatible devices, including TVs.
This version works on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad and iPod touch.
Skype Review
A great VoIP app keeps getting better
Much has changed since Macworld last took a look at Skype the for iPhone. When we last reviewed the VoIP app from Skype Software, the free offering was limited to the iPhone and iPod touch, required Wi-Fi, and couldn’t run in the background. The iOS Skype experience of today is much, much better.
Dial Me Up: Skype’s keypad will look familiar to anyone who’s ever made a call on the iPhone. The app can now place VoIP calls over 3G as well as Wi-Fi.
Indeed, these days, Skype can run on the iPad (though it’s not optimized for that device’s larger screen). You can make calls over AT&T’s 3G network, assuming your data plan can handle the usage. And thanks to iOS 4 and its vastly improved support for multitasking, you can receive calls and instant messages in Skype even when the app isn’t running.
Thus, what was once good is now simply great.
If the folks you want to call also use Skype, you’re in like Flynn. Tap their username in your Skype address book, and the app places the call almost instantly. The near CD-level audio quality puts a regular cell phone call to shame. Should you want to avail yourself of Skype’s instant messaging, you can do that too: the app offers an attractive, familiar interface for for text-based chat with your Skype contacts.
You can receive calls from your Skype buddies, too. And again, as I mentioned at the outset, you can receive calls when Skype isn’t even active, since iOS 4 lets the app run in the background. That also means you can exit the app—say, to check an e-mail for details—while on a Skype call, without disconnecting.
Of course, you can use the service for plenty more than Skype-to-Skype calls. The company offers extremely competitive deals, as low as $3 a month for unlimited calls to the United States and Canada, or $14/month for unlimited calling worldwide. You can purchase the necessary Skype Credit within the app (through an embedded Web browser), or from your computer, and instantly start making Skype calls to real live telephone numbers.
Making Contact: From within Skype’s address book, you can place calls or send text messages with a tap.
Dialing those phone numbers is simple; you pull up a keypad that looks awfully familiar to anyone who’s ever placed a call on the iPhone. And since the Skype app lets you dial anyone in your address book, you can really use the app as a solid replacement for placing “real” calls.
The one thing that the app disappointingly doesn’t offer is video chat. Now that the iPhone 4 and the latest iPod touch support FaceTime calls over Wi-Fi, it’s stunning that Skype—renowned as it is for its video chatting on the desktop—still completely lacks any video calling on the iPhone. With each Skype app upgrade, I hope to see the introduction of (even Wi-Fi-only) video calling, but thus far, no dice.
But in truth, I come to praise Skype, not to bury it. Despite the one missing killer feature, the telephony app is aging well. Under iOS 4, the app can genuinely help heavy talkers save minutes by placing very cheap calls via the Internet.
[Lex Friedman is a frequent contributor to Macworld.]
Critic Reviews of Skype iPhone App
No critic reviews from around the web found
User Reviews of Skype iPhone App
Our user review snapshot
Our user reviews IN DETAIL:
jiminie3
I have a horrible delay and jerky pictures between my computer and the other ends computer (both intel computers) I have the latest download of skype and don't know what else I can do. others I have talked with are having the same problem. If this is all skype can do, who needs it.
Call quality varies
The call quality varies significantly. When good, the clarity beats the phone's ATT call quality hands down. But too often the person on the other end complains of not being able to understand me. Have had a more consistently positive experience with the desktop app. GTalk on the desktop provides an excellent and more consistent call quality for me. My two networks are 25 megs and 15 megs. Also, I find the font size for IM's too small. And, there is no way to change this. Do like how incoming messages are sent to any Skype instance that is running. So I can transition from my Mac to my iPhone mid-conversation. Haven't found a good GTalk voice app for the iPhone, so will use the Yahoo! Instant Messenger app for now.
VOIP is the future
I use this because I don't get a reliable AT&T signal inside my apartment. The sound quality is great, though I sometimes notice a bit of lag. Otherwise this works well and actually makes my iPhone usable inside. Skype service isn't free, but less expensive than the 3G Microcell.
Multitasking not so good
Although it is not the fault of Skype, multitasking only keeps the app available in that background for a very short time. Running other apps after Skype seems to kill the Skype process, therefore you can not always rely on it to receive calls in the background. This is quite a disappointment after Apple virtually sold us on background Skype at a recent keynote. I obviously overestimated how well that promise would be delivered. The temptation to switch to Yahoo is even stronger now that Yahoo has enabled video calling between iPhones and computers... however the Yahoo Messenger experience compares miserably to Skype on both iPhone and PC/Mac. My fingers are crossed that Skype will bring video to iPhone very soon. Despite the multitasking and video shortcomings, I love this app and appreciate the very Apple-like look and feel. It takes pride of place on my opening home-screen.
Excellent!
Skype makes things so much easier! On Wifi making calls is free and especially if you have family internationally. It's a must have application for the phone!
I like it!
It is like having a phone in my iPad.
Excelente
Excelente app.
"iPhone" in the house
I am a new user of ipod touch 3G (32G). One major reason I bought it is the fact that it comes with Apple headset with mic, as I heard it works great with the Skype App on it. I am glad all good things I heard about it were right. If you use Skype on your computer (mac or pc), and you have an ipod touch 2G or 3G, this app is a must-have (of course for ipod touch you need to purchase the Apple headset with mic separately and have the latest firmware). The voice quality is as good as it is on the computer, but this is much more convenient as you are no longer tied to the computer anymore.
Great App for an exelent service
I do lots of international calling and Skype has become one of my favorite services. This app just made it that much better, the call quality is good especially compared with other similar services and it is an easy and convenient way to keep in touch. If you have a Skype account, this is a must have!
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