Skype launches video calling app for iPhone

img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/12/29/1293635913098/rsz_iphone_picture8.jpg[/img]

Skype launches video calling app for iPhoneNew Skype app enables video calling over 3G data connections – six months after Apple promised the same

Share12 Comments (3)
Skype today stole a significant march on its competitors, including Apple FaceTime, by releasing its long-awaited video calling app for the iPhone and iPod Touch for both Wi-Fi and 3G connections.

Owners of Apple's iPhone 4, 3GS and the iPod Touch (4thGen) can now make free Skype-to-Skype video calls – just six months after Apple announced its own play into the internet telephony market.

Skype video calling app for the iPhone becomes a reality – but what do the operators make of it? Although mobile video calling has been around since about 2003, its uptake has remained relatively niche and limited tech-savvy families rather than teenagers (texting) or video conferences. But Skype has long made clear its intention to bring mobile video calling to the masses – and the smartphone boom of recent years has made that prospect look increasingly likely.

"With video calling representing approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes for the first six months of 2010, our users have been eager to get Skype video calling on their mobile phones," Neil Stevens, general manager of Skype's consumer business, said today.

Skype's new app will dampen the appeal of Apple's own FaceTime video calling function, which was launched alongside the iPhone 4 in June. Apple devoted its customary "One more thing…" announcement to FaceTime and has since spent a pretty penny marketing it as the iPhone 4's unique selling point. However, its use is restricted to iPhone 4 owners who are both on Wi-Fi connections at the time of the call.

Steve Jobs admitted at the time that Apple would "need to work a little bit with carriers" before callers could use FaceTime on mobile data connections increasingly under strain from smartphone uptake.

But for its latest release, Skype appears to have placated mobile operators, many of which – including Vodafone and Orange – are calling for data-intensive sites to help pay for network upgrades as demand for mobile connectivity increases. The demands, which would breach the broad principle of net neutrality, would likely be sternly resisted by Skype, which earlier this month called the UK "one of the most restrictive countries in the world" when it came to accessing the mobile internet.

"UK citizens face restrictions for over-charging - depending on operators - on uses of the internet such as voice over IP, audio, video, streaming, peer-to-peer. And this has nothing to do with the need to manage traffic for technical reasons in times of congestion to improve consumer experience," Jean-Jacques Sahel, Skype's lead government relations head, told the Guardian this month.

The average minute-long Skype mobile video call uses approximately 600kbps of data, which will count against each callers' monthly tariff, the company said today. For comparison, a brief test of FaceTime's 3G data usage on a jailbroken iPhone 4 in August showed it using around 3MB of data in a minute – equating to around three hours of calling time a month on the average 500MB tariff.

Skype recommends using video calling on a "strong Wi-Fi connection" for "best quality" and, presumably, so callers don't get any nasty surprises when the monthly bill comes through. "The quality of the video you send and receive from your iPhone will depend upon the quality and bandwidth available on the WiFi or 3G network you are connected to. For best results, make sure you have nothing else running that might use up your bandwidth," says the FAQ accidentally published – and quickly deleted – on the official Skype site over Christmas.

The cameraless iPad and iPod Touch (3rdGen) will be able to receive video calls from launch. The second-generation iPad – rumoured for a release in the first half of 2011 – is expected to include front-and-rear-facing cameras, which would enable two-way video calls.

Calls can also be made between the Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux and ASUS Videophone