Today’s Skype for iPhone 3.0 announcement, adds video calling to the already hugely popular application. Skype for iPhone will work with other desktop or mobile users and is free. Skype for iPhone lets you make and receive free Skype video calls on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and works over both WiFi and 3G connections.
The new app works on the latest dual-camera iOS devices; and will also work on the iPad and the iPhone 3GS. The camera-less iPad will only be able to receive video, while 3GS users will be able to broadcast video from their camera, but won’t be able to conduct two-way chats, since they don’t have a camera facing the user. Desktop Skype users (Windows and Mac) can share a view of their computer screen with Skype users on iPhone. Apple’s own Face Time video chatting software only works with Apple devices.
Skype says since the launch of the original Skype iPhone app (end of March, 2009), there have been over 30 million downloads of the Skype app for iPhone. During the first half of 2010, users made 95 billion minutes of voice and video calls using Skype (as of June 30, 2010). Video calling represented approximately 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes for the first six months of 2010.
There’s still no Skype video chat on its Android client. For U.S. customers, Skype for Android only works over WiFi. To use Skype on an Android phone over a 3G connection, you must be a Verizon Wireless customer and use Skype mobile. The upcoming HTC Thunderbolt, for Verizon Wireless, has two cameras, but may or may not include LTE. The 7″ Samsung Galaxy Tab, on T-Mobile, would be be a sweet platform for video chat, as may dozens of others soon to be announced.
The iPhone can eat up 15.9 megabytes of data during a five-minute video call, explains the Washington Post. At an average of 3.2 MB a minute, it would take little more than an hour to burn through the 200 MB monthly quota on AT&T’s entry-level data plan.
Competitor Fring also has a two-way video calling app that has been available in the iPhone app store since July. Android phones can also use the recently-released ooVoo Mobile. Another mobile video chat application, Qik, is used by Sprint’s EVO 4G and T-Mobile USA on the myTouch 4G phone.
Skype, which is free if you stay on the internet, also offers three calling plans (Unlimited U.S. & Canada, Unlimited North America and Unlimited World) for $2.99, $7.99 and $13.99, respectively. They let you call a landline or mobile. The difference between these plans is where you can call. You’re able to call 40 other destinations with the Unlimited World Plan. Even the most expensive plan doesn’t cost you very much. Skype Journal has more.
It’s anticipated that CES next week will feature new 7″-10″ Android tablets with dual cameras and Skype video chat and new iPads, rumored in the next few months, are expected to feature dual cameras as well.
Google already allows people to bypass their mobile carrier’s service. Google Voice lets customers send free text messages, and supports VoIP Internet calling, allowing users to make calls over over Wi-Fi networks.
Google’s Android 2.3 (“Gingerbread“), supports VoIP Internet calling via SIP, and allows users to make calls over Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth.
