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Skype For Windows Phone Available With Group IMs But No Group Video

[February 27, 2012]

Skype For Windows Phone Available With Group IMs But No Group Video

Originally posted on VoIP & Gadgets Blog, here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/skype/skype-for-windows-phone-available-with-group-ims-but-no-group-video.asp.

Today Skype announced their Skype for Windows Phone Beta app, which is the last major smartphone operating system to not have Skype. Ironic, considering Microsoft owns Skype, but obviously with the relatively new Windows Phone operating system Skype had to be redesigned by Microsoft's Skype team. The new Skype follows the elegant and clean Metro tiles design.

Check out this video to see how it works.

With Skype for Windows Phone Beta you can make free audio and video calls to your Skype contacts over 3G and 4G or WiFi, and of course make calls to landlines and mobiles using your Skype Credit. Also you can create and hold one-to-one and group chats, and update your profile and account information.

The video demonstrates group chats, but what I'd really like to see is group video calling using Skype on a mobile device. Skype supports group video calling on PCs, so why not mobile devices? They're powerful enough these days with quad core phones on the way. Although, Skype group video calling is a premium paid service, which I've already griped about. I wouldn't be surprised if competitor Google takes Google Hangouts (group video) and extends it to Android devices. In any event, you can download the beta version directly from your Windows Phone or at the Marketplace from your computer to test drive Skype for Windows Phone.

via The Verge

Tags: groups, metro, microsoft, skype, windows phone Related tags: windows phone, group video, skype windows, video calling, system skype, skype