Skype lovers owning a Nokia handset can now access Skype through their handsets. Skype and Nokia have teamed up to declare the launch of Skype for Symbian, a Skype client for Nokia smartphones based on the Symbian platform.
Skype for Symbian can enable Nokia smartphone users globally to use Skype on the go, either over Wi-Fi or mobile data connection like GPRS, EDGE, 3G. This software facilitates users to make free Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere worldwide. Money can be saved on calls and SMS made to people living abroad. Instant messages can be sent and received to other people. Images, videos and other files can be shared.
Jo Harlow, Senior Vice President for Smartphones, Nokia, commented, “Symbian enables us to bring smartphones to more and more people and ensures scale for our solutions and compelling services, such as Skype. We’re seeing around 1.5 million downloads a day on Ovi Store now and believe that the Skype client for Nokia smartphones will have wide appeal to Symbian users.”
People can view when Skype contacts are online and are free for call or IM. Users can effortlessly import names and numbers from the phone’s address book. Skype for Symbian can function on any Nokia smartphone via Symbian ^1, the newest version of the Symbian platform. Skype is all geared up to release this client to Symbian handsets from other manufacturers, counting Sony Ericsson.
Larry Berkin, Head of Global Alliances and GM USA, Symbian Foundation, stated, “Skype, the king of Internet communications, running on Symbian, the world’s dominant smartphone platform, makes for an explosive combination. With Symbian’s global reach, Skype is that much closer to becoming the ubiquitous real-time communications platform for hundreds of millions of Symbian-based mobile users.”
Russ Shaw, General Manager, Mobile at Skype, remarked, “With Skype for Nokia smartphones, more than 200 million smartphone users worldwide will be able to take the Skype features they love with them on the move. Alongside Skype’s relationships with operators and handset manufacturers worldwide, making Skype available direct to consumers will help millions of users keep in contact with the people that are important to them without worrying about the cost, distance or whether they are away from a computer.”
The preliminary Skype for Symbian application is supported in the following Nokia touchscreen models namely, Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia X6, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia 5530 and the non-touch handstes like 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 8GB, Nokia N79, Nokia N78, Nokia 6220 classic, Nokia 6210 Navigator, Nokia 5320.
Skype advocates use of an unlimited data plan to evade incurring extra expenses from operators. Moreover, users need to know that additional charges may be valid if Skype over a mobile data connection is used when abroad. The Skype for Symbian can be downloaded for no charge from the Nokia Ovi Store.