Skype has released an iPhone client long back. But the client then did not support 3G voice calling. Users with high data plans were angry as they couldn’t use their 3G connection for making calls on the go and hence had to stick on to wifi connection. Yesterday skype released a new version that finally opens up 3G. Skype 2.0 is a free update on the App Store and it runs on the iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, the iPod touch and the iPad, if you are on iPhone OS 3.0 or above. Till now the app simply told you “You need WiFi to call over Skype”, and skype blamed contractual restrictions for it.
Now the catch. Skype says Skype to Skype calls on 3G are free until atleast the end of August 2010, after which there will be a small monthly fee. Your operators data charges apply anyway, so do keep an eye on that bill.
2.0 isnt only about 3G. On the iPhone 3GS and the 2nd generation iPod touch you get wideband audio using the SILK codec, which skype calls near CD quality sound. There is also a better call quality indicator, faster start up and quick access to the dial pad from the home screen. We are trying it out over 3G here, so stay tuned !!
Partly reconstructed with AI. This post’s full text was lost when the site went offline. Only its opening paragraph survived in the Internet Archive, and that opening is the original writing. The rest was reconstructed in 2026 by an AI assistant from reports published at the time, and fact-checked against them. Sources used: techcrunch.com, gizmodo.com, thenextweb.com, wirefresh.com, skatter.com.
