Changes to our mobile lineup
The last couple of weeks have been busy in the world of Skype on mobile. We’ve announced our partnership with Verizon in the US to deliver free Skype-to-Skype calls in the US and internationally to its 91 million subscribers – a significant step.
As part of our continual review of our mobile range, we’ve decided to make a few changes to our lineup. Skype Lite and Skype for Windows Phones are no longer available for download. This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly, but the reason is simple. Neither of these apps offered a great Skype experience.
Skype Lite only works in a small number of countries. Where it does work, making a call requires you to use up your allocation of minutes from your mobile network, making the Skype-to-Skype calls sort-of-free-per-minute rather than actually-free-per-minute. And with the latest version of the Windows Mobile OS, it’s been increasingly challenging for us to maintain an app which behaves as you’d expect on a wide range of handsets without working with a mobile operator partner.
And that’s why we’ve removed these apps from our site. However, if you already use one of these apps, you can carry on using it – we’re not disabling them. If that’s the case, we’re assuming that you’re aware of its limitations, so we don’t want to prevent you from carrying on. Additionally, where we can work with mobile operators to make these apps work well – which is what we’re doing with Verizon – we’ll do just that.
Finally, where we can make downloadable Skype apps truly great, we’ll shout from the rooftops. And if you haven’t already tried it yet, you should try Skype for Symbian. Alternatively, if your phone isn’t on our list of supported devices, you should grab a Skype To Go number to make great value calls to phones abroad.
I used skype from the start… but now its time to look to google voice.
One simple advantage of having skype mobile was that I could travel and at any time/ wireless spot I could call home (fix phone, at skype price). I have no idea what “mobile experience” you are trying to prove but I see no benefit to me and my new Android.
Now I have to walk around with my windows mobil wich has the skype installed.
You can have taken a good deal with Verizon but you took the last Euro from me.
what. the. hell, skype. 90% of my friends and family live abroad around the world, and i use skype on my mac to talk to them everyday. not calling them, just messaging and video chat. i have t-mobile here in the states, and just bought an android, with the intention of using skype so i don’t have to be at home to talk to everyone i know.
but now, i can’t. thanks skype. oh, and there’s no way i can switch to verizon. my international student plan i have through my school is t-mobile. thanks for bending me over a table and reaming me a new one.
Well.
I’m pretty speachless. Shame on you Skype.
I was using Skype since beginning, then using it on my WM phones and PDAs also, as soon as it was available.
Now it is time to look for another solution.
Good luck Skype. You just shoot your foot.
You lost lots of customers, angried another bunch of them, and lost a trust people had in you. And you just made niche which will be filled by other company soon enough.
Farewell.
I used skype beta on my t-mobile G1. And now no more. I just got a Samsung Galaxy S and cannot get Skype for it…. What’s wrong with this company? Are you on drug or what?
What could be the excuse to not develop skype on windows mobile 7 ????? This is in no way less experience that an Android…
Please explain…
Sad to see they discontinued Skype for Android G1s. Worked great for me. I hard to do a hard reset (not because of Skype) and was disappointed to see it was no longer available for download. I got a message telling me to get an Andriod 3g phone. Apparently they do not realize G1s are 3g.
Respected Mr.Peter!
i do appreciate your work. but i am shock you stop working on skype for windows mobile due to unable to provide good experience instead of make it correct.
i am surprise you stop providing service to FRING
the reason i do not know.
i am surprise you are working on ANDROID, Iphone, Symbian but not for WINDOWS MOBILE.
even you do not care of your customers who are using windows mobile.
today you and your SKYPE is successful because you are caring your customer and providing them GOOD quality service.
but this time you are totally ignoring US which is not fair.
any ways….BEST OF LUCK SKYPE
I really really hate skype for this.
Now I see that I can get Skype on certain televisions – but not on my windows phone. How ridiculous is that – and totally eliminates the argument that its because oif userbase – I’d guarantee that use among WM users is many orders of magnitude higher than users of skype on their television.
Oh-man – I wish I could drop skype use. I freakin hate them hate them hate them. I’ve been using Skype mobile for 5+ years, I’ve bought skype credits – Heck – I’d PAY for Skype mobile on WM and I’m being shut-out – discarded. Punk Fargin Bastages.
I am absolutely schocked at your lack of devotion and focus to users of windows mobile phone users.
Firstly, I had no issues whatsoever when calling or writing using Skype over my 3G connection with my HTC touch2 in the past. Skype to Skype involved no extra costs as internet connectivity is part of my mobile plan.
Secondly, I just had to get my phone repaired and now I find myself incapable of downloading Skype again. This means, I can no longer save money by calling skype to skype.
If you notice some people CAN in fact use it, it would be kind of you to leave it available for them to download the application and not simply forget that segment of your market. Who may very well change voIP providers in passing if this is not resolved.