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Microsoft Releases Skype for Windows Phone Beta
The Skype beta is not feature complete and has a few known issues, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft made the Skype for Windows Phone beta available for download on Monday. The preview of the video calling technology for Windows Phone was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Microsoft acquired the VOIP giant Skype for $8.5 billion in October.
While the beta is not feature-complete -- the final version will arrive in April, according to the Skype blog -- it includes basic functions such as the ability to make calls to land lines and mobile phones, Skype-to-Skype audio and video calling, and group or individual instant messaging.
Users of Windows Phone 7.5, previously code-named "Mango," can download the free beta directly from their smartphones here or at the Windows Phone Marketplace here.
The Skype app integrates with Windows Phone's tile-based, "Metro"-style user interface, Microsoft said in its announcement. "Users will see its simplicity in how the app pivots around two key content areas: contacts and messages, where recent calls, IMs, and voice mails will be grouped together," the company said.
Rick Osterloh, Skype's vice president of products and design, added, "Metro is very simple, very easy to use, and very intuitive, and we fully embraced the model. Skype looks great with Metro and delivers a clean and consistent experience on all Windows Phone 7.5 devices."
Below is a video demo of the Skype app on Windows Phone:
The Skype team says it has tested the app on several Windows Phone devices: Samsung's Focus S and Focus Flash, HTC's Titan and Radar, and Nokia's 710 and 800 smartphones.
However, the team emphasized that the beta version of the app is far from perfect. "Remember, this is a Beta, so not all features will be working properly," Skype warned in this blog post.
"Skype 0.2.0.0 Beta for Windows Phone has currently a few not implemented features and known issues," the blog said. "Most notably Skype is currently only in English, though we plan to expand the number of languages in the production release. Skype for Windows Phone does not run in the background, thus you will not be able to receive incoming calls and chats if Skype is not in foreground."
A list of the beta's known issues, including workarounds, is available here.
About the Author
Gladys Rama is the site editor for RCPmag.com.