Finally Skype delivers
VOIP over 3G for the iPhone, months after they said it was ready and months after Apple/AT&T allowed VOIP over 3G.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/skype/id304878510?mt=8
Better late than never.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/skype/id304878510?mt=8
Better late than never.
Comments
VOIP over 3G for the iPhone, months after they said it was ready and months after Apple/AT&T allowed VOIP over 3G.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/skype/id304878510?mt=8
Better late than never.
Yes, it took Apple 3.5 months just to alter the wording of the SDK to allow apps to use 3G for VOIP once AT&T removed their prohibitions. It took Skype 4 months to complete, optimize, submit and get approval for the update.
Those slow Skype bastards!
Some people rally have a weird perception of reality...like blaming Skype for no 3G VOIP on the iPhone during the years Apple refused to allow it. Sad really.
It took Skype 3 months to release a product which they stated had been already been ready for months.
"Many of you have also been asking when we'll release a version which allows you to make calls over 3G - the holy grail of Skype on the mobile, if you like. We've had a 3G-capable version ready for some time now, but Apple's current restrictions mean that they won't allow us to make it available on the App Store for the moment"
January 16
Source
Maybe they had to sort out the "exclusive" deal they cut with Verizon.
Stating that an App feature (i.e. Skype for iPhone over 3G) had been ready for months then not making it available on the day that it became usable then going on to cut a deal with Verizon, Android and Blackberry could have opened an anti-competitive, anti-trust can of worms that makes anything Apple or AT&T have been accused of minor in comparison.
Anyway better late than never I suppose, although this part is rather strange:-
"What's New in Version 2.0.0
Upgrades / improvements include:
- Call using your 3G connection. Skype-to-Skype calls on 3G are free until the end of 2010, after which there will be a small monthly fee (operator charges for data will still apply)."
Source
Although at least it's better than what they had yesterday, when it said Skype to Skype would be free until August 31.
Yes, it took Apple 3.5 months just to alter the wording of the SDK to allow apps to use 3G for VOIP once AT&T removed their prohibitions. It took Skype 4 months to complete, optimize, submit and get approval for the update.
Those slow Skype bastards!
Maybe they wanted to get push notifications working, except they didn't.
Some people rally have a weird perception of reality...like blaming Skype for no 3G VOIP on the iPhone during the years Apple refused to allow it. Sad really.
It took Fring one day.
Yes, and it shows.
Apple banned VOIP over 3G, even when AT&T allowed it, yet you felt at the time that the blame for this feature missing rested only with Skype and not with Apple. This shows a strong, though very strange, desire to avoid blaming Apple for anything or a need to blame Skype for something since they had the audacity to simply and honestly state that they could not release a VOIP over 3G version until Apple allowed such apps. Somehow, you appear to have taken offense to this and feel compelled to defend Apple. That's great, but in this case it really requires a less than honest twisting of the facts.
Once Apple did allow 3G VOIP, something it took them 3.5 months to decide on, you actually want to call Skype slow for taking 4 months to complete their optimizations (the App Store approval process would have been a part of this 4 months, but let's ignore that).
So, Apple taking 3.5 months to update some docs == not slow. Skype taking a maximum 4 months (likely less) to optimize for 3G == "Better late than never." Interesting point of view. Some fans hold Apple to a higher standard. You? Seemingly not so much. I guess they will never disappoint you if you set the bar low enough.
It is great to defend Apple, but it helps when it is done intelligently. This argument of your simply is not.
By the way, Apple appears not to share your hostility and anger toward Skype. Perhaps the 'insult' that you imagined and has forced your rabid attacks of Skype was not shared or imagined by Apple. In fact, since Jobs prominently promoted Skype during his intro of iPhone OS 4.0, it seems they are quite pleased with them at the moment. So, you are allowed to like them again. Apple said so.
It wouldn't be an issue if the CEO of Skype hadn't of said in December that they'd had the software ready for "some months".
Apparently, according to you, Skype required more time to optimise it, so in other words it wasn't ready, in which case Skype's statements were misleading.
Yes, and it shows.
Nope, my "issue" as it always has been, is that Skype has attempted to pass the buck for their own incompetence and were caught with their pants down.
It wouldn't be an issue if the CEO of Skype hadn't of said in December that they'd had the software ready for "some months".
Apparently, according to you, Skype required more time to optimise it, so in other words it wasn't ready, in which case Skype's statements were misleading.
The problem with this rationalization is that, again, it isn't very honest. You originally asserted that Skype was at fault for not having a 3G VOIP app after AT&T allowed them, even though Apple still prohibited this feature.
You can blame Skype for their massive 4 month delay in getting the app out once Apple approved it (yet strangely, Apple taking the same amount of time to simply change their minds is not slow). That is completely on their shoulders.
But this wasn't your original grudge against them. While Apple still banned this feature from the iPhone, you blamed Skype for the feature not being available in the iPhone app. Bizarre at best. Ridiculous is probably more apt.
Again, you can get over it now. You are now allowed to like them.
Is that how CEO's should run companies?
Make misleading statements to shareholders, employees and other interested parties.
There should be a law against it.
The problem with this rationalization is that, again, it isn't very honest. You originally asserted that Skype was at fault for not having a 3G VOIP app after AT&T allowed them, even though Apple still prohibited this feature.
You can blame Skype for their massive 4 month delay in getting the app out once Apple approved it (yet strangely, Apple taking the same amount of time to simply change their minds is not slow). That is completely on their shoulders.
But this wasn't your original grudge against them. While Apple still banned this feature from the iPhone, you blamed Skype for the feature not being available in the iPhone app. Bizarre at best. Ridiculous is probably more apt.
Again, you can get over it now. You are now allowed to like them.
Apart from Skype saying they had something ready when it quite obviously wasn't.
Is that how CEO's should run companies?
Make misleading statements to shareholders, employees and other interested parties.
There should be a law against it.
He said they had a 3G capable version ready. Quite likely, after Apple still refused to allow 3G VOIP after AT&T allowed it, they took resources off of that project and let it idle. Once Apple allowed it, they re-evaluated it and decided to hold off releasing it until they integrated 3G optimizations (is English still taught in schools in OZ?). In fact, they made a public statement confirming this. Nothing nefarious or dishonest or misleading about it. A simply understanding of networking would tell you that if they simply wanted to release it with 3G capabilities, they only had to remove a simple flag that disabled VOIP when wifi wasn't detected. Without this check, it would just work. That is sort of the point of apps being abstracted from the network layer. Optimizing for 3G would help it work better.
This is only 'misleading' for those that have some sort of delusion about the evils of Skype. Seemingly, this grudge was formed by Skype's 'insult' of Apple when then truthfully stated that Apple's restrictions prevented them from releasing such an app.
Get over it. You are allowed to let your anger go now. Jobs said says so (in effect). You have his blessing to move on. Find another target for irrational hatred. Maybe google.
What I have trouble with is Skype's unwillingness to add Push notifications for incoming calls. Now that calls can be made with any flavor of net connection, that's the main impediment that keeps Skype from being an effective replacement for cellular voice service. The other is lack of a full hands free bluetooth profile.
The pieces are all in place to make all of the ridiculous twentieth century voice plan and texting plan nonsense obsolete.
I can only think of one reason why this hasn't happened and I try not to subscribe to conspiracy theories.
Yeah, well, whatever, it's here now.
What I have trouble with is Skype's unwillingness to add Push notifications for incoming calls. Now that calls can be made with any flavor of net connection, that's the main impediment that keeps Skype from being an effective replacement for cellular voice service. The other is lack of a full hands free bluetooth profile.
The pieces are all in place to make all of the ridiculous twentieth century voice plan and texting plan nonsense obsolete.
I can only think of one reason why this hasn't happened and I try not to subscribe to conspiracy theories.
No conspiracy. Skype was given early access to iPhone OS4, as shown by their demo at the OS launch event.
The 'multitasking' APIs in iPhone OS4 specifically included one for background VOIP. Skype's demo showed an inbound call to a Skype number popping up a APN (local) notification with an option to answer it in Skype. CultOfMac has a screenshot of the notification on screen while the Numbers app is in the foreground.
This was actually a point hill60 made, that Skype couldn't get Push notification working. Strange, because he tries so hard to 'research' his posts, but usually just doesn't understand what he is researching.
Anyhoo, don't worry about Push notifications. Skype will have it as they will get it as a part of the iPhone OS APIs, which they have already demonstrated publicly with Apple.
Edit: I'll add that it is actually better that they waited. The current network based APN would be insufficient for the needs of a Skype user. They are not close enough to real time to alert you immediately that there is a call incoming and even if they were instantaneous, because Skype cannot run in the background, by time you received the notification and waited for Skype to launch and log in, you would certainly has missed the call anyway. With the new APIs in OS4, the Skype VOIP thread will be running in the background. It will receive the inbound call immediately, launch a local notification and when you clicked 'answer' Skype would open without having to fully load again nor log in again. Essentially, it will do what you were asking for but far better than if they had wasted resources on using the current APN. Guessing you will have access to this in a week or two.
If they pull it off I'll be very happy.
Thanks Tulkas. I hope you're right. And the problem of making it from a Push back in time to answer the call makes sense.
If they pull it off I'll be very happy.
I'll be happy too. Of course, it will mean having to buy a new iPhone, since my 3G probably won't support the new multitasking APIs, but that is a hardship I will have to live with
Some people will still find reasons to complain about, mainly because they can't let go of some insult they imagine Skype made towards Apple. Perhaps now that Jobs has shown them Skype and Apple are friends, they will move past the imaginary and into reality.
Skype update is out. If you have a 3GS or iP4, go get it!
Awesome...i was really waiting for this..it took them some time
Figure a month after iOS 4 shipped isn't too bad.
@iGuessSo
Skype update is out. If you have a 3GS or iP4, go get it!
Woohoo!
I have been waiting so long for this update!
Fingers crossed it is a good one - and that I may start to feel guilty for the scathing comments I left in the Skype forums...