Skype Releases Beta Version of Skype for Mobile

Today Skype released a beta version of Skype for mobile phone, works on about 50 of the most popular Java-enabled mobile phones from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. The beta version of Skype mobile is available worldwide with a feature set that includes chat, group chat, presence (seeing when your contacts are online), and receiving calls from Skype users, and through SkypeIn.

Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls from the mobile handsets are initially supported in seven markets: Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

“These are still the early days for making Skype calls on mobile phones, but we’ve already made great strides in this space,” said Gareth O’Loughlin, general manager, mobile and hardware devices. “Among other things, we have a great relationship with 3, the mobile operator, which has brought the mobile Skype experience to eight markets through the 3 Skypephone and a range of other packages and phones. Skype for your mobile will expand the available options even further.

With its beta version, Skype for your mobile enters a public testing phase that will help Skype gauge the response of technology-savvy users whose feedback will help tweak the offering. This phase is expected to last several months, after which a public version of the application will be made available to millions of mobile phone owners around the world.

There are two ways to get the beta version of Skype for your mobile: as a direct over-the-air download to a compatible mobile phone, or it can be downloaded to a computer and then transferred to the phone. For instructions, please visit www.skype.com/go/mobiledownload . This Web page also includes a directory of currently supported mobile phones and the list of markets where the full feature set is available.