back to article Skype first to scrap Windows Mobile

Skype has pulled its Windows Mobile client, saying the interface wasn't worth keeping and presumably planning something better for Windows Phone 7 Series. Users attempting to download the client, which was Skype's first foray into mobility, are now greeted with an FAQ explaining that the Windows-Mobile versions of Skype have …

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  1. Jimmy Floyd
    Unhappy

    A shame, but understandable

    My old WIndows Mobile actually did rather well at Skype, so I mourn its passing with a Gallic shrug and a momentary twinge of nostalgia. OK, you so had to wear a handsfree kit to stop the sound coming from the external speaker, and WiFi was really the only sensible option but I made a good few decent-quality calls on that thing.

  2. lukewarmdog
    Badgers

    Cost conscious consumers

    The article claims that WinMo doesn't appeal to certain people because of usage costs and says buy an iPhone. Really? Did I miss the memo where they became cheap? Seems disingenuous to blame it on the handset when it's all about the contract.

    1. chr0m4t1c
      Thumb Down

      Didn't miss a memo

      Missed the bit of the article that said /Skype/ said that and also the bit where they suggested Symbian as an option.

      Presumably because that's the only two mobile platforms they support now. It's not rocket science.

      @CrashMurdock

      Maybe you'd like to lay off the Kool-Aid too, it's impairing your ability to comprehend.

  3. Greg J Preece

    Good thing I kept the old installer

    I noticed this at the weekend. Dunno what they're talking about with the interface. Amongst the sludge of WM5, Skype and Opera Mobile are welcome slices of excellence. The Skype client is great! OK, I understand not developing any future versions, but why remove the existing one?

  4. CrashMurdock

    What a crap biased article!

    "Skype has pulled its Windows Mobile client, saying the interface wasn't worth keeping"

    From what I've read elsewhere it wasn't as you say, but because Windows Mobile has been installed on such a wide variety of phones by so many different manufacturers that it was difficult to provide consistent quality service for so many different devices. Not sure why that is, but it could be because many of the manufacturers customize the installation for the different models.

    Another more plausible explanation is that Windows Mobile is very long in the tooth. Steve Ballmer definitely dropped the ball and M$ is feverishly rushing Windows Phone 7 to catch up as a result. I have to say that Windows Mobile is still very full featured. Yes, it has it's occasional quirks, but I'll take those any day over something limited and restrictive like the Iphone. I'm hoping that Google finally gets its act together with maybe...Nexus Two? No matter what, the mobile phone race is definitely getting interesting.

    Bill Ray, be a good little Apple fanboi and drink your Kool-Aid!

  5. John 118
    FAIL

    It sucked anyway

    Awful quality, every time somebody called me, I needed to phone them back on a normal mobile connection. And it would only play through the speaker phone ... WTF???, unless you had a hands free earpiece, so everybody could hear your conversation. CRAP.

  6. Surur
    Alert

    More to the story than that

    2 more interesting points.

    1) Skype also pulled Skype Lite from the Android Market

    2) Skype for WM will still be available on carrier that they partner with.

    It seems to be a transparent attempt to force US carrier to partner with them if they want to offer a VOIP service to their subscribers and thereby push data plans, e.g. Skype recently partnered with Verizon.

    If you dont partner with Skype, no Windows Mobile OR Android Skype for you.

  7. jonathanb Silver badge
    FAIL

    I won't miss it

    It only worked over speakerphone, and the person at the other end of the line got so much echo when you did that it was unusable. I tried it on various models from HTC and HP over the years, and they were all the same.

  8. Nigel Wright

    Borrox - I want to install on it my new phone

    Any pointers as to how I might get hold of the installer? I want to install in on my new phone.

    TIA.

  9. TeeCee Gold badge
    Grenade

    Alternative view.

    One of the better reasons (ok, the only reason) for going with WinMo is so that you can configure the device, load onto it what you want and use it how you like, even to the extent of availing yourself of one of the cooked community ROMs, rather than being tied into an off-the-peg "solution".

    Most of the WinMo phones I've seen in use (including mine) have a SIP client on them rather than Sk(h)ype for exactly the same reason.......

  10. Piloti
    Thumb Down

    Lite off ?

    Actually, it has pulled the Skype lite, which runs on Symbians as well, such as N's and E series devices. But no current replacement, whicvh means migrating to Fring or other and maybe not using the skype sofware again.

    Silly move from Skype.

  11. Argh

    Alternatives

    I can recommend using Fring on Windows Mobile, which allows Skype audio calls and no need for a hands free kit. On Symbian, I think that they may offer video too.

  12. OffBeatMammal

    why would they do this?

    I'm really confused by this. I've been happily using Skype for a year or more on my WM phone with no issues (I use a bluetooth headset anyway). Luckily it still works but the moment I have to hard reset my phone I'm stuffed.

    So... looking for an alternative

  13. Andy Barker
    Unhappy

    Can still download it

    For those that want to download a copy whilst they still can, Google "Skype Windows mobile", and click the **cached** link for the first entry.

    Just used it many times in the USA when calling back home to the UK. Worked a treat, and cheaper than other options.

    As for the sound coming out of the Speaker, I read that this is a restriction put in place by the OS or manufacturer??

  14. Nigel Wright

    Pick it up here

    http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:tzDh08AD5T8J:www.skype.com/download/skype/windowsmobile/+skype+for+windows+mobile+6&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=firefox-a

    The click on download it directly onto your device.

    Device being pc. Works for me at the time of posting.

  15. heyrick Silver badge
    Grenade

    Skype experience?!?

    Skype on my PC...

    I can stream video from NRJ at a higher quality than I use for XviDing stuff off the telly (it's around 800kbit).

    I can talk VoIP for hours.

    Using Skype, pretty much everything needed to be said twice to ensure it was understood, and the video was so out of sync it was practically a time machine (and the diagnostics pin the bandwidth of that at a rather less impressive 50ish kbit).

    Is THIS the experience they're referring to?

  16. John727
    FAIL

    Failed Evil Marketing

    "the amount we're going to charge for 3G will make Skype too expensive to ever use on a mobile phone."

    And how did that work out for them? That's what I thought. No one used 3G until prices started to become a lot more accessible. One wonders whether these brain-dead marketing types still have a job. You can just imagine the guy who said that rubbing his hands and cackling in a Dr. Evil kind of way as he delivered his message.

    As for Skype on WM, it worked fine (and still does) for me. The crap user experience had everything to do with available bandwidth/latency and little to do with the UI, although I can certainly give more than a passing nod to the speakerphone issue. One has to agree that there is more to this than meets the eye.

    Nevertheless, I too will be looking for an alternative, especially after the abortion that is Skype version 4 for the desktop.

  17. David Beck

    iSkoot client available for Skype Lite replacement

    For those wanting to replace Skype Lite, iSkoot is still offering their version for WM (and lots of other handsets). I think SL was a rebadged iSkoot anyway.

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