IM+ for Skype Software coming to Symbian S60 phones

We got wind of Skype for Windows Mobile way back in December when all of the current huffing and puffing about mobile VoIP was but a distant blip on the horizon. Cut to the here and now and the much more mainstream Symbian S60 OS is about to get the Skype treatment, but not necessarily in a guise that you would expect.

Available now in Beta form, IM+ for Skype Software from Shape Services isn’t a stand alone VoIP app like Vyke or Truphone, but rather a client that allows your phone to sync with your PC’s Skype software in real time. This means your PC must be switched on and running Skype whenever you want to run the IM+ software, which is a tad inconvenient unless you carry a laptop everywhere you go.

Additionally, when your desktop Skype forwards a call to your mobile IM+ client, it needs to be paid for. This is handled by Skype Credit which you purchase for your Skype Out account. This cost, although cheaper than standard mobile charges to begin with, may start to creep up when you factor in the cost of an unlimited mobile data tariff plus whatever unlimited broadband fee you are paying at home (or if you use a T-Online or Vodafone roaming broadband internet tariff for your notebook).

Releasing in finished form by the end of June, IM+ for Skype Software looks as though it is for dedicated fans of the Skype service and who want to use a full featured version of the VoIP they are familiar and comfortable with on their mobile. People looking to use VoIP to make free calls will likely need to look elsewhere.

(Via SHAPE Services)

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