[pixiegirl2821]

Is is available??

The guy in the shop lead me to believe it was, but everywhere I'm looking suggests it isn't.

Thanks.

[anita28]

I'd really like to find out aswell, its not fair that the iphone seems to get all the apps first and we have to wait, I really would like to get skype aswell as I travel a lot and its great for calling home

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[diegonei]

The problem here is that Skype has a deal with Verizon Wireless for exclusive rights. We don't know for how long neither if there are plans for Skype on other US carriers (let alone worldwide).

There are subpar alternatives: iSkoot and IM+ Talk.

IM+ Talk (which you must buy) works in a walkie-talkie way, over Wi-Fi. But will let ou talk to people using Skype (I can't tell if IM+ Talk to IM+ Talk skype calls work).

iSkoot is free (and I use it). It allows you to call desktop skype, but it routes your call via a local landline, meaning iSkoot will use your voice plan minutes. It should allow you to call other people on mobile devices but you'd need to have Skype Out or Skype Credits in order to do so.

The Skype for BlackBerry (which only Verizon has) is a monthly free service that, if I understand it right, brings full Skype to the BlackBerry.

All in all, I learned to use voice notes in BBM.

[pixiegirl2821]

The problem here is that Skype has a deal with Verizon Wireless for exclusive rights. We don't know for how long neither if there are plans for Skype on other US carriers (let alone worldwide).

There are subpar alternatives: iSkoot and IM+ Talk.

IM+ Talk (which you must buy) works in a walkie-talkie way, over Wi-Fi. But will let ou talk to people using Skype (I can't tell if IM+ Talk to IM+ Talk skype calls work).

iSkoot is free (and I use it). It allows you to call desktop skype, but it routes your call via a local landline, meaning iSkoot will use your voice plan minutes. It should allow you to call other people on mobile devices but you'd need to have Skype Out or Skype Credits in order to do so.

The Skype for BlackBerry (which only Verizon has) is a monthly free service that, if I understand it right, brings full Skype to the BlackBerry.

All in all, I learned to use voice notes in BBM.

Thanks for your help.

I've just looked at the iSkoot website, and the 8520 doesn't seem to be a supporting blackberry. What do I do then? & the deal is, you have to pay for skype-to-skype calls, but only at a local call rate? For example if I'm in France and call someone's computer in UK, I'll be charged as if I'm calling a French mobile?

& can I use iSkoot without a blackberry data plan? If so, would that cost me a fortune? Sorry for all the questions!

[Motorcycle Mama]

You need a data plan to use iSkoot.

[diegonei]

Thanks for your help.

I've just looked at the iSkoot website, and the 8520 doesn't seem to be a supporting blackberry. What do I do then? & the deal is, you have to pay for skype-to-skype calls, but only at a local call rate? For example if I'm in France and call someone's computer in UK, I'll be charged as if I'm calling a French mobile?

& can I use iSkoot without a blackberry data plan? If so, would that cost me a fortune? Sorry for all the questions!

Yes, no BIS, no iSkoot.

Really, it does not seem to matter what device you have. Download any, just not Storm versions.

You don't really pay for skype-to-skype, but it will use your voice plan minutes. If you are on pay as you go for example, and you have credits worth 100 minutes, or if you are on a contract and have 200 minutes/month, iSkoot will use those.

As I said before, it will call a local number and then route it to whomever you're calling. If you pay $1/minute on a call, that's what you'll pay on iSkoot. If calling a land line is expensive, so will iSkoot, if calling a landline is $0,01, that's how much you'll pay.

iSkoot is great to use when you have unlimited landline minutes and wants to call desktop skype users.

Should you have more questions, come again.

[TRiNi-NiNjA]

so there is no way to talk over wifi for free on blackberrys then?

[diegonei]

so there is no way to talk over wifi for free on blackberrys then?

If you take the fact you must buy IM+ Talk as paying to talk, no.

There are some VoIP softs under development, but none of them have come out yet, and I am quite sure they will ask for a monthly fee.

If you're on a company, BlackBerry MVS could be quite useful.

[rcnathan]

Nice posts diego! I'm gonna use this thread for reference sake for other skype posts

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[diegonei]

Nice posts diego! I'm gonna use this thread for reference sake for other skype posts

Thanks, thou I am sure there are better ones out there... And there are also those from my noob years where I ask very similar questions.

It is a shame Skype decided to team up with Verizon. Don't you think they would rather profit over a world of BlackBerry users rather than a handful of US citizens?

[Nybie]

I thought only 3g phone supported Skype?

Also - I know with the 3 network you can't use Skype over wifi, just on the 3g internet.

So I guess you can't get skype on this model?

[hotgeekness]

The Skype for BlackBerry (which only Verizon has) is a monthly free service that, if I understand it right, brings full Skype to the BlackBerry.

Incorrect. Verizon Wireless' Skype Mobile client works in the same fashion as iSkoot and uses one's calling minutes, only that these minutes do not count in the bill. Not VoIP.

All in all, I learned to use voice notes in BBM.

Which also isn't an ideal solution; it's equally walkie-talkie (half-dupex) like IM+ Talk and both networks are limited to users of those networks only (you can only BBM people using BBM, likewise you can only "Skype" people using Skype).

There are some VoIP softs under development, but none of them have come out yet, and I am quite sure they will ask for a monthly fee.

Incorrect and incorrect. Vippie Mobile at least is available (SIP softphone) for a one-time fee of 30 USD. In essence this is as true as true VoIP gets.

If you're on a company, BlackBerry MVS could be quite useful.

Unless the company already has an IBX environment setup and dedicated hardware available for a server configuration, it is very unlikely that a company is willing to adopt BlackBerry MVS, the initial cost in setting everything up is tremendous.

It is a shame Skype decided to team up with Verizon. Don't you think they would rather profit over a world of BlackBerry users rather than a handful of US citizens?

Only noting that this does not affect BlackBerry users only; Android users are similarly affected (Verizon Wireless customers only). Skype for iPhone and Symbian are the only true Skype clients available (VoIP/WiFi and not tied to Verizon Wireless). Users are interested in free calls mostly, to lower their monthly bill and therefore it is quite unlikely that as many Skype users are going to SkypeOut someone as it is that Skype users are going to call other Skype users. Because of this Skype as a business will benefit more from the "small" amount using the Verizon Wireless exclusive mobile client, as Verizon Wireless will be paying Skype for the possibility of having this type of exclusive service. So what is an annoyance to you is a healthy business move for Skype. However, from the perspective that iPhone and Symbian are unaffected, it is unfair that BlackBerry and Android users can not enjoy having an official Skype client. Once there was a Skype client for BlackBerry in development (that somehow got leaked to the wild), which has since been scrapped (Verizon Wireless came right in the middle of the development of this client with their contract).

Sources:
Verizon Wireless and Skype join forces to create a global mobile calling community - About Skype
Blackberry softphone | Blackberry SIP client
BlackBerry - BlackBerry MVS