iPhone News Updated

iPhone With Skype May Be Right Around The Corner

Many mobile phone users had been looking for Skype’s partnership with iSkoot to provide the link.

The iPhone online store may have 25,000 applications, but handset providers with Windows Mobile have been crowing that they have a coveted application that the iPhone doesn’t have — Skype.

That may change next week when Skype for the iPhone may finally be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas.

The rumor has been making the rounds in recent days and, if true, it would close a gaping hole in iPhone offerings. Skype’s Mobile team announced its Skype for Windows Mobile nearly four months ago, giving handset owners with theMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT) mobile operating system a head start.

Many mobile phone users had been looking for Skype’s partnership with iSkoot to provide Skype calling for the iPhone, but they have been waiting in vain for several months. Service providers such as AT&T (NYSE: T), which has the exclusive contract to market iPhones, understandably don’t like Skype’s Wi-Fi-based VoIP service, but with so many new handsets and providers offering Wi-Fi, the idea of stopping Wi-Fi — and VoIP calling — is akin to holding back the tide.

In the meantime, subscribers have been flocking to Skype for Windows Mobile, which was released last December with much improved sound quality, better stability, and a more user-friendly interface.

The Skype for Windows Mobile offering fills a gap that iSkoot was unable to fill: Skype for Windows Mobile is available for phones with CDMA infrastructure, while iSkoot typically addressed just the market for phones with GSM infrastructure (like AT&T and T-Mobile.)

Right now, in advance of the CTIA event, no one is talking, so all interested parties must watch and wait to see if iPhone application No. 25,001 will be Skype calling for the iPhone.

[Thanks: http://www.informationweek.com]

Unlocked iPhones Hit Apple Stores, SlingPlayer & Skype Hit App Store

What better way to end a Friday than with a slew of iPhone news (*takes applause then ducks flying tomatoes*)

Primarily the big news sees Apple joining in with Play.com in selling officially unlocked iPhones in its stores. Currently this is limited to the US at present but don’t expect that to last long. There’s a new iPhone coming people and Apple’s got stock to shift!

On top of this we have a number of exciting new additions to the App Store with news the long awaited SlingPlayer Mobile client has been submitted for evaluation, Skype is due out next week and Yahoo has ported across its highly popular Inquisitor real-time search app.

Of course main things to point out here are 1. Yes, you will still need a Slingbox to access your home content with the iPhone app 2. Can the might of Skype get Apple to allow VoIP over 3G after its N97 success? and 3. Will admittedly impressive inquistor make Safari’s Google search redundant?

All questions will no doubt soon be answered, but not late on a Friday afternoon…

Update: SlingPlayer Mobile is now out of beta for BlackBerry handsets - grab while it’s hot.

[Thanks: http://www.trustedreviews.com/]