REVIEW: It’s no joke, Skype allows you to make free calls from your cellphone

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t. If you wish to submit your application or service for review, please contact us at rcrwebhelp@crain.com.
Application: Skype for Windows Mobile 2.5 Beta
Running on: LG Incite via Wi-Fi and AT&T Mobility’s 3G network
Yay: Sorta free calls. Sorta free instant messaging. Did we mention it was sorta free? Decent pricing on calls to non-Skype customers.
Nay: Voice quality was hit-or-miss. Requires access to Wi-Fi hot spot or data plan. Free calls only to other Skype customers.
We say: Skype’s Windows Mobile app is a strong offering in the VoIP space and impressed with good call quality and ease of use. Not all is perfect, though, as a decent connection is required. But for the price – free – there is little to criticize.
Review: It seems not a day goes by without a new startup offering ways to circumvent the traditional wireless model of paying for a phone call. Most of these rely on some sort of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to transform a voice call into a data session. While we view most of these skeptically, we figured it was time to at least get our toes wet and try out one of these offerings.
We decided to start at the top and test out Skype’s mobile VoIP service. Skype has long played in the wireless industry, and even became an early proponent of open access and net neutrality in wireless (likely due to the data-heavy nature of its service).
As for the company’s mobile service, setting up a Skype account was easy, once we found a certain permutation of the original name we wanted. We were able to download the Skype app to a PC and then load it onto the LG Incite within minutes. (As the Skype service is most useful when using Wi-Fi, a so-equipped phone is preferred.) If you already have a Skype account, you can log into the mobile device using the same info and have your current contacts and settings already set to go.
Adding contacts is straightforward, though there was a significant delay in having a requested party’s approval show up on the mobile device. This delay was also apparent whenever a contact would log in or out, as their status often took several minutes to update.
Once set up, initiating a call to a contact was quick, with the connection going through in a matter of seconds. Voice quality was on par with most cellular connections, meaning your mileage will vary. Using the Incite’s speaker phone seemed to degrade the voice quality a bit and added a seemingly extra layer of latency that, while still usable, was a bit annoying.
The Skype instant messaging app was also very quick and at least on par with traditional IM apps – and quicker than most text messages. The messaging was also threaded, which allowed quick access to a conversation.
Most of Skype’s functionality could be accessed from the mobile device, but – like surfing regular Web pages on a small screen – it was a bit tedious. The service also did not allow a video link between a PC and a handset, which is possible using camera-equipped PCs. We were also not able to set up a conference call from the mobile device, also possible via a PC.
Beyond the free services included in the download, users can buy access to voicemail and call forwarding. You can also purchase an online number that allows a traditional phone to call your Skype account. The service allows you to pick a number from a variety of countries, and for U.S. numbers you can pick a number from any state and from different cities in that state. For domestic numbers, Skype charges $60 per year for a number.
International calling ranged in cost, from 2 cents per minute to locations like Canada, Mexico, Europe and China to more than a couple of dollars per minute to places like the island of Diego Garcia.
We also ran the Skype service over AT&T Mobility’s 3G network. Results were very similar to the Wi-Fi network, with just a touch more latency in voice and data transmission that would not be very noticeable unless the two devices were in the same room. Of course, using Skype over a 3G network is really only viable if you have an unlimited data package since it’s hard to track actual data usage when inside the Skype application.
Overall, the Skype app is a good option for those who might be traveling overseas and want to avoid the additional costs associated with international roaming. Of course, a Wi-Fi hot spot is required to bypass those charges, but those are popping up like weeds. The service also makes sense for those looking to save their traditional cellular minutes or might want to downgrade their current bucket amounts.