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The iPhone and the rumored Google Phonemay soon be joined by yet another player wanting to storm the mobile handset market — Skype. Apparently tired of waiting for phone makers to include Skype software, the company reportedly plans to partner with 3 Mobile, a wireless carrier in Europe, Asia, and Australia to release a Skype handset.
According to Business Week, the Skype handset, code-named the “white phone” for James Bond appeal, “will be introduced by late October in Britain, Italy, Hong Kong, and Australia, and will reach 3's other five markets later.”
The handset was reportedly developed by iSkoot, which makes Skype software for various mobile devices. The Skype phone will apparently come equipped with multimedia features in addition to the high-speed (3G) data capabilities you'd expect. The Skype-specific features include a big button above the regular keypad which will activate Skype for long-distance and international calls. The phone will also offer access to your Skype buddies in addition to regular phone contacts.
The Skype phone will offer the same functionality as the Skype client -- free Skype-to-Skype calls with additional options available as paid subscriptions.
It's not clear exactly what 3 Mobile stands to gain from this partnership, and it's a bit odd that it seems to have embraced Skype — especially with so many carriers actively prohibiting VoIP. “There are a lot of reasons why mobile VoIP has not yet taken off-and they differ by region,” Stephan Beckert, a TeleGeography analyst tells Business Week. “In the U.S., a key reason is that mobile operators are deliberately trying to keep their customers from being able to use it.”
[Update: Beckert contacted Wired News to say that 3's interest most likely lies in an attempt to gain some market share. "They're in last place in every market they serve in Europe," writes Beckert, "and, since the European mobile market is pretty well saturated, the only way they can grow is by taking subscribers away from a rival." Beckert goes on to say that, despite Skype cutting into potential revenue by offering free calling, 3 Mobile probably is "not too worried about cannibalizing their voice revenues — besides which, 3G mobile data services are not cheap." Still, Beckert agrees that other operators most likely won't be rushing to offer Skype on their networks]
The rest of the world is only slightly less hostile to services like Skype for mobile and understandably so, Skype has a very real chance of turning the telecommunications industry upside down.
While the details surround the new Skype phone are vague, it seems to be a solid strategy and with Skype's explosive overseas growth, it makes sense to start in those markets before attempting to breach the more entrenched carrier resistance in the U.S.
