One of the "tent-poles" of Apple's iOS4 is multitasking, and one of the biggest features of iOS multitasking is letting VoIP applications continue to run in the background, alerting you when a call comes in, for instance. Until today, though, this has been largely moot as the big daddy of VoIP – Skype – had not been updated to use this new feature.
Now you can all but replace you regular cellphone service. Skype v2.0.1 will run constantly in the background, listening for calls and messages, and will alert you when one comes in. To answer, you just tap the button that pops up. And while Skype doesn't (yet) have access to the front-facing camera for video calls, it will work over 3G. In fact, Skype has abandoned its plans to charge for calls over 3G in the future.
With many cellphone plans offering so many voice minutes that they seem almost endless, you may wonder why Skype is worth the bother. The main benefit is in making cheap international calls using Skype Out, which lets you call regular phones. And when iOS 4 finally lands on the iPad, you'll be able to make calls wherever you are, without any kind of phone contract.
The new Skype is available now, as a free download in the App Store.
Skype [iTunes]
Skype now supports multitasking, no additional charges for calling over 3G [Skype Blog]
See Also:
- Skype on iPhone OS 4: Incoming Calls, But Mysteriously 3G Lags ...
- Skype Over 3G Comes to the iPhone. It's Not All Good News ...
- IPhone Skype over 3G: 'Real Soon Now'
- Fring Brings Video Calling Over 3G to iPhone 4
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