There's a couple other minor glitches: you can only participate in a conference call if another desktop-bound Skype user initiates it you can't start a conference call from your iPhone. Bubbles look similar to those in iChat-they are colorful and cool-but you can only chat with other Skype users. That essentially makes the Skype app an excellent back-up line to save iPhone minutes, but probably not a dependable first option for communicating with others. At a public library, Skype quality was fine during one part of the day, and then-when everyone around me was tapping away on laptops-Skype for iPhone was almost unusable. In a lengthy call to a Skype user in Australia, the call quality slowly eroded over time. During a day of testing on a home broadband line, most Skype-to-Skype calls were clear, but a few times there was an annoying delay or a digital chirp. (In fact, this restriction has raised the hackles of some advocacy groups, who have called on the Federal Communications Commission to investigate.) With the ability to make free or almost free calls comes a major caveat: call quality depends greatly on your service provider. Skype's iPhone client only lets you make calls over Wi-Fi, not 3G or EDGE. The beauty of using Skype is that you can view call and text message history, review charges, and listen to voice mail messages on your Mac-even if you receive them on the iPhone. To configure any other settings-or to buy more credits-you must use the iPhone's Safari browser or any browser on your Mac. You can create an account on your iPhone, although once you are registered, the client itself only allows you to make calls, view and dial contacts, and send text messages or chats. The app mimics the iPhone dialer-in fact, it looks nearly indistinguishable. Skype also offers a monthly unlimited plan that includes voice mail for just US$3 a month in the U.S. You fill up your account with credits and away you go. Otherwise, you pay a few pennies per minute for international calls, voice mail services, and calls with anyone who is "out of service" (that is, those with a regular landline or cell phone not using Skype). VoIP services such as Skype offer the promise of free phone calls-provided you're calling other Skype users.
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