skype and blackberry

[galambo]

any got skype working on a blackberry. I have the 8320 curve (with wifi) so when i travel i would like to see if i can use skype/wifi without having to pay roaming charges (high in the US for me))

if so how

tia

[dbltap]

There is no native Skype client for Blackberry. iSkoot & Shape both have services that will connect to your Skype ID and pull up your contacts list. You can IM with your Skype contacts as well. If you choose to call someone, iSkoot will open a local phone call into their system which will then route your call over the telephone network to your Skype contact. It's not VoIP. But it's not bad.

[Dubdub]

There is no native Skype client for Blackberry. iSkoot & Shape both have services that will connect to your Skype ID and pull up your contacts list. You can IM with your Skype contacts as well. If you choose to call someone, iSkoot will open a local phone call into their system which will then route your call over the telephone network to your Skype contact. It's not VoIP. But it's not bad.

How are the charges done then, as I assume it isn't a free call any longer?

[galambo]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Is it using wifi or the data on the BB. What I am trying to do is avoid any charges from the cell supplier (who charge an arm and two legs for roaming)

[dbltap]

How are the charges done then, as I assume it isn't a free call any longer?

At this point, the iSkoot solution is free. How long it will stay free is anyone's guess. Shape's solution is purchased. They must be recouping costs from the sale of the software. With the iSkoot as it is today , I am using minutes from my mobile plan to call either a local number or an 800 number. The call is then routed into the Skype network from what I can tell and using the Skype Out features to place the call.

Personally, I've found the iSkoot solution to be pretty unreliable. I've had it fail to make the call far more often than connecting. I tested it again this past week to a new Linksys Skype phone I setup at home. I use a separate Skype account for this phone. I was able to see the new account and place a call using iSkoot. The call did ring on the new phone but the audio never connected. I have been able to use iSkoot from my home calling area to a regular mobile phone in Canada. But I was not able to make that same call when I was traveling in California.

It looks like there is a reason iSkoot is still free. It still seems to be of BETA quality and needing more work.

I have not tested the Shape product so I can't really review it.

Is it using wifi or the data on the BB. What I am trying to do is avoid any charges from the cell supplier (who charge an arm and two legs for roaming)IT is using data to connect to Skype and then using the phone system for the actual call. The call is NOT using WiFi for VoIP. There is no client that I know of yet that using VoIP over the WiFi of any BlackBerry.