The picture on the left is an actual screen shot of the Skype start-up screen on my Nokia E71.

Pretty cool - is it not?

In December 2009, there was a posting on the Skype website announcing the first beta of Skype on the Symbian (read: Nokia E and N series) platform.

I have now taken the Skype client for a prolonged test-drive - this is a very good product.

Update after publishing this article:

What you read in this post is my experiences with the beta release of the Skype client - you can now download the release version from Skype For Symbian web page. The annoyances mentioned in this article is still present in the production version, and the main menu has a added feature. However, for all practical purposes, the behavior of the beta version mentioned in this article is the same as the released version.

One thing worth mentioning, is that Skype have added the ability to easily do Skype Out call from the main menu.

Let's start

After the splash screen has gone away you will have the opportunity to sign in - or even create a new Skype account from the mobile it self. This is very clever of Skype - instant gratification.

After successfully loggin in, you are presented with the contact list. You have the ability to only show logged in users. The default is to show every user you have in your contact list. This settings is not remembered from each time to start the software. I really do hope that Skype will change this into a setting.

Let's talk

If you press the Option key / left meny key while highlighting a given contact - you'll get a several choices - among these are the ability to send Instant messages (IM) and files! Yes - you can send a file directly over Skype from your cell phone. Ideal if you take a picture and need to share it with someone.


If you just click on the contact - Skype want to know if you are going to call the user, send a IM or a file. Personally I am not too found of this - this should either default to calling a user - or preferably have a default setting so end users can have their choice of their preferred default behavior. Notice that calling a contact will bring up that contacts profile picture.

So what happens if the stand by screen and someone is calling in on Skype. The Skype client will immediately be brought to the foreground and you will have the choice to accept the call. There are several basic in-call features available like Activate loadspeaker, ending the call, putting the call on Mute and putting the call on hold. I was a bit surprised that a beta-release of the software had these functions available.

Let's chat

When entering a IM, you have the choice of pressing the Option key -> Write message OR just begin to type.

Actually - Skype will eat your first character when you start your message by just typing instead of using the option-meu. In practice, you will need to type that character twice. Also, Skype uses the standard Nokia input widget, leaving very little room to see your whole message while typing it in.

I seriously hope they fix this before going into production.

This is annoying.

As we saw in the previous section, receiving a call will make the Skype application go to the foreground. The same applies with incoming IMs. Even if you press Show - you are NOT taken directly to the chat conversation - but to the overview of ongoing chats.

However when you finally enters a given chat, the flow is easy to follow.

The main menu, history screen and settings

Even if we are taken directly to the contact list, there is a main menu available. This will give us access to Contacts, IMs, History, My info and settings.

When I saw the main menu for the first time, I felt a bit "cheated". Is this really all? I asked my self. After several weeks of active use of the client, I am seldom accessing the main menu. It may look meek, but it's sufficient.

Your mileage will wary, but if you have the same usage pattern that I do (calls and IMs) - no need to access the main menu a lot.

The history screen gives you the usual suspects: history of calls, file transfers, voice mails, SMS messages.

What is not usual is this is where you will find incomming contact requests. Personally I find it a bit strange to have contact request in this screen. Why not have a notification icon on the Contact screen? This is at least a bit more logical. End users will be confused here!

The settings are at the moment a bit limited, especially when it comes to controlling 3G connections. All you can do is turn on or off a warning telling you that using 3G may cost you money. In an ideal world the 3G settings should be multiple choice: Never, Always On, or On Demand - along with settings stating if the 3G connection is to be used in your home GSM network - or allowed to be used while roaming.

I seriously hope they fix this before release. This will become quite expensive if you are not careful. For us here in Europe who travel often abroad - data-connected roaming is E X P E N S I V E.

Value(?) Added Services

The client have provisions for changing your Mood message, adding Skype Credit or an Online Number (where available), and activating Voice Mail.
Even if the sign-up process for new Skype accounts was part of the mobile Skype client, except for setting the Mood message - the other choices will open up your mobile web browser and let you have a good fight with the Skype web pages. This MUST be fixed before letting the software out in the wild.

Call quality

This is as good as you get it on a mobile device. Using a good head set, the quality is excellent. As of writing this, I have no idea if the SILK codec is supported on the mobile Skype client.

Even using Skype on only a good 3G connection yield excellent sound quality. I would not expect less.

Conclusion

Skype on my trusted Nokia E71 is GOOD. Actually it's EXCELLENT. Even if you despise beta software - this 0.9 version does have a flair of production quality about it.

If you have so far used other, Skype Gateway Clients, like Fring or Nimbuzz there is no need anymore. I am not saying the neither Fring nor Nimbuzz is bad. BUT, if you your use of these clients was due to not having a Skype client on your Nokia - you can now go native.

And trust me, you do want to go native.