Skype client goes live on Symbian OS phones

Popular VoIP service Skype is now available for users of smartphones running Nokia’s Symbian operating system, enabling free instant messaging and Skype-to-Skype calling.

PC World reports that "Nokia and Skype have developed different clients for Nokia phones that have a touchscreen, including the Nokia N97 mini and the new X6, and those that use regular buttons, including the E72. But the functionality is the same on both clients."

VoIP services do not use the same cellular voice technology that regular mobile phones do, instead sending signals digitally over the web. This wireless technology solution makes for cheap – or free – calling, but requires an active mobile internet connection, which inflates monthly cell phone bills. Whether or not a transition to VoIP makes financial sense is a matter for telecommunication cost control professionals.

Experts say that Skype’s VoIP technology will be most useful, perhaps, for those users who need to make large amounts of international calls, as these would cost significant sums of money every minute on a standard cellular voice connection.