Three Ireland to launch 'Skypephone'

steve 0

Details here:
http://enn.ie/article/142991.html

Using the Three 'Skypephone' messages sent from one Skype user to another are free, with a per-minute charge applying for calls and messages to landlines or mobiles. Free Skype-to-Skype calls will be available to Three users with the new handset as long as they are on contract or top up their pay-as-you-go credit at least once a month.

Edit, request info here
http://three.ie/handsets_new/skype/skype.htm

Bluefrog

I noticed that too a couple of weeks ago - innovative ideas as always but until they display some technical competency here and stop saturating their data network I'll reserve my enthusiasm.

1huge1

Interesting, if 3 advertise this it could be quiet a seller especially for under €150, I wonder if you need to be in a 3G area, their damn website says im in a 3G area but there's none for 20km

lawhec

1huge1 wrote: »

Interesting, if 3 advertise this it could be quiet a seller especially for under €150, I wonder if you need to be in a 3G area, their damn website says im in a 3G area but there's none for 20km

I can't say for certain, but I'm a 3UK pay monthly customer with X-Series Silver and I can quite happily use Skype roaming on to Orange or O2UK with just GPRS.

mitabrev

AFT is the only thing that kept me with O2 this long (due to their 1c/Kb) which is the lowest charge (I think) for data. Now that Three is launching this skype phone, I'm thinking of switching to them, as a lot of my friends live overseas. Are calls on three with skype free?? How dependable is the 3 network??

1huge1

Well its just like using skype anywere else like, if you call someone else on skype its free, while calls to landlines are generally 2c/minute worldwide and 16c/minute to irish mobiles.

Is the 3 network dependable, ya I've been with them for 2 years and im happy.

heggie

calls to landlines though will NOT go through skype, and will be charged at mobile rates

DonnieBrasco

heggie wrote: »

calls to landlines though will NOT go through skype, and will be charged at mobile rates

but cant you call landlines using skype? if i have credit in my skype account, isnt it really cheap to use skype to call landlines?

lawhec

If its set up like the X-Series is, the Skype service is restricted to calling other Skype users only, Skype Out won't be possible. Still, if you're calling someone else on Skype it is worthwhile.

DonnieBrasco

lawhec wrote: »

If its set up like the X-Series is, the Skype service is restricted to calling other Skype users only, Skype Out won't be possible. Still, if you're calling someone else on Skype it is worthwhile.

that makes sense i suppose (for 3!)

1huge1

Oh sorry I was unaware, though I guess it makes sense, it would be major competition for 3 if it let you call moviles and landlines I guess, I don't really know that many people with skype

robinph

You can make SkypeOut calls on X-Series if you use Fring instead.

Sam Vimes

robinph wrote: »

You can make SkypeOut calls on X-Series if you use Fring instead.

true but that comes out of your data allowance and i don't think the x series skype does

mitabrev

Rang 3 customer care today to enquire about the exact details of the Skypephone (as the amount of detail about skype on their site is poor).
The fella on the phone told me that skypephone would not be available to pay as you go, only to pay monthly. I asked would it ever be intoroduced on pay as you go, and he replied maybe, sometime in the future depending on take up.

godskitchen

People still use skype?

robinph

Commander Vimes wrote: »

true but that comes out of your data allowance and i don't think the x series skype does

If your on the either of the x series packages then you have 'unlimited' data allowance anyway so it doesn't matter. It's just a way to get around their restrictions that their own client has.

culabula

Supposed to be PAYG and contract in six different 3 countries.

Here's a laff though: if you click on the SkypePhone link it takes you to their selection of PAYG mobiles (and no mention of the actual SkypePhone). Click on the N73 and it tells you that it is a 'top-tier Sony Ericsson' phone.

Good old 3!

The_Hustler

I'm on pay as you go and topped up last night and it says in my3 that I have free skype to skype calls for 30 days subject to fair use.


Then there's a link saying "can I make Skype calls on my mobile?" and it starts off going "Yes you can make Skype calls on your mobile...." and I was surprised but then says IF it's one of the 3 or 4 mobiles they mention. Damn 3 getting my hopes up.

Actually, the mobiles are Nokia N73, E65, 6120 and a Sony Ericsson K530i that is coming soon.

muboop1

wahey... 3 are releasing something... how will they mess this up? will it be like their mobile internet where they have to many people per server so its very slow?
or just have a general bug and the worst customer care ever?

Blaster99

Don't worry, it'll work in 24 hours.

robinph

muboop1 wrote: »

wahey... 3 are releasing something... how will they mess this up? will it be like their mobile internet where they have to many people per server so its very slow?
or just have a general bug and the worst customer care ever?

It's a service that they are already providing on existing handsets though. The only new part is them releasing a low spec'ed phone to go along with the deal and a new price plan.

Sam Vimes

robinph wrote: »

If your on the either of the x series packages then you have 'unlimited' data allowance anyway so it doesn't matter. It's just a way to get around their restrictions that their own client has.

x-series isn't unlimited, its "unlimited". its one of those things that's allowed to be advertised as unlimited despite clearly not being unlimited. it has a 2 GB limit

robinph

Commander Vimes wrote: »

x-series isn't unlimited, its "unlimited". its one of those things that's allowed to be advertised as unlimited despite clearly not being unlimited. it has a 2 GB limit

You'd need to be doing an awfull lot of talking to get through 2G worth of Skype though.

I was sure I'd seen some mention of limits that they had for the various things on the 'unlimited' packages though so just went off in search of them. All I could find on the three.ie site was the 2G limit though. The three.co.uk site lists a limit of only 1G and also seperately lists 5000 Skype minutes and 80 hours of combined Slingbox and Orb time per month.

The 5000 Skype minutes would work out at something like 2:30 hours a day and your battery would probably die before you managed to get through that lot, or at least the person on the other end would have got sick of listening to you by then and hung up.

matt3mobilebuzz

Hi guys,

I'm from the 3mobilebuzz team and if you have any questions not covered by the FAQ I'll do my best to answer them.


You can call landlines/ other mobiles from the Skype phone, but this will be through the 3 network and charged at the 3 rate.

Pikasso

Skypephone to hit shelves next week.

Three Ireland is set to launch its first ever Skype-enabled mobile phone in Ireland on Monday.

The handset, which will only be available to Three's pre-pay customers initially, costs EUR99 and offers users the ability to make free Skype-to-Skype calls from their mobile phone.



More...
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=10123409

dpower

Any idea when it will be available on pay monthly? Does Skype chat work? I'd love to get one. A lot of negativity though...

god's toy

dpower wrote: »

Any idea when it will be available on pay monthly? Does Skype chat work? I'd love to get one. A lot of negativity though...

Pay monthly will be out in the new year and yep you can use Skype chat
Skype out calls should be with us by June of next year (08)

Friend of mine has one and it's nothing but good reports from him so far... I have one but as it's an Xmas gift I cant open it.... Hurry Xmas!!

pissed

Was thinking of getting a skype phone myself but seems to be mixed reviews here on boards some good and some bad. I take it there is 5 phones to choose from for skype on the 3 network, anyone any recommendations on which to go for. I prefer to stick to the lower priced end of the scale in case it turns out to be a flop... so maybe the 3 branded one or the k530i????

god's toy

AFAIK The three branded one (€99) is the only phone in the range that has the dedicated Skype button and auto starts up the Skype program with the phone when turned on.
I was talking to someone from customer support and they said 'some Skype functions may be missing on other phones in the x-series range' ... what ever she meant.

SubjectSean

If you're in here considering buying this product then don't waste your money. 3 cannot build a tcp/ip network, they don't know how. Their mobile broadband doesn't work and the latency is far too high to use Skype. There is no reason to think that this new product will be any different and when you do have a problem their so-called "support" is a nightmare to behold. Once again then, 3 suck bigtime and are little better than legalised robbers.

Bluefrog

god's toy wrote: »

AFAIK The three branded one (€99) is the only phone in the range that has the dedicated Skype button and auto starts up the Skype program with the phone when turned on.
I was talking to someone from customer support and they said 'some Skype functions may be missing on other phones in the x-series range' ... what ever she meant.

She was probably referring to the fact that you can't send text messages for the skype clients on the other phone models - an omitted feature that 3 keep pretty quiet about.

Bluefrog

SubjectSean wrote: »

If you're in here considering buying this product then don't waste your money. 3 cannot build a tcp/ip network, they don't know how. Their mobile broadband doesn't work and the latency is far too high to use Skype. There is no reason to think that this new product will be any different and when you do have a problem their so-called "support" is a nightmare to behold. Once again then, 3 suck bigtime and are little better than legalised robbers.

Thee data services are definitely in disarray. Rather than constantly tryng to rope in new customers with new features and services it would be nice if they took the time to get their exisitng services working either at all or in a reliable fashion.

Bluefrog

god's toy wrote: »

yep you can use Skype chat
Skype out calls should be with us by June of next year (08)

Skype chat only works on 3skypephone - other x-series models have a client which does not support text messaging to date.

I'm very interested in where you heard about Skypeout being introduced in the new year. Can't see any telco offering this but I live in hope.

carbsy

Can't you just install your own skype client (like on the N95) and use Skypeout then over 3G or GRPS?

pissed

So is it worth buying ...... yes or no

god's toy

Bluefrog wrote: »

Skype chat only works on 3skypephone - other x-series models have a client which does not support text messaging to date.

I'm very interested in where you heard about Skypeout being introduced in the new year. Can't see any telco offering this but I live in hope.

Here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/29/3_skype_go/

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

robinph

Any problems that you may have heard off with the quality of skype calls is nothing to do with three's network. Once you make a voice call using the three skype client it is carried over their regular voice network and does not use the data allowance for anything other than showing if you are online or not. If there is a problem with the quality of the voice call the it will be due to the internet connection to the person that you are calling.