UK mobile network 3 (owned by Hutchison) has recently released a new mobile phone, but not just any mobile phone. They have teamed up with the popular IP phone company Skype (owned by eBay) to provide mobile subscribers free phone calls.
This may seem foreign to the mobile phone market where practically anything carried out on a mobile phone is normally chargeable from Internet browsing to text messaging. However a spokesman said: "The move marks a radical step forward in operator thinking and will mobilise internet calls for a mass market. It will also close the gap between internet communications and mobile calling and is something you won't see from any other operator."
The move has sparked interest from both standard mobile phone users and the already enormous fan base of Skype alike. The Skype network makes phone calls between Skype users completely free, also offering calls to landlines for cheaper rates as well as video calling.
The new phone from 3 enables Skype users to make free calls on the move, as long as ?10 is topped up per month on Pay As You Go. The service is currently only available on their own bespoke handset with a large Skype button in the centre of the phone. The handset, that looks a lot like the SonyEricsson mobile phones has MP3 playing functions as well as a standard 2 mega pixel camera on the back.
3 have said that it isn't concerned with providing avenues for free calling as it is more about building brand awareness as well as creating a service that customers trust and enjoy using. It's clear that 3 are taking this initiative to heart with the wide range of services they now offer on schemes such as their X-Series which includes the popular instant messaging client Live Messenger by Microsoft as well as eBay applications and now this Skype integration.
The main selling point that the 3SkypePhone has is that it is a very cheap handset providing most of the expected functionality of modern mobile phones but with this very appealing "free calls" function too.