Skype for Windows Phone 8 adds HD video support
New version of app offers clearer imaging and easier access to Skype contacts.
"Am I making myself clear?" takes on a whole new meaning now that Windows Phone 8 users can chat with their Skype contacts in high-definition video.
Out today, version 2.4 of Skype for Windows Phone 8 taps into the hardware acceleration in Microsoft's mobile OS to enable high-quality video calls.
Lower-end phones will deliver VGA video. But higher-end devices, such as the Nokia Lumia 920, HTC Windows Phone 8X, and Samsung Ativ S, can amp that up to 720P HD video, Skype said today in a blog about the new version.
The app automatically sets the video quality based on the speed of the Internet connection. Skype callers can jump between portrait and landscape mode and use either the front or rear camera for video chats.
Also, Skype contacts are displayed in the Windows Phone People Hub so users can kick off a call without having to load Skype first. You also can switch between different user accounts for your Skype calls.
Skype said it wanted to improve the quality and reliability of the app. Some users had trouble receiving notifications when the app was closed. That issue reportedly has been fixed in the latest version.