Microsoft releases Skype 1.0 for Windows Phone
Free app works on Wi-Fi or 3G and runs on Windows Phone 7.5 devices and higher.
Version 1.0 of Skype for Windows Phone is now available in the Windows Phone Marketplace, as reported by WPCentral.com.
The 6 MB free Skype for Windows Phone app runs on Windows Phone 7.5 devices and higher. It works over Wi-Fi or 3G. Version 1.0 replaces the beta of the app which Microsoft rolled out at the end of February.
WPCentral notes that the 1.0 release3 adds the ability to search for and add new contacts and call landlines. However, it does not allow background calling, meaning the app will only allow someone to call if the user has Skype open and is in the app.
Microsoft is expected to more tightly integrate Skype with the Windows Phone 8 operating system release. However, according to early leaks, Skype will still remain a standalone app by the time Windows Phone 8 debuts, which is expected to be before the end of calendar 2012.
There are already Skype for iPhone, Skype for Android and Skype for Blackberry apps available.
WPCentral also noted today that the 2.0 version of Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud-storage app for Windows Phone also is now in the Windows Phone Marketplace, too. Microsoft's SkyDrive team recently added ODF document support and URL shortening, among a few other features, to SkyDrive.