Skype must be one of the most widely used programs nowadays, probably there is no computer user who does not know about it. People use it in so many different ways: free voice and video calling between computers, chatting, calling phones at very low rates. But do we really make the best use of Skype? According to me, we do not. The reason is very simple, we cannot carry a computer with us all the time. Even if one has a laptop, WiFi internet connection is still quite scarce, besides laptop is not a handy phone which one could carry in his pocket.



What if one could use Skype on mobile phones? That would really make it possible to make cheap calls everywhere (I mean not only local calls, which are anyway cheap with many mobile network providers, but also international phone calls). Most of us probably didn't even think about such a possibility. Some of the Skype users however know about a version for mobile phones but how many models support it? According to what is written on the web site, Skype mobile is available for all smartphones and pocket PCs running Windows Mobile as well as for i-Phone and a couple of Nokia phones. However, unfortunately it does not work on most smartphones and pocket PCs for a very simple reason – their processor speed is not sufficient for Skype to function properly. So, even if it is supported by the phone's operating system, it may not work because of the low processor speed. In fact, smartphone users have found that Skype works well on the phones having a 400 MHz processor or faster. There are not so many phones having such a fast processor. Some examples are Palm Treo Pro and all i-Mate Ultimate models. If you have one of those you do not need to continue reading this article, just install Skype Mobile on your phone and enjoy it. But some high-end smartphones, although fast enough, do not support Skype Mobile because they work on an operating system other than Windows Mobile (like Samsung Jet Speed with a 800 MHz processor, which runs a Samsung version of Symbian OS). And most of us do not have a high-end smartphone.

If Skype could be used on cheap and simple regular phones that would be really great. Will you say that it is not possible? Well, fortunately it is. To be more precise, Skype itself will not work on regular phones but there are some third party programs which can work on virtually any phone. Such programs connect to the Skype service and make it possible to make Skype calls from the phone they are installed on. There are quite a few programs of that kind, for example fring, Talkonaut, IM+ Mobile Messenger. The most popular one is fring because it provides good sound quality and does not incur any extra charges. Installing fring is simple. One can register on their web site and receive an SMS with an installation link. More advanced users, who know how to connect their phone to computer, can download and install fring via PC. Once fring is installed, one just needs to enter Skype user name and password to start making cheap calls from mobile phone. Besides, fring allows for free calls and chatting between the phones it is installed on.

What are the requirements for a mobile phone to be able to run fring? One basic requirement is that the phone should be able to connect to the Internet. Connection can be established either via WiFi or via GPRS or 3G. WiFi is preferable (if it is available in your phone) not only because it is fast but also because it is free. Connecting via GPRS or 3G may result in extra charges for the data transfer by the mobile service provider (however, if you have an unlimited data plan, you don't need to worry about that). Notice that WiFi connection remains free regardless of where you are. Even if you use your phone in international roaming, you will still be able to make the same cheap calls via WiFi! Another essential requirement is that fring works on mobile phones running Windows Mobile or Symbian OS operating systems as well as on i-Phone. That includes a lot of models because most Nokia and Sony Ericsson and some other phones work on Symbian OS.

What about the sound quality? It depends on the phone. The best sound quality is achieved on Symbian OS phones which must be due to the lower bandwidth used by fring under Symbian OS. However, even on Windows Mobile phones the sound is quite good. It may be not as good as for Skype on computer (which is by the way better than the quality of sound in conventional landline and mobile phones) but it is still quite good. For better audibility I would recommend to use headphones. That is especially essential for Windows Mobile phones because, due to an inherent property of Windows Mobile, the sound is routed to the speakerphone, no matter which program is used – Skype, fring or any other. These programs cannot use the internal phone speaker on Windows Mobile devices. Speakerphone's sound is generally not so good, besides everybody around will hear your conversation. That is why using headphones is recommended.

So, as a conclusion, my suggestion is, don't wait. Just install fring on your phone and try it. And you will enjoy making cheap calls on the go, wherever you are.