3, the 3G mobile operator, has announced the launch of X-Series. X-Series brings 'flat fee broadband access to mobile'. 3 is partnering with other companies to create X-Series services and applications, these include Sling Player, Google, Orb, eBay, Skype, MSN and Yahoo. X-Series will launch in the UK in December with other 3 countries to follow in the new year. The handsets that will feature X-Series include the Sony Ericsson W950 (UIQ 3) and the Nokia N73 (S60).
Read on in the full article.
My big question:
- how do they enable Skype voice on Sony Ericsson W950 (UIQ 3) and the Nokia N73 (S60) ?
So far we haven't seen a working client with good voice support. It has been said that a 400Mhz processor is the minimum to run it decently...
The press release says that Skype to Skype call will be free on 3's network, are those calls using data packet connection or has 3 made a deal with Skype for a old-school circuit-switch interconnection? VoIP calls should only become more bandwidth-effective than CS calls when HSDPA comes to picture...
Appart from bringing Skype voice to 2 Symbian phones, this offer is all about bundling existing peaces together (flat rate plan, good data/internet apps), which is not bad either (considering the potential main-stream penetration), but if you're lucky to live in a country with reasonable mobile flat-rate plans, then you can DIY.
Flat rate mobile internet services is what users have always been hunting for, packet data services has been a driving factor for users in uk buying cellphones on phone network and getting them unlocked to use on another.
This new service from 3 is similar to what we in India have been enjoying through airtel mobile office flat rate internet gprs service. only difference in these two is however a major one that we still don't have 3g here. all that we get is plain old gprs service with edge. Though it still better than a service bound with access charges, getting a similar service on 3g is just too good. Hope we get something like that soon.
As it goes for the extra services being provided by partnering with content providers like yahoo and google, they are nothing new for regular users of mobile internet. But providing them officially in a package is a smart move by 3, they get full points for that.
Found the answer of my big question via Mobhappy good analysis:
http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/08/10/iskoot-the-new-mobile-face-of-skype/
So not a full-feature standalone Skype client but rather IM/presence over packet data connection and Voice via circuit-switched call thourgh Iskoot gateway.
Not a bad thing after all as this should allow good voice quality Skype call. But a Java client... Do you think the N73 will have enough RAM to run Skype/iskoot java client, Yahoo!Go, MSN and maybe other apps at same time??
New phones with nearly new OS & UI s/w, newish pricing model, newish service access concept and more new capability in the pipeline (HSDPA) - we probably should not expect great things from day one given the number of 'new' things here 😉
Dont 3 still operate a mostly walled garden approach to the Internet though ? - so wont this basically restrict you to communicating with all your "mates" that use 3 ?
I think with this they're opening up their walled garden, finally.