Details of 3's Skype phone leak

NEWS OF a new dual Skype/cellular handset from 3G specialist operator, 3, has been leaking like a sieve. Apparently, the device will be called the 3Skypephone.

The INQ has been summoned for the official Press launch on Monday (29th) which is being hosted by 3 but will feature Skype CEO, Michael van Swaaij. But a few details haven't been made public.

There's even a picture of it on the web.

Skype has been an integral part of 3 handsets previously. It featured in 3's X-series handsets like the N73, for example. Now

it seems that Hutchison/3 will allow owners of the 3Skypephone to call any Skype user in their addressbook for free. So the normal data charges for such a connexion will disappear.

To make life even simpler for Skype enthusiasts, this new handset will have dedicated Skype buttons.

Before you think that 3 has gone stark raving mad – particularly as Skype to Skype calls can easily be painted as 'international' calls, it seems that the handset won't permit subscribers to make regular calls via the Skypeout facility.

It's also not clear whether this free Skype facility includes the ability to use the standard Skype Chat facility. The fact that this would kill large chunks of 3's revenues from text/SMS implies it won't.

The device also seems to lean very heavily towards being a fun phone with a two megapixel camera and what's described as an in-built equaliser for delivering a great bass sound.

Considering that 3 supposedly has less subscribers than the UK's leading MVNO – Virgin Mobile, tying up with a big brand name like Skype makes a great deal of sense.

Especially since allegedly only 70 million of the 246 million people who've actually downloaded the software ever bother to make calls in earnest. µ