No Skype for Apple iPhone

June 27, 2007
Apple iPhoneWith the Apple iPhone coming out Friday no doubt many people are wondering if you can install Skype or any other VoIP application on the iPhone. Well...
The answer to that is a resounding "no". Unfortunately, in Apple's grand design to conquer the mobile phone universe, they decided to NOT allow 3rd party applications to be installed on the iPhone. Even though the iPhone runs Mac OS X, which Skype runs on, you can't install the Mac OS X Skype software onto the iPhone.

According to Apple, the iPhone WILL support third-party "Web 2.0 apps" via their Safari browser. Well woopdeedo! So you can create some Google Maps mashups or some other Web-based apps, but as for a VoIP application like Skype, which you need to run as a separate application (not within a browser), you are SOL.

So what's the reasoning behind Apple "locking" the iPhone and not allowing applications such as VoIP to be installed? Could it be the related to the fact that the iPhone is "locked" into using AT&T's cellular network exclusively? Hmmm. I wonder... Perhaps AT&T agreed to be the exclusive provider of the iPhone over the next couple years in exchange for Apple agreeing to "lock" the iPhone from running third-party applications, especially VoIP applications which bypass the voice minutes and use the flat-rate data plan.Let me add that the iPhone has no instant messaging, only standard text messaging (SMS). Guess who gets the revenue from SMS messages? AT&T. Do I detect a pattern here?

"That's just conspiracy talk" you say? That may be true, but don't be surprised if some hacker is able to hack the iPhone to allow third-party applications. What will be interesting to see is AT&T's response to any hacking. Will they do what Microsoft has done with their XBox Live customers, where Microsoft detects "modded" (hacked) XBoxes and bans their XBox Live ID from the XBox Live network preventing them playing online. Could AT&T respond in a similar fashion?

T-Mobile UK has a ToS (terms of service) that bans IM and VoIP from their network, so don't be surprised if the new Apple iPhone has a similar ToS, especially if it is eventually hacked.

Update:
See my article posted July 9th where I discovered a Skype "workaround" that allows you to run Skype on the iPhone.


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Comments to No Skype for Apple iPhone


  1. Andrew :
    June 27, 2007 3:49 PM

    I suggest to you that Apples contract with AT&T says

    "oh btw, we are going to release our own SIP client in the future, and steal minutes from you okay.. so if you could just bend over and take it, we would appreciate it"

    More commentary here..

    http://beyondthebleedingedge.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-iphone-is-good-for-mobile-voip.html



  1. rick :
    June 27, 2007 3:52 PM

    What about GTalk which is specifically available on the Safari browser?


  1. Tom Keating[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    June 27, 2007 4:10 PM

    Great point Andrew about Apple offering their own SIP client in the future and taking a cut of the revenue for themselves (bypassing AT&T).

    The thought crossed my mind as well.

    Apple's iChat already uses SIP but this application isn't installed on the iPhone.

    Gee, I wonder why?wink


  1. Tom Keating[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    June 27, 2007 4:29 PM

    >>What about GTalk which is specifically available on the Safari browser?

    While GTalk runs on Safari (and other browsers), it uses Flash and unfortunately as of right now iPhone doesn't support Flash.

    Ironically, the "mystery iPhone app" was a YouTube icon - so you're probably thinking, "Wait a minute, YouTube videos are Flash."

    Well, apparently YouTube is CONVERTING the videos so they are supported on the iPhone. Not sure what format they are using. Been meaning to look that up.

    Also, not sure how YouTube expects to keep up with the massive amounts of videos uploaded and then having to convert to iPhone format. Not sure if the iPhone equivalent video will be delayed by a few hours or a few days after a video is uploaded, but I digress.


  1. rick :
    June 27, 2007 4:57 PM

    Thanks Tom. This Apple phone is all wrapped up in old telecom clothing.


  1. Aswath :
    June 28, 2007 10:19 AM

    My understanding is that YouTube is converting the videos to H.264 format that Apple supports in all their products.


  1. Tom Keating[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    June 28, 2007 11:34 AM

    >>My understanding is that YouTube is converting the videos to H.264 format that Apple supports in all their products.

    Interesting that it appears YouTube might be dumping the Flash format in favor of H.264.

    Check out this article
    http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/youtube_to_dump_flash_video_go_h264_for_appletv/

    Certainly H.264 is better quality than Flash. However, wasn't Flash designed with lower bandwidth utilization in mind with "decent" quality?

    Flash FLV files on sites like Youtube are encoded to use as little bandwidth as possible. The Flash plugin also seems to be more resource efficient. I've seen browsers freeze with other plugins (Windows Media Player, PDF, Quicktime). My Vista PC hates embedded QT videos. Crashes my browser.

    I'm assuming Apple will use their QuickTime player for the H.264 playback. I would say that 99% of users have Flash but only maybe 80% of users have QuickTime.

    Video iPods use H.264, so I suppose it makes sense to use H.264 for video iPods and the iPhone. Actually, even the AppleTV uses H.264.

    I'd still like to see Flash support on the iPhone - or even the video iPod & AppleTV for that matter. There is tons of Flash content on the Net that will never be converted to H.264.


  1. jonathan :
    July 3, 2007 2:02 PM

    Yes, Tom. If Skype is not allowed for iPhone.How about eSky? since we don't need to install any software in the phone.

    you even can use your iPhone to call to any PC in the world with eSky eNumobile solution.We combine both enum + mobile solution = enumobile!!!


  1. Firoz :
    February 27, 2008 6:58 AM

    how to go about it to install skype on the iphone
    thank you,
    firoz


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