U.K. mobile phone operator Hutchison 3G UK which is also known as “3″ in the U.K., introduced a Skypephone, a handset designed to simplify use of the Skype VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) application. The candy-bar style handset, which comes in white and black, was developed by Huchison 3 and Qualcomm. It has a 2-megapixel camera, MPHuchison 3 player, Bluetooth connectivity, 16M bytes of internal memory that can be expanded to 1G byte with a Micro SD Memory Card.

Huchison 3G which is part of Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, is offering free calls between Skype users through the 3G mobile phone. Huchison 3 has already been offering unlimited Skype calls on its pricier X-Series phones, but the Skypephone is simpler and aimed at the mass market.Skypephone has a prominent button at the top of the keypad which will activate Skype. Once launched, the application will open the user’s contact list and instant messaging service.

Huchison 3 is not charging for the cost of Skype calls on its network, although it does limit the service to about 4,000 minutes per month. Huchison 3 will then suspend outgoing Skype calls but allow incoming ones.While it is possible to access Skype from a number of handsets, this has involved downloading third-party software, something that has put off the majority of users.

If a user is outside of Huchison 3’s network, roaming charges apply, which can be pricey. The Skypephone is dual-band and won’t work in the U.S. The Skype-phone will be the first instance of a phone operator launching a mass market device that is designed to allow free calling over the internet from a mobile. Read more… »

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