We saw Skype pop up in BlackBerry World over the weekend for the BlackBerry Z10, but at that point only users running a leaked version of OS 10.1 could get at it. Today with the announcement that OS 10.1 will be rolling out for the Z10, users will finally be able to install Skype from BlackBerry World.

It's been a hot topic for months now and as BlackBerry Q10 users have had access to Skype since launch, Z10 users can now take part in the fun as well. 

Once you update your Z10 to OS 10.1, Skype should show in BlackBerry World for you to download. 

More information/Download Skype for BlackBerry 10

Towards the end of April, 2013, we saw Skype become available for the BlackBerry Q10.  We even saw Skype offer 3-month unlimited world subscriptions too. While we saw a leak of Skype made available for Z10 owners, you can now find Skype (Preview) available for the Z10.

One caveat though is that you have to be running 10.1 on your Z10. BlackBerry 10.1 isn't officially available yet but there have been leaks for a while, with a new batch leaked days ago for all Z10 models.

If you're not comfortable with installing leaks, then you'll have to wait for 10.1 to officially land to get Skype on your shiny Z10. Otherwise, if you're already running 10.1 on your Z10, then you can hit up BlackBerry World and download Skype now. The 3-month unlimited offer looks like it's still running to be sure to sign up for that too.

Remember, this is a preview version, meaning it's still beta. And for those who may ask, yes, it is an Android port.

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As you all know, Skype has been released for the BlackBerry Q10 officially but those of you with a BlackBerry Z10 will have to wait. If you're the adventurous type though and don't mind sideloading an app, you can have Skype on your BlackBerry Z10 right now. It's the same build as what is on the BlackBerry Q10 but it works fine on the BlackBerry Z10 all things considered.

If you're looking to give it a go, hit the link below. Just remember, it's not an official build as of yet for the Z10 and there is some issues with it. Plus, when it does arrive officially, you should be sure to download that version as well so that you're at least relaying the right download numbers back to Skype. 

• Download the Skype preview for the BlackBerry Z10
• Discuss more in the CrackBerry Forums

Skype finally landed in BlackBerry World for the BlackBerry Q10 a few days back, but today the "official" news came down the wire along with a cool promo. To celebrate the release, Skype is offering up a bunch of free 3-month Skype Unlimited World subscriptions for BlackBerry users. The subscription nets you a voucher to make free Skype calls to over 60 countries.

While Skype is up and running on the Q10, it's noted that it won't be available for the BlackBerry Z10 until the release of OS 10.1. That means Z10 users will have to hang tight a bit longer and wait on an official OS release (which shouldn't be too much longer, hopefully). Some users are already hard at work trying to get the Q10 version working on the Z10 though, so we may see an unofficial release sometime in the near future.

To register for your free voucher or learn more about Skype for the Q10, head over to the link below.

Register for a free 3-month Skype Unlimited Subscription

We told you that Skype had become available for the few lucky folk that have the BlackBerry Q10 or the Dev Alpha C, so in true CrackBerry fashion it's time to show you how it looks on video. Although the app is an Android port it seems to work perfectly for me as you will see.

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If you're one of the lucky ducks that happens to have a BlackBerry Q10 or Dev Alpha C, you'll be happy to know that Skype is now available for download in BlackBerry World. It looks like it's still in somewhat of a beta for now as it's called Skype (Preview) but it should be pretty solid overall.

We did get a chance to check it out on our BlackBerry Q10 review unit and it's running great overall. Voice calls, video chat and IM are all there and ready to rock. 

Features include:

• Skype to Skype IMs, video and voice calls are free* over 3G or WiFi. 
• Make low-cost calls and send SMS messages to mobiles or landlines from your BlackBerry® smartphone.
• Send pictures, videos and files to any of your contacts.
• Enjoy high-quality sound when you call anyone else who is on Skype.
• Talk face to face or show what you’re seeing with front and rear-facing cameras.
• Talk to your Windows Live Messenger friends on Skype. Sign in to Skype with your Microsoft account and have your Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook contacts in one place.

Q10/Dev Alpha C users can head to the link below to grab Skype now. Z10 users will sadly have to hang tight a bit longer.

More information/Download Skype (Preview)

Well as if the hint of Skype from our BlackBerry Q10 review unit wasn't enough, we just got word from BlackBerry that Skype will indeed be available for the BlackBerry Q10 at launch. With just about a week to go before the Q10 hits Canada, BlackBerry fans all over can rest easy knowing that we'll soon enough be able to Skype on the go from the Q10. 

We tested out the Android-ported Skype a bit during our review and couldn't be happier that it's finally landing on BlackBerry 10.

No word on if Skype will also be available for the Z10 as well, but we'd expect that to show up sometime around the release of OS 10.1 in the coming weeks.

Other apps such as Angry Birds, Box, Nobex Radio, Dropbox, USA Today, Press Reader, WSJ and Need for Speed Undercover will all be available for the Q10 at launch as well. 

We don't have the back story on the photo (above) that Soulja Boy posted to Instagram tonight, but I'm guessing the Porsche Design BlackBerry in the background is his, while the Z10 in his hand belongs to somebody from #TEAMBLACKBERRY. With the BlackBerry Z10 hitting the USA next week, it makes sense that some celebs and VIPs would be receiving early demos. 

The real question is... what's the bigger bling in this picture? The chain on Soulja Boy's wrist, or that copy of Skype Beta at the bottom right corner of the home screen. Personally, I'm going to say it's Skype!

Yesterday, we were able to confirm that the Skype app coming to BlackBerry 10 would indeed be an Android port initially when it arrives on BlackBerry 10. Understandably, this raised a lot of questions about how well it would work overall and whether or not it play nicely with BlackBerry integration. Earlier today, we received an email from a Skype spokesperson further clarifying the situation and how Skype customers can expect the app to run on BlackBerry 10.

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Ever since Skype was announced for BlackBerry 10 there have been a lot questions surrounding it. Questions like when will it arrive? Will it be a native app? How well will it integrate? Will it be an Android port? Well, we don't have all of those answers yet, but it's looking like we can at the very least confirm it will be an Android port based on the information shown above which comes directly from the Skype website. Thanks, primusd!

Wait, what?? Yes, you read the title correctly. SKYPE is coming to BlackBerry 10. You wanted it, you got it. Announced today during the BlackBerry 10 unveiling, Skype stated their plans to support the BlackBerry 10 platform. It's been up in the air as to if it would happen at all, but it did -- and that's pretty awesome. Skype will be available soon on both the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 devices.

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In the latest BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha OS update, some sleuthing found a few hidden gems burried in the OS. When diving into the embeded icons, BBVietnam came across the icon set for the device that included not only Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but also Skype. Yes, that Skype. Now we can't say for sure what this means (if anything) but it is a good sign. We've had no official word on either side as to if Skype will be available for BlackBerry 10 at all, but the icons do get us a bit curious regardless. 

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Literally just minutes ago, Microsoft put live a preview version of Skype for Windows Phone 8 into their app store. Just to rub some salt on the wounds while we wait for BlackBerry 10, Daniel Rubino (the Editor in Chief of our sister site Windows Phone Central), called me up to test out his shiny new Skype app on his equally shiny and new Nokia Lumia 920. Watch the video above and you can see it in action. Microsoft owns Skype of course, so it's no surprise that they're putting effort into seamlessly integrating Skype into the Windows Phone 8 experience. I'm not going to deny it... the Skype experience in this preview looks real good.

Skype is one of those apps I find people are either 100% down with or just don't care about at all. Personally, I rely on Skype. I'm logged into Skype whenever I'm at the computer and make literally dozens of Skype calls every day. Outside the web browser, Skype is without a doubt my most-used app. It's definitely an app I want to see on my BlackBerry 10 phone come 2013.

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Where are the apps? When will RIM get Skype and Netflix on the PlayBook, do they care if they're on the platform?

 

These are two questions that I've heard over and over again, heck there was even a petition going around to get Netflix to build an app for the BlackBerry PlayBook. So the question is, does RIM want these apps on the platform, and if so what are they doing to secure the top apps for the launch of BlackBerry 10?

When on the hunt to see what RIM is doing to close the "app gap" there is one guy to talk to, and that is Adam Stanley. Adam is the Senior Application Development Consultant at Research In Motion, and while not talking about bacon or HTML5, Adam and his team are actively working with developers and helping them to get their apps onto the BlackBerry PlayBook and ready for BlackBerry 10. During my visit to Waterloo and RIM, Adam and I had a one on one discussion on apps for the new platform; specifically those from the high profile developers like Netflix and Skype.

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The New RIM is here and on a mission to succeed. They are also committed to helping developers succeed as well.

With all the doom and gloom press that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been receiving, it’s often hard to see through the negativity and get to the core of what is happening at RIM. While I was out in Waterloo, Ontario -- the home city of RIM -- I had the chance to make my rounds and discuss BlackBerry and the future of BlackBerry 10. Not only did I learn that RIM is committed to the developer community, I also heard from a few developers that the development community is committed to RIM.

One of the key take aways from a few of the developers I met with was that RIM’s dev support team is by far the best in the mobile space.  One devloper said “I can call or email anyone of the dev support team and I get a response, try that with the other guys, and it isn’t as easy”.

One other thing that I noticed, and I'll say that this isn’t my first visit to RIM, is that this time around the employees seemed to be ecstatic about BlackBerry 10 and the future of RIM. Now, I’m not saying that on my last visit everyone at RIM was worried or concerned, what I’m saying is that there’s a noticeable excitement in the air - and that’s a good thing.

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Here's the deal. When BlackBerry 10 launches later this year, it's critically important that there is no major app gap on the platform. We don't need 500,000 apps (of which 400,000 are crapps), but we do need to have all the major ones there in good functioning order.

Two of the biggies that we still do not have confirmation on are Netflix and Skype. CrackBerry Nation has been very vocal in wanting these two services on the PlayBook/BB10. Heck, we've even done an email petition campaign to the CEO of Skype.

There are lots of good theories as to why Skype and Netflix are not committed to BB10 yet (will save those for another post), but a few days ago RIM's VP of Developer Relations Alec Saunders took to twitter in addressing a question which clarified that it's not RIM holding up the Netflix train. If Netflix asked... RIM would have a team of BlackBerry developers at Netflix's door within 24 hours to get the app built. I'm sure the same would hold true for Skype.

So Netflix... and Skype... let's get with it here and confirm you're coming to BlackBerry 10. Just do it.. or else I'm going to have to start getting desperate and sacrifice myself for the cause . And that's blood (and bad PR) that you don't want on your hands. CrackBerry Kevin to go on a Hunger Strike for Skype and Netflix?? You know I would do it. Don't make me.

Today is the day we send our emails to Skype's CEO!

If you're like the thousands of BlackBerry PlayBook owners, you've probably been dying to have Skype. The PlayBook is the perfect platform for Skype -- 7" size is super portable and with both front and back cameras it couldn't be a better fit. The native Video Chat is ok, but it doesn't go beyond other PlayBook owners. While some people think RIM is to blame for not getting these apps, it's really the companies themselves that say yay or nay when it comes to getting apps on a platform. Having Skype on the PlayBook would be pure awesome sauce and a head start to having it ready to roll on BlackBerry 10 phones later this year. We thought we were soooo close at CES 2011 when we saw this screen at RIM's booth, but no such luck.

 

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If you all thought Steve Ballmer showing up during the keynote at BlackBerry World was a little crazy, maybe -- just maybe, there was a little bit more to it then we all realized at the time. No, Microsoft hasn't announced they're making a bid to purchase Research In Motion but -- they have however, according to some rumors floating around made a bid to purchase Skype for $7 billion.

As we know it right now, Skype has really never had much of an impact on the BlackBerry world considering their app is a Verizon exclusive and despite having announced it in the past as being made available for all, that has never actually come to light. If these rumors turn out to be true and the deal gets locked down, it could break the Verizon exclusivity and hopefully bring Skype to not only BlackBerry smartphones but to the BlackBerry PlayBook as well. We'll have to sit back and watch it all unfold but, fun to ponder the ideas while we wait that's for sure.

Update: Looks like it is a done deal, as reported by All Things D. Press release suggested for tomorrow morning.

Source: WSJ; via Android Central

Skype is one of the best ways to reach out to people for free or cheap. From your desktop or laptop you can enjoy free VoIP or Videos calls between Skype members. You can even get into group video calling. But what if you find yourself without a computer? Armed with your BlackBerry, you can still keep in contact by using the IM+ Talk application. Through IM+ talk, you unlock some of the features that make Skype so useful. Free and Cheap VoIP calls, instant messaging and file sharing between members; you are never too far away from those important to you (whether you can admit they are or not).  Let’s check out what IM+ Talk has to offer.

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Skype Mobile for Verizon released yesterday, and while not the greatest client for BlackBerry, it does get the job done. You can view all of your Skype contacts, as well and IM and make calls through your device. Depending on who or where you are calling, the charges vary, but Verizon has created a decent FAQ page that pretty much explains how it all breaks down. You can also check out some how-to videos on the page that will help with setting up and getting around the app. Check out the video above for a quick look at what Skype Mobile has to offer.

• More information on Skype Mobile from Verizon >>

As we already know, Skype Mobile has been rolled out to Verizon Wireless users at this point. The application is being pushed out to devices this morning to make for easy downloading. But now that it is here, we kind of have to wonder what exactly this means for Skype on BlackBerry as a whole. Its been quite a while since Skype made the initial announcement of their intentions to arrive on the BlackBerry platform and in a way, they kind of have really made good on that news. However, I'm quite certain an exclusive deal with Verizon wasn't exactly how BlackBerry users envisioned when Skype released their very limited beta.

So what exactly happened? Was the beta testing phase abruptly stopped and seemingly shut down due to a deal made with Verizon? Could this be part of the reason no one at Skype wanted to answer direct questions about when exactly Skype was coming to BlackBerry? Sure seems that way as I see it. In any case we certainly don't have and likely never will have any answers as to what the future holds for Skype on BlackBerry. But we can still hope that Skype will do right in the long run and make the app available to all BlackBerry users. In the meantime, any Verizon users now using Skype? Let us know in the comments what you think of the service on your device.

• Verizon Users Can Click Here For More Information About The Skype Mobile App>>

It really hasn't been any secret that Skype was coming to Verizon. We just didn't know exactly when it was coming. The announcement today from Skype and Verizon has shed some light on the when portion. Starting tomorrow, Verizon users will be able to get their Skype on with quite a few devices. Intially, for BlackBerry users the app will work on BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones. Some features listed below:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to anyone else on Skype around the globe
• send and receive unlimited instant messages with other people on Skype
• call international phone numbers at low rates

Skype-to-Skype calls will not be charged against your monthly minute allowances or data plans. Verizon Wireless customers can visit www.skype.com to purchase Skype Credit to make Skype Out calls and make calls to international landline or mobile numbers.

• Check Out The Skype Blog Posting For More Details>>

[ youtube video link for mobile viewing ]

By now most users should be aware of the deal Skype and Verizon have in the works. In case you missed it, Verizon will have an exclusive deal with Skype to run their VoIP application on the Verizon network. Aside from a rather slim on info press release we've not heard too much more. Unless, of course you include the information of Skype magically disappearing from other platforms. Today though, Verizon treated us all to a new video posted to their YouTube account. It gives a few more details about how Skype and Verizon will work things and oh ya, be sure to pay attention so you can hear the iPhone smack talk. They kinda snuck that in there.

Yesterday Kevin posted a video from the Skype booth and couldn't get a definite answer as to when exactly a Skype client for BlackBerry was coming. Well just one day later, Verizon has announced that it has partnered with Skype and will be bringing a client to a number of its smartphones in March. It appears that the app will work on Big Red's 3G smartphones with data plans, and will include the Storm, Storm2, 8330, 8530, 8830 and Tour 9630. Features include:

• Make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe on America's most reliable wireless network;
  
• Call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
  
• Send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
  
• Remain always connected with the ability to see friends' online presence.

The service will be available starting next month, and you can be sure Verizon users will be rejoicing. Do you think it will land on other carriers as well? Drop a comment and let us know. For more, check out verizonwireless.com/skypemobile. Full press release after the jump.

• More information on Skype Mobile >> 

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[ youtube video link for mobile viewing ]

I know a lot of BlackBerry users out there have been waiting for Skype to drop their official BlackBerry client. Thinking back, it was March 2009 when word surfaced that a client would be coming and at the time it was supposed to be available only a few months later. Here we are, now into 2010, and we're still waiting for it. As I walked passed the Skype booth I fired up the camera and grabbed a quick update. The word? Not what I was hoping for. I got the good 'ole It's in the works, it's an important platform for us, keep waiting answer.

But hey, at least we know it will show up one day. In the meantime, you can still check out IM+ for Skype by Shape Services. Bla1ze did an updated review of it recently - you can check it out to see his take on where they're at with it.

A few days ago Shape Services released an updated version of their IM+ Skype applicationt, this time around touting its offerings of free WiFi calling from your BlackBerry utilizing Skype. Given in the past applications like this have used a SkypeOut/SkypeIn call back feature users often found that while the calls were free, they were also using their minutes up when placing these calls. Not exactly my definition of free. I wanted true WiFi calling. No carrier connection just WiFi, which is what SHAPE claimed with this.

Quite honestly, it seems as though the BlackBerry platform is among the last to see this type of offering arrive. The iPhone has plenty of applications that can make use of VoIP and even the official Skype app for it, allows WiFi calling. Heck, I don't even have a SIM card in my iPhone and it still works for calls. Android is no exception there either, the Android marketplace has many apps in it that act the same way. Over time, I have heard many reasons as to why BlackBerry couldn't make use of this feature. Everything from it's a hardware issue right down to it being a security issue. All of which just sounded like rather half-arsed excuses to me. Here is a quick look at SHAPE services IM+ Skype offering, their latest offering promises free WiFi calling over VoIP and I put it to the test.

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