Skype available for Symbian FP1 and FP2 devices

Skype has officially rolled out its app for the Symbian FP1 and FP2 devices making the VoIP service now available through the Nokia Store. This video calling application had been available for a while for Symbian devices, however, it was previously not available for users owning FP1 or FP2 handsets such as the Nokia 808 PureView as the app had been pulled from the Nokia Store some time back.

In this rollout, Symbian FP1 and FP2 users would be able to enjoy all the benefits of Skype on their phone and allow a user to stay in touch with their friends and family while on the move.

Skype now available for Symbian FP1 and FP2 devices

With this app, users will get the following features:

• Make free Skype-to-Skype calls and IM on 3G or WiFi.
• Save money on calls and texts (SMS) to phones abroad.
• Share pictures, videos and other files from your phone.

Skype notes that the service is free to use in a Wi-Fi zone and if a user uses the services with a mobile data connection, then operator charges may apply. Skype recommends it to be used over a mobile network only if a user has an unlimited connection.

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The file size for the Skype app is 4.88MB and to download the video calling application, head on to the link here.

In related Symbian news, in October it had been reported that after the problems that Nokia faced with the Belle FP2 OS update for some phones including the 603, 700 and PureView 808, Nokia had finally fixed all the issues in the update, and released it again for download.

Some of the features in the update include a swipe to unlock screen, a new camera UI, and some minor tweaks to other UI elements like the navigation bar and the widgets. Another major feature of the update is that the keyboard will now offer word completion and predictive text.

The issues faced by some Nokia users included the update itself not installing, and issues with other parts of the updated software. Disgruntled users have been discussing their problems with the update on this thread in the Nokia Discussions forum. Nokia is investigating these complaints, and will release the update again once all the issues have been resolved.

In August, Nokia had released the Belle Refresh update for its Symbian phones. Some of the features of the Belle Refresh update include an updated browser that has support for HTML5 web apps, a new set of home screen widgets, and Nokia Maps Suite 2.0, and the Nokia N8 got some extra apps for imaging.

Back in July, Nokia Belle devices had received a small update that allowed SkyDrive integration with the phones. The report stated that Belle-powered smartphones were getting an ‘Upload to SkyDrive’ option that allows automatic photo upload to Microsoft’s cloud storage solution, SkyDrive. The 170KB update was made available via ‘SW update’ application on Nokia smartphones and needed a restart.

This follows Nokia’s launch of the Belle Feature Pack 1 update for the 700, 701 and 603. The update brought with it some cool additions like an overclock on the processor front for more power. However, the degree of overclock depended on the phone itself. Some sound enhancements like Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Headphone were also a part of the update. Nokia added about 20 new widgets and a better browser and some minor tweaks as well as changes to the multitasking and notification area.