Skype for the iPhone is a pretty nifty port of the venerable VoIP software, but it has two big gaps in its feature set that have had users clamoring for months now: namely, push notification of incoming calls and messages, and voice over 3G.
It’s completely shocking, then, that the latest Skype for iPhone version 1.3 patch didn’t add support for either. Instead, all the software gains is a call quality monitor, a landscape mode for instant messaging and hint functionality to gently lead new users along.
It’s almost a “lolwhut” of an update, but Skype’s at least been responsive to complaints. They don’t have much of an excuse for Push Notification, simply noting that they haven’t perfected the tech yet.
More curiously, Skype says that 3G support isn’t being held back by AT&T, but Apple itself:
Many of you have also been asking when we’ll release a version which allows you to make calls over 3G – the holy grail of Skype on the mobile, if you like. We’ve had a 3G-capable version ready for some time now, but Apple’s current restrictions mean that they won’t allow us to make it available on the App Store for the moment
9to5Mac speculates that Apple’s reluctance to release 3G-functional Skype for iPhone may be in relation to their December purchase of the German VoIP iCall, to combat Google’s plans to build a VoIP Google Voice phone.
One possible interpretation of all of this is that Apple might release their own 3G VoIP service for the iPhone… roughly around June. Until then, though, Skype users are out of luck.
