Skype (News - Alert) –a provider of a video application that allows people to communicate for free or inexpensively over IP networks -- has released Version 1.3 of its popular iPhone VoIP service.

 

The new version is comes with a number of big improvements, including a call quality indicator to help users decide the right time to call, hints and tips and landscape mode for IM. Additionally, Skype -- whose CSO Christopher Dean will lead a keynote address on Jan. 21 at ITEXPO East 2010 -- said it also fixed the problem where calls would hang up when iPhone users received text messages.

 

However, Skype warned that the updated version does not come with features such as push notification, Bluetooth support, WiFi support or VoIP over 3G, according to reports. The 3G version of Skype’s VoIP app for iPhone will launch as soon as Apple gives the go-ahead for its addition to the App store.

 

“We’re waiting for Apple on this one,” Skype Chief Blogger Peter Parkes wrote. “As soon as Apple removes its current restrictions on calling over 3G, we’ll make a 3G-capable app available. We’ve got one up our sleeves ready for that moment, but for now, we’re being forced to wait.”

 

Rich Tehrani (News - Alert), TMC’s CEO, also blogged about Version 1.3’s “minor tweaks,” giving praise but expressing disappointment for 1.3’s lack of push notification.

 

“Remember that there is no ‘legal’ way to multitask on an iPhone (unless you are using an app which is from Apple) so without push notification support you can’t get inbound calls and/or other incoming messages when using another application on the device,” Tehrani blogged. “One of the most useful new features of the upgrade however is chatting in landscape mode. Those of us with fat fingers will certainly appreciate this new option.”

 

Last week, Skype issued nearly 30 pages of comments in response to the FCC’s (News - Alert) NPRM for “Preserving the Open Internet.”

 

Skype said it “welcomes the Commission’s focus on preserving an open Internet and strongly supports the six principles described” in the proposal.

 

 ”As a member of the Open Internet Coalition and Information Technology Industry Council, Skype joins the growing number of industry voices, consumer groups and technology trade associations endorsing the Commission’s NPRM,” Skype stated in its official comments to the FCC. “Evidence suggests that network operators have the incentive and ability to harm innovation in the communications market by either outright blocking or more subtle forms of discriminatory practices.”

 

In other news, Skype reported this morning that independent research by industry analyst firm TeleGeography (News - Alert), Skype’s share of international calling minutes climbed to 12 percent in 2009, compared with 8 percent in 2008 and 4 percent in 2007.