Skype recently announced the release of a Skype Mobile client for ‘mass market mobile phones.’ They already had a version that would run on Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Smartphones, but this install works on virtually any one of 50+ Java-enabled phones. This public beta is meant to gauge interest in the new product and to fine-tune the client.

As of right now, the Skype mobile beta offers SkypeIn service, which allows for incoming calls, in about 15 markets. The Skype outgoing service is offered in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. I would wager that they are only testing the service in areas with mature 3G data service, as VOIP can be very bandwidth-intensive. Unfortunately this is another place where our cell phone data networks are still catching up in terms of bandwidth which ends up meaning less mobile web functionality for the US market.

You can find the download here.

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