Skype is celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2016, and they’ve brought in an update that will out Google Hangouts and Facetime to shame. People can now group video call for free on iPhones, iPads, Android devices and Windows 10 devices.
Group Video Had Only Been Available for Mac and PC
Even though the update rolled out for desktop versions of the application, this is the first time it is available for mobile, and for free. According to the announcements, mobile group video calling will be gradually rolling out to their hundreds of millions of mobile users in the next few weeks.
There was no exact launch date specified. However, the platform will provide users with a pre-registration form for those who want early access to the update. Said form only requires user’s emails, their username, location and type of device. Upon registration, the platform will send users an email to set up the update for their mobile device. The announcement did not specify if the update will require beta software installation or if the update will be made in-app.
Skype Through the Years
Skype has become a household name. It has nearly completely replaced the term ‘video calling’ and become a verb of itself. The platform has more than 750 million mobile users and has seen 10x grown since 2014.
The Platform is Killing Google Hangouts, Chat and FaceTime
The platform has also seen many positive changes for accessibility. It has enabled video messaging, real-time speech and instant message translation. Not Facetime nor Google Hangouts have any of these features. Both platforms seem very lacking compared to Skype. Now that multiple group video calling is free and available on mobile, it might be the end FaceTime. A link can now bring you into Skype communications, even if you don’t have an account. Over the past decade, Skype says it has generated nearly 2 trillion minutes of free Skype calls worldwide. With the rollout of group calls on mobile, that figure will certainly continue to grow.
The service has hosted over 2 trillion of free Skype calls globally in the past ten years, and this number will keep growing. Google Hangouts and Chat aren’t nearly as popular as Skype, and it shares one thing in common with FaceTime. These services are both usually used just for convenience. Undoubtedly, it’s time to step it up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cLOijHs-rk
