The past few years have seen Skype slowly transition from a P2P service as it looks to move over to the cloud. As a result of this change, Microsoft has been making quite a number of changes to this application.
The latest additions from the Windows OS maker will see the app end support for older version of its mobile operating system, which includes Windows Phone 8. This does not just affect those still using the highly unsuccessful Windows Phone 8, but also those using several older versions of Android OS.
There is nothing to worry for those using Android 4.0.3 and above. The story is also the same for those on Windows 10 Mobile as well as iOS 8 and above. However, for those on iOS 7 and below as well as Android 4.0 and below, the end is coming in the near future. What this means that the latest versions of Skype will not be available for download on devices running on these operating systems.
According to the Skype team, the issues they have been experiencing over the years are key to the decisions it is making for the safety of the company’s future. In this regard, discontinuing support for older operating systems, as usual with tech companies in case of such happenings, is meant to improve the user experience of the end user. But what it really means for the end user is that they need to get a newer device (in case it’s not possible to upgrade to the latest OS on their current devices) and this means more costs.
Nevertheless, Skype is still a worthy app to make users want to upgrade to newer devices in order to keep using it. With the app, you can send messages for free to friends all over the world as long as they are using the app too. But this needs a Wi-Fi connection, otherwise, you will have to pay for the data packs from your carrier. The same internet connection comes into play when you can to make voice and video calls on the same platform, which is a lot cheaper than using airtime via local carriers. It gets even better with Skype as users can buy Skype credit and use it to make affordable calls to non-users of the app on their landline or mobile phone numbers from wherever part of the globe.
What makes it a go-to app is that it is free to download, install and use for life.