Nokia is adding Skype to its Nseries devices, in a bid to ramp up its data services offering this year.
The Nseries handsets, which run on Nokia’s Symbian S60 operating system, will have a Skype application built into the address book so that users can see when their contacts are available. As with other Skype applications, users will also be able to pay to make voice calls through Skype to mobile or landline numbers.
The integration will start with the N97, which will be released in June. It will then become part of all subsequent Nokia Nseries handsets. The application will be able to run over both high-speed 3G data networks and over Wi-Fi wireless connections to the internet.
Skype, which comes from eBay, is currently available as a downloadable application for a variety of operating systems and phones, including numerous Nokia products.