Skype coming to iPhone and iPod touch tomorrow

According to Reuters (so you know, it might still be a rumor or something), Skype will be released for the iPhone tomorrow. As to be expected, you won’t be able to use VOIP over 3G or EDGE, though you will be able to text chat over cell networks. Voice chat will be available over WiFi and may prove to be a great way to save minutes and money on your cell plan.

“The No. 1 request we get from customers is to make Skype available on iPhone. There’s a pent-up demand,” Skype COO Scott Durchslag said. I think what they meant to say was to make Skype available over a data connection on the iPhone. Either way, WiFi is available in many places, so you could find this as a good supplement to your regular cell plan considering unlimited minute monthly plans start at $3. That makes it cheaper than text messaging. Of course, you can always call other Skype users free of charge.

A nice feature of using Skype on an iPhone is that it taps right into your address book for phone numbers in addition to your Skype contacts. So, no need to duplicate your numbers list. Honestly, I’m holding back a yawn on that, but there’s a feature they’re considering that really has my attention: video conferencing.

“We’re considering video carefully but we have a really high bar on the quality,” and how the user interaction will work with other applications on iPhone, he said. “If we do it we will have to do it incredibly well.”

The only thing they didn’t mention was whether they intend to stream video from or just to the iPhone. The latter would be nice, but the first would be amazing. And if the rumors are true, Apple might be bringing a front facing camera to the next iPhone, making this sort of thing even more useful.

Any way you look at it, Skype coming to the iPhone is a big step; one I’m glad to see. Make sure you get it tomorrow on the App Store.

Product [Skype]