Skype Releases Cross-Platform Video for Android Users

Skype's Android client now supports cross-platform video calling, so mobile users can see desktop users and no one has to feel jealous of Apple's FaceTime any more.

The new capability is limited to four models of Android handset, the Desire S, Xperia Neo and Pro and (of course) the Nexus S, but if you have one of those phones then you should be able to make video calls to desktop colleagues and friends over both Wi-Fi and 3G connections.

Video calls between Android devices have been possible for a while, but making a video call from a handset to a desktop has always been difficult on Android, with very limited options available. For most Android users that's still true, but Skype promises that more handsets will be supported "very soon".

The new Android client can switch between front and rear video cameras, so you can show people what you're seeing as well as your own face, and claims to connect to any Skype client including the iPhone and the various Skype-enabled TVs that are now available.

The client is already in the UK Android Marketplace, or can be downloaded direct onto a phone from Skype.