Skype is a multifaceted communications tool. Just tap that dialpad icon along the bottom of the app, and a conventional dialpad appears (see for yourself in Figure 6-2). You’ll need to purchase Skype Credits (which can be done in your Skype account) in order to dial out to phone numbers across the globe, but if you’re looking for a great reason to drop your landline,
this just might be it.
Calling actual phone numbers from within Skype ranges from a few cents per minute on a pay-as-you-go plan, to $4.49 per month in an all-you-can-call plan that services the United States and Canada. Skype’s full list of calling plans can be found at www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices, and no matter how you slice it, it’s a far saner deal than a traditional landline. Pair up a Bluetooth headset with an iPhone and a Skype subscription, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t cut that cord long ago.
Skype for iPhone is full of subtle additions that enrich the overall experience. I’ve included a list of my favorites here. * You can send an instant message while a video call is ongoing, which is
particularly useful for pinging just one person while you’re on a group call.
33 Skype can automatically forward your calls to a number that you dictate;
just click into your profile and flip the Call Forwarding switch to On.
* Skype is capable of sending conventional text messages (SMS) via the
dialpad.
* If you set up a secondary Skype account on your iPhone and set it to autoanswer,
you can mount it on a wall with the camera facing into your living
room; dial that account from your mobile, and you now have a homegrown
security camera.
* QuickVoice (free) and Audio Memos 2 ($0.99) can record calls and notes for
future playback.
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