Skype Coming To Windows Phone Later This Month?

Ever since Microsoft announced that they were buying Skype we have been waiting to find out when Skype would land on Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. According to a recent report there is now a test version of Skype for Windows Phone available to download for Microsoft employees, and we will probably see Skype for Windows Phone launch later this month.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype in October pointed to an upcoming app for Windows Phone, not to mention Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore’s statement that a native Skype application will be ready for Windows Phone in Fall of 2011. Fast forward to present day and the Skype app for the platform remains to be seen. This time it’s Skype vice-president of products Rock Osterloh’s turn to comment on the integration of Skype to Windows Phone and he was quick to add the app is “coming out soon” in a CES interview.

Osterloh noted that Skype will not only be integrated to Windows Phone but also to other products such as Windows 8, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Lync. He refused to give further details on what kind of integration they are working on. Osterloh’s “coming out soon” comment regarding Skype’s release is open to interpretation of how soon it will be, but with Mobile World Congress scheduled next month, it could be soon enough.

Skype 3.0 for Windows Phones:

LG signs patent licensing deal with Microsoft

LG is the latest major Android manufacturer to sign a licensing agreement with Microsoft, agreeing to pay royalties to the software giant. That leaves Motorola as the only one of the Google OS big players that hasn't got a similar deal.

The deal means that LG will be paying Microsoft a few bucks for every smartphone, tablet or "other consumer devices" it makes that run either Android or Google Chrome OS.

LG becomes the eleventh Android OEM to sign such a deal with Microsoft. The aforementioned Motorola is already being sued by Microsoft over alleged patent infringement, so it might be joining that list soon.

HTC and Samsung each have patent licensing deals with Microsoft, which require them to push out Windows Phone devices and pay for promotion and marketing of the OS. It's unclear if LG has similar clauses in its contract.