If you search the web for anything related to Skype and the iPhone you will realise that since the launch of Apples smart phone in late 2007, users have become increasingly disgruntled by the (lack of) speed with which Skype has developed an app for the device.  Last month, however, saw the launch of it's free 'Skype for iPhone' app which allows users of both the iPhone and iPod Touch to finally make free Skype-to-Skype calls from their handsets.

As well as free calls the application provides instant messaging and access to users' online accounts, but whilst the launch goes some way to appeasing the company's critics it is still a disappointment that calls can only be made over a wireless connection and not a cellular network.
The application itself works well with few people reporting any problems with it crashing.  As with many other applications such as GPS, users only gripe seems to be the lack of any push functionality.  If someone wants to make contact via Skype both phones need to be running the app to start.  The inability of the app to run in the background, however, is a stipulation of Apple and with calls reportedly far clearer than through a PC there seems little else to complain about, especially considering the rumours that the soon to be released 3.0 firmware will remedy this issue.

Short fallings aside the applications strengths shouldn't be forgotten.  All friends and families need to do are download the programme to a computer; the travelling business woman needs to find a WiFi connection, and suddenly staying in contact is not only simple it is free and you don't even need to own an iPhone as the application also works on the iPod Touch.