Phone/Blackberry/Skype help?

[bobleponge]

Ok you techernical types, a bit of assistance would be muchly appreciated.

I will type something, and then I would like someone clever to translate it into English for me please?

I currently have an old Blackberry curve, and I love it. Starting to act its age though, so I'm looking ahead to what new one I will get when it pops its clogs.
I want another BB but I want to put Skype onto it as I work abroad so much, and due to the vagaries of my current phone contract I've not yet managed to be able to speak to my granddaughters this Christmas and I'm properly sulking.

Now the technical bit

"Skype on Blackberry is available on these models (assume several different) on the Verizon wireless network."

What does that mean?
Does anyone know if I can just get a BB and put Skype on it?
Ta.

[Florence Fennel]

I wish I could help you Bob, but I can't, so here under false pretences, but I just thought I'd sympathise with you at you not being able to talk to your granddaughters and to let you know you have every right to sulk, it must be rotten. Hope you get it sorted soon.

[bobleponge]

Cheers Flo, have just about managed to stop my bottom lip from quivering, but its a tough ask.

[Florence Fennel]

I hope Hot Stuff or Matthew appear for you soon, I'm sure they'll have an answer. Just try looking forward to the long chat you'll be having soon.

[bobleponge]

I'll be home on the 29th anyway (hopefully) so can chat away to them then, but as you quite rightly say, with access to genius (plural of genius?) of such magnitude I'm sure I wont have to wait long for an answer.

[Florence Fennel]

You're opening a huge can of worms there Bob, or a new thread! Genii or Geniuses?

[zazen999]

You are only going to get Skype on Blackberry in the USA and only if you have Verizon.

Sorry Bob.

[HotStuff]

Like Zaz said, Verizon is a big telecoms provider in North America.

Digging around various other fora, other people are asking about it being available over here, so probably best to check when you are ready to get your new phone.

I would say the most likely network to do it over here first would be 3.

Does it have to be a Crackberry or would something like the Nokia C3 work for you? It runs on the Symbian operating system and has a Skype app.

[bobleponge]

I've grown very accustomed to my BB, and am very fond of it. But Skype is something sadly lacking from it, so when it dies I may well change for something else if I cant get it on said fruit.

[Bramble_killer]

Many phone operators are loathe to put skype on their phones. The best bet is to get a three skypephone (do they still do them?). Or an Iphone and get a skype app.

[lizzylemon]

OK i've had a quick look and it seems that if you have wifi on your bb you should be able to use skype. you log onto your home wifi broadband line, so the same as when you use your phone to log on to emails, but once your brouser is up, you type in the skype address and go from there as per normal.

eHOW says it works like this
How to Download Skype to a BlackBerry | eHow.co.uk

[bobleponge]

Hmmm I am moderately excited at this discovery LL, but I am seeing a possible flaw in the plan.

Please, at all times, bear in mind that a computer half wit has half a wit more than me!

So it appears that I can have Skype on my BB, and can make calls, even though I am paying for them?
Actually, this isnt really such a huge flaw, as currently I cant speak to the kids at all!!
Hmmm, I have put it into my faves and will attempt this upon my return to the land of the rising frog.

[lizzylemon]

Hmmm I am moderately excited at this discovery LL, but I am seeing a possible flaw in the plan.

Please, at all times, bear in mind that a computer half wit has half a wit more than me!

So it appears that I can have Skype on my BB, and can make calls, even though I am paying for them?
Actually, this isnt really such a huge flaw, as currently I cant speak to the kids at all!!
Hmmm, I have put it into my faves and will attempt this upon my return to the land of the rising frog.

i soooooo hope it works. would be ace!

the flaw I saw was that maybe you dont have wifi, and obviously it will only work if there is 'open' wifi around if you're out and about but then i guess, it would only be used @ home.

fingers xds.

the other thing to do is have a look on the 'android market' (or where-ever you get BB apps from) website and see if they have something similar to skype that you can use.

[lizzylemon]

failing that there's this option - I don't know how it works abroad though. still might have to pay tbh. I'd check with 3

[zazen999]

* Before you get too excited; my BB wifi is as slow as a donkey with elastic tied round it's rear end; in theory it would work but in practice.......