Free chat and video calls on your iPad

Skype for iPad allows you to chat and make free voice and video calls from your iPad.

The app allows you to talk for free to your Skype contacts via text chat, video or voice calls. You can also make cheap international calls with Skype for iPad by purchasing Skype credits and using these to access the service’s cut-price tariffs.

This iPad version of Skype has been designed specifically for the iPad, and is noticeably more comfortable to use than the original Skype for iPhone app. Functioning in both landscape and portrait modes, Skype for iPad is divided into two panels.

The smaller panel on the left of the Skype for iPad interface lets you switch views between Contacts, Recent chats and History. The larger panel is where you browse through your contacts, chat via instant messaging, or view the person you’re speaking to in a video chat. There’s a dialer pop-out built into the menu at the top of the screen, making it quick to place a call to any number.

In our tests of Skype for iPad, the video quality we got out of it was pretty poor, even when using WiFi. Video is generally grainy and choppy, but we were satisfied with the audio quality.

As with the iPhone version, Skype for iPad lacks a lot of the features of the desktop release. For instance, there’s no group chat (try fring if this is what you’re looking) for or SMS support.

Skype for iPad offers an easy way to make free calls from your Apple tablet, though it’s somewhat lacking in features.

Beautiful new calling experienceMark all your recent chats as read with just a few taps.General fixes and improvementsOne-to-one chats now appear in the correct order

Changes

• Beautiful new calling experienceMark all your recent chats as read with just a few taps.General fixes and improvementsOne-to-one chats now appear in the correct order