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Skype has updated its Windows Phone application with some new features — and the loss of a key one.
The company yesterday updated its app for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8 with a preview release. Skype was quick to point out that the “experiences are not yet final,” adding that some features “are work-in-progress and may not function consistently.” Those features address, among other things, call reliability and “the ability to receive incoming calls and chat notifications when outside of the app.”
Although Skype didn’t offer too many other details, GeekWire reported yesterday that the app has also lost its integration with Windows Phone’s People Hub.
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In a statement to GeekWire, Skype said that it had “temporarily disabled the People Hub integration as it was causing issues with device stability. We are working with the Windows Phone team to resolve the issue and to enable the integration again in a future release.”
Skype’s People Hub integration is arguably one of its best features. People Hub’s Windows Phone lists a user’s phone number, e-mail addresses, and other relevant contact information. The Skype integration added a person’s username to People Hub to make it easier to place calls through the VoIP service.
Despite that loss, Windows Phone Skype users still got a few additions. Users can now sign in to Skype with their Microsoft accounts and instant message with Messenger friends. Skype has also added the ability to receive call and message notifications when the app is turned off.
