MWC Barcelona: Skype coming to Verizon, Windows Mobile 7 announced

What it means is all speculation at this point but Skype and Verizon are holding a joint press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.  It isn’t a huge stretch to say that they’ll likely be announcing Skype access over Verizon’s 3G.  

Nobody has really picked up on this but here’s an interesting point:  Apple/AT&T’s iPhone commercials have been jabbing Verizon because they can’t do calls and data at the same time over 3G.  With Skype VoIP running in the background, Verizon gets to tell Apple and AT&T to shut up about that particular shortcoming.  UK carrier 3, already has a deal set up with Skype that encourages their customers to use Skype on their networks, but this would be the first major network to endorse the VoIP product.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb0-_gDdlY8&w=700&h=400]

Also, Microsoft is rumored to be announcing Windows Mobile 7 based on the Zune HD OS and perhaps some Pink (Pure and Turtle) phones.  While their smartphone marketshare is plunging, it is hard to ever count Microsoft and its monster war chest out of the game.