Skype phone lands in the UK

Good news for our readers across the pond today. Skype and mobile provider 3 have partnered on a handset that will allow you to make free Skype calls using your account. Bearing a striking resemblance to NETGEAR’s SPH-101 Skype WiFi phone, the phone will cost 49.99 pounds (about $102) on a pay-as-you-go plan and goes on sale Friday, November 2nd. Get this though: if you’re already a 3 customer, you can score a Skype phone for absolutely free.

Of course, you’ll be able to use the phone as a normal cellphone as well. You can text, make regular calls, etc. all without hassle. A dedicated Skype button makes it easy to make VoIP calls to your friends. It’s topped off with a 2-megapixel camera and a microSD slot. Sounds like a great phone for the price of free. Countries like Italy, Australia, Denmark, and others can expect to see the phone by the end of the year. No word on a US launch yet.

Skype and 3 launch mobile phone [Reuters]