Nokia + Skype = Love

According to Nokia, the Nokia N97 smartphone will be the first handset with Skype embedded, which will come sometime in the third quarter this year.

The Nokia-Skype tie-in, unveiled this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, will make Skype a part of the Nokia N97's address book. Skype will offer access to presence information -- seeing when Skype contacts are online and available -- along with instant messaging. N97 users can also use 3G or Wi-Fi to make and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls and low-cost Skype calls to landlines and mobile devices.

Skype boasts more than 400 million users worldwide. Commonly used on desktops and laptops, the integration of Skype into mobile devices bridges the mobile Internet and desktop experience, making handhelds a true pocket-sized PC.

"Making Skype available everywhere through mobile devices is essential to fulfilling our vision of 'enabling the world's conversations,'" Skype COO Scott Durchslag said in a statement. "Collaborating closely with Nokia to preload and integrate our software onto their devices will benefit the many Nokia customers who already use Skype, as it makes Skype easily accessible and simple to use on the go. It will also bring Skype new users who love Nokia's Symbian S60 experience."