Microsoft Adds Group Video Calling to Skype on Android

[dgstorm]

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Even though this isn't directly Surface related, we know that many of our members use Android phones, so we wanted to share this interesting Skype news.

Skype on Android just got much better. Microsoft's Skype team finally added group video calling to the Android version of their popular conferencing app. Skype shared that they plan to roll out the feature in Western Europe and North America over the next couple of weeks, and the rest of the other Skype markets by the end of March.

Here's a breakdown of some of the highlighted new features:

• Support for up to 25 participants in 1080p quality
• You can choose to broadcast your front or back camera (and even switch them on the fly)
• UI tweaks to enhance group calling
• A shot of what you are broadcasting is pinned in the lower right corner
• You can choose different view modes - includes a grid mode (lets you see all callers lined up in a grid) - also includes a focus view (shows only the active speaker), or you can pin a particular participant to focus on
• Easier to invite people to the group even if they aren't in your Skype contact list

Check out the video in the thread below for more details.

 

[dgstorm]

Here's that Skype group calling teaser video: