14 DAY TRIAL // A new version of Skype is now available for Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows Phone 8, coming with a bunch of improvements, which also include HD screen support for handsets with high-quality displays.
The new Skype 2.24 for the two mobile platforms was mostly supposed to enhance the experience that users get when running the VoIP client on their handset, so you’ll find not only new options, but also a bunch of performance improvements that should make everything run faster.
First and foremost, there’s a completely new drawing app that allows you to draw a picture in a conversation window and send it to your contacts. At the same time, this feature also allows you to edit the existing pictures or annotate a Bing map, all with the touch of your finger.
The feature is available on all handsets running Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 and should be there just after deploying the new app version.
Windows Phone 8.1 improvements
The updated Skype application also adds a bunch of novelties for Windows Phone 8.1 devices, so in case your phone is already running the new version of Microsoft’s mobile OS, make sure you look for the following improvements too.
Skype should now provide faster app resume time, so accessing your conversation should now take less time when going back from another application.
Lumia 1520 owners will be happy to hear that Skype now includes HD screen support, which means that the application should now make the most of high-quality displays such as the one on the flagship Windows Phone device.
Last but not least, sign-in improvements have also been implemented for Windows Phone 8.1 handsets, so you can now log in automatically with your Microsoft account that’s also linked to your phone. This obviously comes in handy especially when running Skype on your phone for the first time because you won’t have to reintroduce your credentials once again.
What’s more, the updated client also includes support for Skype account, so you no longer have to use just your Microsoft account to chat with friends and family. Still, it’s better to link your Skype account to your Microsoft account, the company says, because this is the only way to get the best security, privacy and password recovery options.
The new Skype update is now being delivered to Windows Phone handsets, so you should get it in just a few hours from the store.