CTIA Rumor Mill: Skype for iPhone

Om Malik is predicting that Skype for iPhone may be announced as early as Monday in Las Vegas at CTIA. 

Om says this is a necessity as Skype turns to mobile to keep its growth "intact." We've been saying that mobile VoIP players should fear the Skype [1]. The company continues to roll into different spaces, by doing such things as releasing a SIP gateway [2] and preloading on mobile phones [3] at times and places of its' choosing - to the detriment of many me-too mobile VoIP players.  

Malik says he is working on getting more details and screen shots, but the question is if he can get them before Skype makes an announcement.

Meanwhile, Andy Abramson is wondering if Skype has cut a deal with AT&T mirroring what it has done with UK mobile operator 3, with Skype-to-Skype and Skype Out calls being free of mobile minute usage. Hmm, how much clout does the world's largest long-distance carrier [4] have?

Ironically, Om recently publicly ditched his iPhone due to problems with finding reliable 3G service. And Om was a little peeved at Skype earlier in the week for not pre-briefing his pub on the SIP gateway, so maybe someone has made nice since then.

For more:
- GigaOm says it's heard Skype has worked out a deal with AT&T and Apple.  Article [5].
- Andy Abramson puts his two cents on what it all means. Post [6].

Related articles
Fear the Skype - FierceVoIP [7]
CES 2009: TV, cell phones, business = Ubiquitous Skype - FierceVoIP [8]
Skype embeds on Nokia, Sony-Ericsson phones - FierceVoIP [3]