Microsoft now testing Skype for Windows Phone 7, could debut soon

After a surprisingly long delay, Windows Phone owners may soon be able to get their hands on a Skype app of their very own.

Microsoft is currently testing a near-final version of Skype for Windows Phone 7, and the company may be planning to launch the app at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, reports Tom Warren at the Verge.

Microsoft has been promising a Skype app for Windows Phone for some time. The app was originally targeted for a late 2011 launch, but it obviously missed that timeline. During CES, a Skype representative hinted that a Windows Phone app was “coming soon.”

According to Warren, the Skype app won’t offer any big surprises design-wise. But it’s expected to be heavily integrated in Windows Phone 8’s People Hub, which should make it easy to Skype your phone’s contacts.

If Microsoft handles the integration right, Skype on Windows Phone 8 could be even more useful and elegant than Apple’s FaceTime on the iPhone. And given that Microsoft spent $8.5 billion to acquire Skype, I’d imagine that the company would want to make the most of its investment.

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