Microsoft has become the latest in a long list of large developers to update one of their native mobile apps for iOS 7. The Redmond company’s latest update to the Skype app for iPhone and iPad is currently propagating its way through the App Store and brings the revamped and refreshed user-interface that we have come to expect from an iOS 7 app.
Version 4.13 of Microsoft’s iOS Skype app should be showing up as an available download for most territories by now, and if you base it purely on aesthetics alone, then it definitely comes across as a winner. There was always some confusion as to why we had two different apps for the iPhone and iPad rather than a universal creation, but although it may seem a little fragmented, Microsoft has blessed all iOS Skype users with an update to both versions of the app. Both the iPhone and iPad variants are given the exact same release change log.
The most radical change comes in the form of a refreshed design to the app. Microsoft has deemed it important to offer backwards compatibility with previous iOS firmware, hence it supports versions of iOS all the way back to iOS 5.x. However, the aesthetics and user-interface of the app have been redesigned with iOS 7 in mind, and the biggest compliment that we can give it is that it looks and feels like an iOS 7 app. It’s that simple. The changes to the software don’t stop there, either.
In addition to the visual overhaul, the 4.13 update also brings with it a number of accessibility enhancements for visually impaired users. An improved dial pad has been rolled into the app that offers touch-type support for users. As with all app updates, Skype v4.13 for iPhone and iPad also includes the obligatory bug fixes and general improvements.
Microsoft’s iOS 7 launch day update of Skype may not have included everything that users would have wanted from the minor update, but it seems that 4.13 is the notable upgrade that should keep everyone happy. For a while at least.
(Download: Skype for iPhone / iPad on the App Store)
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