Image via CrunchBase
No one has spilled the beans but here's a SWAG before flying off for CES this week.
Skype, Verizon and Samsung could announce Video on the Galaxy Tab-LTE edition at CES whenever it's convenient, likely on Wednesday or possibly Thursday.
Here's what leads me to that conclusion.
1. Skype has been working with Verizon for over a year now, and back in February 2010 announced their relationship at Mobile World Congress. Since the announcement of voice calling, over circuit switched came out, nothing other than a few more phones has developed here. I think it's time for something new, and video is it.
2. Skype for Android recently came out, but it lacks video. With Verizon making such a push with LTE at CES, and with the recent roll out of video on the iPhone and iPod touch, Skype can't afford to leave that market to others like Tango or QIK to rule the roost on the Androids but what's more this gives them cross platform capability and will likely also work on existing Android's with cameras, like the Motorola Droid, who they already have a voice client working on.
3. Samsung and Verizon just dropped the price on the CDMA version Galaxy Tabs, the iPad like device that has webcams and even gave people who purchased them within the last two weeks a refund of the $200 dollar price break. That tells me a next generation Galaxy, likely with LTE is coming out and will be debuted at CES.
4. Skype already works with Samsung and LG with those suped up TV sets that have Skype on board. While you can't send video to those today from the iPhone, it's on the roadmap, and the relationships are there.
For Skype and Verizon, it's a match made in heaven. Video loves fatter bandwidth, and Verizon Wireless wants to fill up the the LTE pipes as fast as they can, thus it's a mutual aid opportunity. For the hardware folks, CES is all about "consumer" products and what's new, so for Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG all of which work with Verizon Wireless, this is a way to sell more new phones.
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