For the first time in a very long time, Microsoft is talking about its future plans involving Skype rather than offering users a glimpse at what’s to come in the next update. Instead of promising new features, Microsoft is now trying to convince users that the future is bright for Skype, assuming they will still be there when the complete overhaul of the app is finished.
The highlight of the upcoming changes is the complete redesign of the call stage, the most important part of Skype. First off, users can now find themselves on the main view during a call. Also, the way video feeds are rendered has been adjusted to look more natural. More importantly, all participants are now visible on the calling stage, even if they aren’t sharing video.
If you, like many others, think Skype is slow and unreliable, you’ll be happy to know that Microsoft improved performance in key scenarios by 30% on desktop, and over 2,000% on Android.
Skype call stage
Visually, expect a lot of changes to come in the next months, including new themes featuring vibrant colors, upgraded chat headers, fluent icons, and gradients for profiles and non-customized chats.
There’s a bunch of other new features and improvements announced by Microsoft, yet there’s no timeline for their arrival yet. Still, it’s nice to know that Skype is changing for the better, so here is hoping everything revealed by Microsoft this week will be released sooner rather than later.
Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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