Skype and 3 UK have recently announced the release of Skypephone S2, the second mobile phone that can offer Skype calling and messaging free of charge. Users can pre-order a Skypephone S2 as of now, but the handset will only be available starting 27 August online and September 1 in 3's stores across the UK.

Together with the Skype-related capabilities, the S2 also brings a nice range of features, including: a 2.2 inch TFT display with 240 x 320 pixels, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, easy access to websites like Google or Facebook, Windows Live Messenger, RSS feeds, a 3.2 Megapixel camera, Mobile TV capabilities, Phone-as-modem, USB and 50MB of internal memory, expandable via a microSD or microSDHC card of up to 4GB. Moreover, the handset has a fresh "carousel" User Interface that allows users to easily browse its features with a switcher key.

Skypephone S2 measures 103 x 45 x 14 millimeters, weighs 95 grams and looks way better than the first Skypephone.

Talking about the new phone, Kevin Russell, Chief Executive of 3 UK, declared, "The first 3 Skypephone was about building one of the most popular Internet services, Skype, into the heart of the device. The 3 Skypephone S2 builds on this approach and brings a host of other popular Internet services to the front of the device. Using the Internet on your phone has sometimes been fiddly or complicated because of the limitations of traditional interfaces. With the 3 Skypephone S2 we've taken our long experience of putting the web onto mobiles and have used it to create a new concept in user interfaces. The switcher key gives you instant and intuitive access to all of the core services on the phone's menu carousel from every screen - making the mobile Internet an easy to use reality".

Scott Durchslag, Chief Operating Officer at Skype, also said, "With this beautiful new addition to the 3 Skypephone range of mobile devices, both Skype and 3's customers will continue to reap the benefits of being able to make free Skype to Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages while on the move".

Skypephone S2 will be available in the UK for free with a contract of at least 15 GBP (19 Euros or 28 USD) per month, or for 69.99 GBP (88 Euros or $130) on Pay As You Go.