​Skype for Android: This new version will run better on your old phone, says Microsoft

Microsoft is rolling out a new version of Skype that performs better on older and low-end Android devices.

The company said it is releasing a new 'optimized' version of Skype which will perform better on devices running versions 4.0.3 to 5.1. of the Android operating system. In October last year Skype for Android reached one billion downloads on the Google Play Store.

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"This update -- starting to roll out in the next few days -- is lighter on both disk and memory consumption, allowing for greater speed and better audio and video quality on lower end Android devices, as well as increased performance in challenging network conditions," Microsoft said.

The update will be rolled out worldwide "in the coming weeks," Microsoft added.

If you're unsure which version of Skype you are running, the Android 4.0.3-5.1 version has the Skype logo at the top and tabs across the top for Chats, Calls, and Contacts; the Android 6+ version has your profile picture at the top and tabs across the bottom for Chats, Calls, Camera, Highlights, and Contacts.

Devices running Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich, launched in 2011) through to 5.1 (Lollipop, launched in 2014) account for about 42 percent of all Android devices according to Google's developer data, so these ageing handsets still comprise a significant portion of the Android market.

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