Skype

has updated its free iPhone app this past Friday adding two nice-to-haves, but once again the company has passed on the sought-after push notifications feature. An incremental 1.3 update to the Skype for iPhone app brought general performance improvements allowing it to run more nimble on your device.

It also fixed a call drop issue when returning to a held Skype call and added a hints and tips section that will appeal to novice users. More importantly, you can finally type instant messages in landscape mode (useful for sausage-fingered users) and check out voice quality by glancing at a handy indicator that appears during calls.

The official Skype for iPhone app lets you call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free. In addition, you can call landlines and mobiles and send text messages anywhere in the world at cheap rates. Skype 1.3 for iPhone requires iPhone OS 3.0 or above and works on the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch. Unfortunately, VoIP calls still work only over WiFi connections even though AT&T removed this restriction on its 3G network last October.

Nearly four months have passed since Skype last updated its iPhone app. Although fans have been keeping their fingers crossed for the much-needed push notifications, the 1.3 update still doesn’t support this iPhone OS 3.0 feature. Push notifications are a natural fit for the Skype app because they could let you receive instant messages and, more importantly, notifications about incoming Skype calls even when the app isn’t running on your device.

It’s the last piece the Skype app needs in order to turn your iPhone into a real VoIP phone. That and VoIP over 3G. With push notifications enabled in the recently updated Facebook and MySpace apps, Skype is now the only high-profile iPhone app lacking this sought-after capability.

Read more at Skype’s iPhone site