If it looks like a duck...
and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a very bad videocall connection!
Seriously, who the hell do they think they're kidding? Skype works fine from the desktop, but try using it with a cellular connection, and aside from the restrictive T&C of the operator, you're going to be eating large chunks of your (very limited in most cases) data allotment like crazy, unless you use a WiFi connection, of course. That alone is reason enough NOT to use a VoIP application on your smartphone!
Skype used to bugger up windows a lot (especially under XP), but they've tidied it up nicely, and now it runs in the background well enough without becoming a memory-hungry PC killer. The same, it appears from this article, cannot be said of softphone (which name conjurers up a rubber kiddie toy rather than a cutting-edge bit of tech), so I would suggest that rather than moaning about it, they bloody go ahead and do something about it, instead.
Then there's the battery. well, DUH. Of course they don't last long. Modern smartphones are ALL notoriously battery-hungry. I'm lucky if my HTC Sensation lasts the day without a top-up charge - it's why I carry a portable USB charger - especially useful when there aren't car cigarette lighter sockets or three-pin mains sockets available.
All in all, then, I'd go with what others are saying above: They can't sell their stuff, so they're moaning, and trying to get journalists to sell it instead.
It's all rather sad, really.