“SanDisk is supplying the removable memory for the Apple/Motorola iTunes phone, the Motorola ROKR – and 2GB storage is possible in 2006,” Jonny Evans reports for Macworld UK. “Last week, SanDisk confirmed that its 512MB microSD card is being bundled with the phone, and that the card is capable of carrying ‘approximately’ 120 songs, though the ROKR has song capacities capped at 100 tunes.”

Evans reports, “There’s potential for future growth. The company expects to have 1GB microSD cards in limited quantities by late in the fourth quarter of 2005 and 2GB cards in 2006. This suggests ways future iTunes phones can offer new and higher capacities, and also hints that ROKR owners may be able to carry multiple music collections on their memory cards for different moods.”

Full article here.
This is ridiculous. The iPod nano is already the size of a gnat’s you-know-what and holds 4GB right now. If Apple isn’t working on an Apple-designed, Apple-branded “iPhone,” they’re making a stupid mistake. If Apple’s this scared of mobile phones that play music (as shown by their artificial 100-song limit on the ROKR), then they must think that mobile phones that play music have potential to hurt iPod. So, make one already, Mr. Jobs! One that the iPod nano simply slips in and out of at the user’s whim, okay? Or one that slips on and off your iPod nano. Either way, the Apple “iPhone” is a phone that becomes musical with the addition of your iPod. No cannibalization that way, right?

Related articles:
Music phones pose no threat to Apple iPod – September 09, 2005
Does Apple need a mobile phone of its own design? – September 09, 2005
USA Today: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone provides ‘snazzy’ first impression – September 08, 2005
NYT’s Pogue: Motorola ROKR iTunes phone ‘great-sounding, reasonably priced and a lot of fun’ – September 08, 2005
Apple’s iPod nano will make competitors whimper, Motorola’s ROKR inexplicably bland – September 07, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘iPod Nano is a hit,’ Motorola ROKR ‘simply doesn’t have enough Apple in it’ – September 07, 2005
Apple announces Motorola ROKR iTunes phone, Cingular partnership, iTunes 5 – September 07, 2005
Apple, Motorola & Cingular debut world’s first iTunes mobile phone – September 07, 2005
Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone availability dates for Europe, North America, and Asia – September 07, 2005