Motorola CEO Ed Zander has “some harsh words for Apple’s new iPod nano, which many analysts believe stole the spotlight from Motorola’s ROKR phone during a recent launch event,” Tom Krazit reports for Macworld UK.
“‘Screw the nano. What the hell does the nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?’ Zander said,” Krazit reports. “People are going to want devices that do more than just play music, something that can be seen in many other countries with more advanced mobile phone networks and savvy users, he said.”
Full article here.
Now, now, just because Motorola’s ROKR was completely overshadowed and it completely underwhelms…
Related articles:
Cingular partnering with Apple to launch iTunes direct-to-phone music download service in 2006? – September 22, 2005
Fortune’s Lewis: Apple iTunes software the only cute thing about Motorola’s ROKR mobile phone – September 21, 2005
Consumer Reports: Apple’s iPod nano ‘sizzles,’ Motorola ROKR mobile phone ‘fizzles’ – September 21, 2005
BBC: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone design ‘feels like yesterday’s phone by UK standards’ – September 17, 2005
Hands on review of Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone – September 12, 2005
Motorola ROKR iTunes-enabled mobile phone greeted with cool response – September 12, 2005
If Apple isn’t working on their own iPhone, they’re making a stupid mistake – September 12, 2005
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
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘iPod Nano is a hit,’ Motorola ROKR ‘simply doesn’t have enough Apple in it’ – September 07, 2005
Video of Steve Jobs introducing iPod nano, ROKR iTunes phone now available online – 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
Sour grapes.
Boo-hoo.
Was he honestly under the impression that the ROKR was newsworthy?
What a simpleton. This proves that Apple made a poor decision in regards to which handset maker to partner with. Mayhaps they should develop their own and resell it to the carriers.
who wants to listen to 100 songs? screw the ROKR
“People are going to want devices that do more than just play music, something that can be seen in many other countries with more advanced mobile phone networks and savvy users, he said.”
Yes, the sales are proving that he is right…
Oh, wait, nevermind.
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what do you mean.. Jobs said the ROKR was like an iPod shuffle… so what’s the problem?
Well, the problem is this is NOT an iPod.. and people want all the sleek designl of an iPod.. on their phone..
Sony’s new Walkman phones are purty, btw
At any rate.. there’s nothing stopping Moto from rolling out various phones, with flip phones and different price points.. and iTunes will be on all of them.. good stuff
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Uh, _I_ listen to 1,000 songs, and podcasts, and audio books. I have a long commute plus work-outs, and I refuse to listen to the radio any more. So, Mr. Zander, screw you–I like my iPods!
More like screw Motorola. If after more than one year of working with Apple the ROKR is the best they could come up with then maybe they are not as good as they think they are.
If you actually had built a phone that didn’t suck, it might help Zander. It should be called the LAMR instead of the ROKR anyway because that’s precisely what it is.
If I were Steve id be on the phone to this idiot.
The ROKR is an underwhelming POS. They should have done a better job with the design. Thats the end of that story.
One question…
Did he throw any furniture?
He doesn’t get it. The nano is cool the ROKR is boring.
He also does not get what customers want. Yes, the ROKR is somewhat boring, but I still would buy one if it could replace my phone and my iPod. Who listens to 1000 songs … apparently me – or more like 4000.
The reason we need lots of songs is not that we will be listening to all of them, but that we don’t know which ones we will want.
I bought my first iPod because it could hold my entire CD collection. Then I discovered how really cool it is. The ROKR is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. It needs more capacity and more cool.
Apple needed the WOW! factor for the event, something the press would write about. It got that with the Nano… but surely we all can see how Motorola might feel “used,” just a bit dirtier after realizing they were only the trogan horse carrying the real prize. Hey Moto wants to make money too! Bless their hearts, they want to make money too….
This story is old new, MDN, from 9/23 at Ars … http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2005/9/23/1352
Now, if they put the iTunes capability in the RAZR that would have been a lot sexier. The ROKR if very boring to look at…well it’s just plain ugly.
He thought the whole thing was just a cheap trick. No wait, that was Robin Zander. :o)
Maybe he should’ve read this commentary about Apple licensing click wheel technology to mobile phone makers:
http://www.2manage.de/managementchannel/?p=18
I wonder how many iPod owners will now say “Screw Motorola” when they buy their next cellphone…
“‘Screw the nano. What the hell does the nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?’ Zander said,” Krazit reports. “People are going to want devices that do more than just play music, something that can be seen in many other countries with more advanced mobile phone networks and savvy users, he said.”
I would add… “Something that doesn’t look like my first cell phone when I was 13… I’m 27…
Zander must have a nano prick in order to screw the iPod nano!!!! Such a dick ( nano that is).
Motorola CEO Ed Zander… i doubt he knows what is happening in this digital entertainment market…
Ummm… I have 20 gigs filled and need to get more space. I listen to all of my music.
There will always be people like me who don’t have a cell phone, don’t want a cell phone, have no use for a cell phone, but love the iPod.
Zander needs to get out of his palacial office and develop some adult perspective – their design parameters of the ROKR are revealing in their limitations.
Time for Apple to release the Apple designed iPhone (you know they have one) and to partner directly with Cingular, who is actually being pretty open minded for a phone company. Cut Moto out of the picture as their phones a terrible, especially the UI.
From appleinsider.com
Next-gen Motorola RAZR to pack iTunes
A slightly heftier version of Motorola’s top-selling RAZR mobile handset is under development and it includes new features such as Apple’s iTunes software, according to multiple reports.
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1287
You think Moto might still have some pent up resentment over the loss of business when Apple switched to IBM chipset? Although Mr. Zander has only been at Moto for a year, I can almost imagine this reaction partly as “historical” rather than “hysterical”. Or perhaps Mr. Zander is just reliving some traumatic childhood event by throwing a tantrum. It is hard to believe that the CEO of a company would spew this sort of stuff so openly.