“Motorola is working on several mobile phones that are compatible with Apple Computers’s iTunes music service, some of which can store eight hours of songs, Motorola said Thursday,” Reuters reports. “One model, the E790, was initially scheduled for a European launch this summer, but that introduction was delayed after discussions with operators, Motorola said at the fringes of CeBIT, the world’s biggest electronics fair, which is taking place here this week.”
“The model is a surprise, as it was originally planned ahead of the ROKR, which is also a music phone with iTunes and which Motorola has banged the drum about, but has not yet shown. The ROKR is expected to be unveiled later this month at a music event in Florida. Rival Sony Ericsson showed its first phone with a built-in Sony Walkman last week. ‘Over the course of the year, you’ll see more (iTunes) devices,’ said Alberto Moriondo, Motorola’s global director of entertainment for mobile devices,” Reuters reports. “The fact that some iTunes phones can store eight hours of music or more is different from initial announcements last year that Motorola phones would only carry a small number of songs.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The Motorola iTunes phone intrigue grows… The scuttlebutt is that Motorola may be having trouble with the carriers, since the phones get loaded via iTunes and the computer instead of over the carrier’s networks.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Motorola indefinitely postpones Apple iTunes phone unveiling – March 10, 2005
Motorola’s ‘ROKR’ Apple iTunes mobile phone to be unveiled this Thursday – March 06, 2005
Motorola’s yet-to-be-unveiled ‘ROKR’ phone will be first Apple iTunes phone – February 16, 2005
Motorola E1060 not, repeat not, the iTunes phone – February 16, 2005
Motorola executive previews iTunes Phone at CES, syncs to iTunes like an Apple iPod – January 06, 2005
Apple’ prodigious hardware and software design skills may help Motorola create iPod phone – December 28, 2004
Apple, Motorola iTunes on cell phones a harmonious deal that benefits both companies – August 05, 2004
Motorola posts Steve Jobs’ Apple iTunes announcement video – July 28, 2004
Apple, Motorola iTunes deal not exclusive, debuts Apple’s licensing of FairPlay DRM – July 27, 2004
Motorola and Apple to bring iTunes Music Player to Motorola’s next-gen mobile phones – July 26, 2004
I believe it is the networks. They want there cut of the money.
I work for a major carrier.
Motorola and Apple would not have proceeded if carrier support wasn’t there. It is a ramp-up supply issue, not an issue with carriers trying to kill the idea. If we wanted to kill it, we would have, and you never would have heard about it at all. Motorola iTunes phones will be released this year.
if these morons at moto could deliver a firmware updt. for their RAZRs instead, making it fluent with iSync – and [sigh*] salingClicker – now that would be good news. I’ll switch back to Ericsson, doesn’t look as nice – but they’r fluent with OSX.
Anonymous unless you’re the CEO of Verizon Wireless or Cingular then you opinion holds no water.
^^^ Your post is bull. I work at upper level for a major carrier (not privy to the inner-most dirt, but am made aware of more than enough) and some of what is going on IS because of us. There is waayyyyyy too much to digest in a forum such as this, but there are still “issues” that are being worked out at this moment (another memo for a big meeting tomorrow came across my desk this morning).
That being said, we definitely WILL see these phones at some point in the not-too-distant future, because the cat’s out of the bag now and no one carrier wants to be the last to the table.