“Motorola Inc., the world’s No. 2 cell-phone maker, on Tuesday revealed details of its plans for iRadio, a subscription music service that will go on sale this year. It also unveiled a new home phone that consumers could link with cell-phone and Web phone services,” Reuters reports. “Motorola’s iRadio service will first run on the Rokr E2 cell phone, which, unlike the first Rokr phone, will not include Apple Computer Inc.’s popular iTunes music software. Motorola aims to sell the service and phone via mobile operators. Motorola said in October its first cell phone for iRadio would be able to hold about 70 hours of music.”
“The iRadio service, will include 435 commercial-free radio channels, including genres such as Heavy Metal, Rockin’ Cowboys and Angry Women. Its satellite rivals also provide specialized music channels, often without ads,” Reuters reports. “iRadio will let users download channels on the computer and transfer them to play on their phones or on car or home stereos, like satellite radio. The iRadio service will cost about $7 a month but the price may vary depending on which wireless phone service the subscriber uses, according to Motorola.”
Full article here.
‘iRadio?” Gee, where’d you get that “i” from Zander, you genius? Blank Motorola, blank their horrible, incomprehensible mobile phone user interfaces, and blank the horses they rode in on; it’s past time for the Apple iPhone.
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Related article:
Inside story of why the Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone went wrong – October 25, 2005
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Motorola CEO Zander: Apple to build a smart phone, it’s only a matter of time – September 29, 2005
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STINKR!!
Motorola’s executives ara a bunch of Mothr Fukr’s
lol
MW:THIS
Ssuck THIS Motorola. We don’t need you!
MDD — “it’s past time for the Apple iPhone.”
Macworld is just around the corner!
Apple iPhone – ain´t gonna´ happen.
There is so much behind doors politicking between the phone makers and phone service providers there is no way Apple is going to even attempt that cut-throat market.
On first read the Motorola iRadio sounds like a viable idea.
We will soon realize that Steve has been too slow and too timid in his moves (but then there are lots of people trying to block him) and an iPod-based company is very limited.
There are lots of smart, creative people out there with lots of ideas – Apple does not have a monopoly on them.
if apple comes out wth an iPhone, with service piggybacked through verizon or (if they have to) cingular….
it will KILL!!! Imagine a cell phone finally having an intuitive GUI. I cant think of one right now that is even close to what Apple would make.
Every cell phone I have ever used, and I’ve used a lot, has been sketchy at best. None of them would hold a candle to Apple iPhone.
I’m basing my iPhone GUI predictions on the OS X GUI and the iPod GUI. Heck, give the iPod a little cluster of buttons and the GUI would write itself. Well, maybe it would take a couple hacks at Apple a month.
I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ve done a lot of work for moto. They like big splashy hype announcements and then deliver pathetically.
Anyone else remember the ill-fated Moto plan to surround the globe with low earth orbit satelites for mobile communication?
What bright Moto manager thought of this new plan. “Lets see, Nokia stole our lead in mobile phones so lets compete with Apple in delivering digital content”.
Perhaps Apple is responsible for the tiny memory and small song capacity of the original Rokr phone. Moto’s poor Rokr user-interface design sure sucks. Not to mention a solo partnership with Cingular possibly one of the worst customer-service cell phone providers of all (even worse than Sprint and that’s saying a lot).
No worries for Apple on this story. A nice idea-package that Moto will never be able to implement worth a crap. Not even Realplayer and Napster have to worry about Moto.
Too bad about the E2. I’m one of the half-dozen or so people in the world who actually thought it looked good, to the point where I took my new phone back and decided to wait for the E2’s release. I may still buy it, but the lack of iTunes is a bummer, and I have no interest in iRadio. Still, it’s an excuse to keep buying iPods.
Man, another Apple joint venture turned sour. I’ll be interested to read whatever book gets published a few years from now that describes the behind the scenes of how the relationship went bad.
caveat: Apple MUST. and I repeat MUST, have service for the iPhone through a major cell provider. They have been a partner with Cingular now for a while. Verizon and Sprint/Nextel would chop off thier hang-lo to woo Apple and get the MacNation user base. And I bet even Cingular wants Apple to eliminate Moto and go 1st person.
All apple need do is iPhone/Cingular, link some functionality to .Mac (address book, calendar, txt message, billing) and presto!
We can get nuts here, too!
Imagine the seemless bluetooth syncing (finally!) for pics, ical, etc.
Imagine the iPhone being a Front Row remote control,
Imagine the iTunes on your iPhone,
Imagine the integration to your already deeply entrenched Mac life
Apple dont even need to do the hard phone guts, doesnt Samsung make a cell phone? isn’t Samsung Apples new flash mem partner? Throw Samsung a bone for the flash deal, and get the cell phone hardware guts, and give it to J. Ive to wrap it up in Apple goodness.
Who cares, the ROKR line of phones are total junk anyway. Apple should keep iTunes as far away from those as possible. The next RAZR is a different story though.
I guess I don’t have enough disposable income, because these subscription plans for my cell sound like they are just well developed schemes to get me to part from my cash on a monthly basis.
They stiil don’t seem to have a formula that actually give me VALUE for my bucks.
There are more & more “options” for me to pay for something I don’t really own, & which goes away as soon as I stop paying the ransom (Oh sorry, I mean fee)
I even remember when cable TV wasn’t supposed to have as many ads, because we paid a monthly fee to support the channels.
That lasted about a week.
Information no longer wants to be free, now it wants a monthly stipend to show up.
Information & entertainment will soon be segregated by income levels. Sure we can’t all afford to go to Europe, so entertainment is already segmented, but what happens when all information costs money upfront?
Libraries are already in the sites of the corporations.
Motorola can eat me, I’m not paying for radio on my phone.
MDN word is “reached” as in I’ve reached my limit with monthly fees for everything I do.
Cingular totally sucks, so until there is an iTunes solution available via a different wireless carrier, I have absolutely zero interest anyway. I have both a 5G iPod and an iPod shuffle for when I want to listen to music anyway.
You know the more I post on this topic, the more I think it is a no brainer.
Apple WILL do the iPhone, it’s just a matter of when.
Phones and radio is the dumbest idea every, I guess they think they can make a few bucks off of it. The best concepts are to intergrate MP3 abilities into phones and allowing users to use those songs as ringtone ans etc. but very few companies want to do it, and in my opinion it hasn’t been done right yet. Stop trying to re-sale the same services I already have. I don’t want to buy songs again. I don’t want to pay for radio, when I already have it free over the net on iTunes and many other programs. LAME!
the croakr,
sorry i mean the rokr,
is an ugly piece of crap anyway.
i wish i had 2 of them so i could burn one and throw the other off a cliff.
mdn word “road”
as in hit the road.
Who cares? I have no interest in iTunes on my cellphone. I have no interest in any mp3 player on my cellphone. My new Motorola i870 has a camera, video camera, mp3 player. I don’t want this or need it. All I wanted was bluetooth. And guess what? This phone’s got it. But, iSync doesn’t support it.
Hopefully Apple will remedy this soon. Otherwise, open source iSync Apple and I guarantee you that my phone would be supported within a month.
Sony and others make portable FM recievers with ear buds that are powered by disposable batteries, last 25 to 30 hours on a charge, are smaller than a pack of gum, weigh next to nothing and cost about $10.
No subscription fees and your choice of stations.
If you want mobile radio there is a cheaper way.
Not one to nuthug Apple… I’m glad there are more choices in the market for consumers. I like Apple’s warez, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to option of goods and services from other providers.
It’s funny. When Moto teams with Apple, all the sheep sing its praise. When Moto shows some balls of its own – and since Apple has shown to be a lousy partner – the Apple nuthuggers are all over Moto.
What’s the deal with some of you?
Not one to nuthug Apple… I’m glad there are more choices in the market for consumers. I like Apple’s warez, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to option of goods and services from other providers.
It’s funny. When Moto teams with Apple, all the sheep sing its praise. When Moto shows some balls of its own – and since Apple has shown to be a lousy partner – the Apple nuthuggers are all over Moto.
What’s the deal with some of you?
Not one to nuthug Apple… I’m glad there are more choices in the market for consumers. I like Apple’s warez, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to option of goods and services from other providers.
It’s funny. When Moto teams with Apple, all the sheep sing its praise. When Moto shows some balls of its own – and since Apple has shown to be a lousy partner – the Apple nuthuggers are all over Moto.
What’s the deal with some of you?
Not one to nuthug Apple… I’m glad there are more choices in the market for consumers. I like Apple’s warez, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to option of goods and services from other providers.
It’s funny. When Moto teams with Apple, all the sheep sing its praise. When Moto shows some balls of its own – and since Apple has shown to be a lousy partner – the Apple nuthuggers are all over Moto.
What’s the deal with some of you?
To me this sounds like a premptive announcement from Motorola, designed to get some good press coverage before Steve burries ’em by introducing something much better just a week fom now???
Hmmm…. ownership of “i”
If that’s possible, I’ve got dibs on “q” and “Q” and “x” and “X”.
Did iRiver come in to being before the iPod? And what was the first portable media player on the market… the one before the iPod?
Loosen up the undies folks? Points of View seem a little tight on this board.
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Hmmm…. ownership of “i”
If that’s possible, I’ve got dibs on “q” and “Q” and “x” and “X”.
Did iRiver come in to being before the iPod? And what was the first portable media player on the market… the one before the iPod?
Loosen up the undies folks? Points of View seem a little tight on this board.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
Hmmm…. ownership of “i”
If that’s possible, I’ve got dibs on “q” and “Q” and “x” and “X”.
Did iRiver come in to being before the iPod? And what was the first portable media player on the market… the one before the iPod?
Loosen up the undies folks? Points of View seem a little tight on this board.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
Hmmm…. ownership of “i”
If that’s possible, I’ve got dibs on “q” and “Q” and “x” and “X”.
Did iRiver come in to being before the iPod? And what was the first portable media player on the market… the one before the iPod?
Loosen up the undies folks? Points of View seem a little tight on this board.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
this is so weak, I can’t believe Sony didn’t think of it first.
Party on!!!
The question is, did Motorola decide to dump iTunes, or did Apple decide it didn’t want it’s best of class software tied to a mediocre at best phone?
Has any company ever had a good relationship with Apple?
One has to wonder what the arrogance of the Stevego will get Apple in the long run?
It´s tough to be a monopolist-wanna´be with Microsoft around.
>DavidO wrote: To me this sounds like a premptive announcement from Motorola… before Steve burries ’em by introducing something much better just a week fom now??
I sure hope not. Apple has (or is developing) an awful rep for being a lousy business partner. Apple has strong clout and huge leads, but business is cyclical and glory days don’t last forever.
I wonder what would happen if Apple were to anger enough stakeholders (partners, customers, developers) that they pool their efforts against Apple, rather than for it. People don’t bend over forever.
>DavidO wrote: To me this sounds like a premptive announcement from Motorola… before Steve burries ’em by introducing something much better just a week fom now??
I sure hope not. Apple has (or is developing) an awful rep for being a lousy business partner. Apple has strong clout and huge leads, but business is cyclical and glory days don’t last forever.
I wonder what would happen if Apple were to anger enough stakeholders (partners, customers, developers) that they pool their efforts against Apple, rather than for it. People don’t bend over forever.
>DavidO wrote: To me this sounds like a premptive announcement from Motorola… before Steve burries ’em by introducing something much better just a week fom now??
I sure hope not. Apple has (or is developing) an awful rep for being a lousy business partner. Apple has strong clout and huge leads, but business is cyclical and glory days don’t last forever.
I wonder what would happen if Apple were to anger enough stakeholders (partners, customers, developers) that they pool their efforts against Apple, rather than for it. People don’t bend over forever.
>DavidO wrote: To me this sounds like a premptive announcement from Motorola… before Steve burries ’em by introducing something much better just a week fom now??
I sure hope not. Apple has (or is developing) an awful rep for being a lousy business partner. Apple has strong clout and huge leads, but business is cyclical and glory days don’t last forever.
I wonder what would happen if Apple were to anger enough stakeholders (partners, customers, developers) that they pool their efforts against Apple, rather than for it. People don’t bend over forever.
If so, that’s really a shame. My Seimens phone is three years old and works well, but I’d go for a new ROKR if it ran iTunes and held 1,000 songs. No iTunes, no Moto for me.
I want to assume that Motorola is pissed because Apple cut a deal for production of iPhone with a different manufacturer. So, I’ll buy that instead.
Tera Patricks
Mac360
>I want to assume that Motorola is pissed because Apple cut a deal for production of iPhone with a different manufacturer.
If true, what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners? It’s awfully dangerous to make enemies of all your friends.
>I want to assume that Motorola is pissed because Apple cut a deal for production of iPhone with a different manufacturer.
If true, what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners? It’s awfully dangerous to make enemies of all your friends.
>I want to assume that Motorola is pissed because Apple cut a deal for production of iPhone with a different manufacturer.
If true, what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners? It’s awfully dangerous to make enemies of all your friends.
>I want to assume that Motorola is pissed because Apple cut a deal for production of iPhone with a different manufacturer.
If true, what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners? It’s awfully dangerous to make enemies of all your friends.
Let’s see, cell-phones are close to the top of my “never buy one” list so, frankly, I couldn’t care a less how good or bad Motorola’s musical communicators turn out to be.
Andy C. was right-on though; good luck to Apple if they decide to get into the market. Hopefully, they can find a partner they can work with. It wouldn’t surprise me if Apple’s string of broken marriages made Hollywood blush.
Time for Steve to release the iPhone and Intel Macs, cut all ties to Moto as they apparently are becoming the Dell of the phone biz.
Great move by Moto. Get rid of the excess bagagge.
Come onnnnn . . . this stuff’s not going to fly.
Even de little teenage brats who’d have phones growing out of their ears if they could don’t want this crap. Here’s a clue, MotorHoleA — people use cell phones for TALKING! Yeh-heh-hessssssssss. Maybe spend some more money making your crappy reception better and people will switch in droves. You know, improve your basic product a little bit first. Kind of like Conan did when he dumped Richter.
iRadio my ass. I’ll pull out an oldie-but-a-goodie that I coined a few months back on this very forum: I think this new service should be called iFAILio!!!!
Most people would consider the phone as the excess baggage, certainly the experts did.
I would imagine that Motorola is merely trying the next big thing with their products, and trying out various technology partners like Apple and satellite radio. The ROKR wasn’t a big hit, so it’s onto something else. I don’t own a cell phone yet and am not sure what features other than better reception you would need from a cell phone.
Personally, I think Apple needs to get their act together and concentrate their efforts about properly syncing with other cell phones and PDAs. An iPhone would be nice, but being able to properly sync your Mac to any cell phone would be even better.
–rudge
Triumph. I think the kids missed that one. Classic though.
“When Moto teams with Apple, all the sheep sing its praise. When Moto shows some balls of its own – and since Apple has shown to be a lousy partner”
It’s amazing that people like this think that we are nothing but sheep. No, we know what we like and we call it like we see it. Fact is, when the ROKR came out, people were excited about the possibilities, but almost to the last person on this board, when the ROKR was unveiled, there was a sweeping chorus of ‘it sucks’.
and if you don’t blieve me here’s the link to the article.
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/7365/
I knew it!
The ROKR phone is a POS (piece of $h*t) and wayyyyyy to expensive.
People want a phone that is just a phone and at a good price.
Cingular is horrible, I inquired about a phone once (didn’t get it) and next thing I knew I’m getting $300+ bills in the mail, harrasing phone calls too.
I threatened to sue, to take them to court in Alaska or something and took down names after calling and visiting them 10 times to resolve the issue.
Mac & PC Guy said “what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners?”.
I can’t for one minute see the sense in taking this attitude. We have no idea of the story behind this. Motorola may have been a ‘partner’ from hell and Apple can afford to choose the deals it does with other businesses.
And why on earth should Apple make a special deal of Motorola – who stood to benefit from iTunes much more than Apple stood to benefit from a few Moto-phones carrying the banner.
I’m firmly in the ‘stuff Motorola’ camp’ on this issue.
Listen
Apple deosn’t bring a whole lot to the table. Cable companies and network providers have all the cards.
Look at supermarkets, they can decide what product gets shelf space. Even adding their own brand cheaper because they don’t have to advertise.
Why cut Apple in when they can do it cheaper themselves?
It’s just business and Apple has been grasping at anything like the drowning rat.
Sure they came up with a few winners, but hardware is nothing if customers are forced to pay $100-$200 a month for phone and cable bills, that’s steady money compared to Apple’s buy it once iPod or Mac and we won’t see you for another 5 years.
This is why Apple is trying so hard to get content to sell.
Content is king, it changes, people want more of it to keep from being bored.
Is anyone else getting tired of the RAZR? How many times are they going to re-make that fat (its very wide) phone? Can’t anyone else make an ultra thin phone that is nice to look at? I know samsung is wokring on it with such phones as the Z510 and the a900 but they’re just not as good as the RAZR.
But why is the RAZR so great? I never like it. ever ever. Too wide, too square, yaknow?
Oh and LOL great change MDN. You’ve gone from an M$ ad to a “Who’s legs are these?” ad. Bravo
I hate my E1!!!! Apple should make the iPod phone…… Motorola should not make the phone iPod!!!!!!!!!!!
MW: Call…. as in, I wish I could call on my iPod….
iCouldCareLess
Burger King selling pantyhose would make more sense than Motorola selling music. (warning: do not think about this for too long)
I too have never cared much for the Razr – like the black one more than the silver (kinda tired of the whole silver appliances, electronics, etc), but still don’t really get its popularity now. At first I did, as far as the form factor and features, but there are so many better phones out now with comparable pricing. Besides, it seems like everybody’s got one.
Apple needs to just do this already. We all know that Apple will get it right.
If it works with my existing service, I’ll buy one.
we might see an iPhone, but apple has alot of holes to jump through. I don’t remember which interview it was but I remember Steve Jobs saying he didn’t have a cell phone because all their interfaces were shite!! so unless steve recently found a phone with an interface he likes we just have to keep our fingers crossed!
I’m will NEVER pay to get radio signals. The subscription price will always keep increasing as it does with cable tv if it ever catches on. Plus, you WILL have commercials with your paid signals.
Give it to me free and let me tune out the commercials.
– Mark
Apple does not necessarily have to partner with a cell provider. They can sell UNLOCKED phones. Pop in your SIM card and you have a mobile phone and iPod you can take all over the world in a form factor of a nano. Put a mobile version of Mail, iCal, Address Book, and iTunes on it and you have a SmartPhone from Apple.
Maybe it is Apple that finally changes the pathetic model for cell service that we have right now. Everyone said it couldn’t be done in music, and look what they did.
You think some college kid blowing the student loan check on a 60GB iPod wouldn’t do the same on an Apple phone? I have four unlocked phones right now and will NEVER get another from my provider.
>>Mac & PC Guy said “what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners?”.
>Macaday wrote: I can’t for one minute see the sense in taking this attitude.
So it’s okay to screw your partners? Perhaps. But it’s awful to screw over your partners!
>>Mac & PC Guy said “what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners?”.
>Macaday wrote: I can’t for one minute see the sense in taking this attitude.
So it’s okay to screw your partners? Perhaps. But it’s awful to screw over your partners!
>>Mac & PC Guy said “what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners?”.
>Macaday wrote: I can’t for one minute see the sense in taking this attitude.
So it’s okay to screw your partners? Perhaps. But it’s awful to screw over your partners!
>>Mac & PC Guy said “what an ugly apple Apple will have become. Is there no loyalty to partners?”.
>Macaday wrote: I can’t for one minute see the sense in taking this attitude.
So it’s okay to screw your partners? Perhaps. But it’s awful to screw over your partners!
One potential side use of this phone:
You could connect it to your car and use it in place of satellite radio. This is assuming that you didn’t get charged air time while it was tuned it to a radio.