“Samsung has shown what it claims is the world’s first mobile phone that incorporates a hard drive. The SPH-V5400, unveiled today in Japan, includes 1.5GB of hard disk storage. That’s barely more than you can get from a SD or CompactFlash card, but it’s a start, presaging the day when handsets are as much iPods as phones,” Tony Smith reports for The Register.
“The Samsung handset also features an FM radio, 64-voice polyphonic ringtone support, a 240 x 320 display and TV output – again, preparing the way for the day when mobiles incorporate Microsoft Portable Media Center-style functionality,” Smith reports. “Ditto the phone’s radio, which like the Neuros II ‘digital audio computer’ and the Griffin iTrip can broadcast audio content to nearby FM receivers.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is where it’s going, folks. Who wants to have to lug around their hand phone and iPod as separate units? Apple would be blind not to see this coming convergence – we can’t wait to see what they’re cooking up.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple, Motorola iTunes on cell phones a harmonious deal that benefits both companies – August 05, 2004
Is Apple building ‘The Device?’ – December 10, 2002
The Japanese market is introducing full song downloads in November. Two years from now there will be lossless compressed downloads to cellphones.
Who is Eric Stoltz and why do we care about his playlist?
MDN, you are right! That si way Digital Music is going.
Nevertheless, I still think a separate player is indeed nedeed:
Mobile Phones are personal, so if you for example are sharing your music via your Samsung �’hard drive’ Digital Music Player� Phone in the car with the rest of your family and you have to park, leave your family in the car for 5 minutes to go do something, the usual thing is to take your phone with you but, this time you will leaving them with no music.
So, I think we still need some kind device (an iPod, duh) that you can leave in the car or in your living room or in your bed room and sync them will your music library when you feel to.
Maybe, iPods will become, not as personal as they are right now, but will be ‘mobile’ home or office appliances and mobile phones will take out of them the personal or take-it-always-with-you touch.
Still, right now I prefer relying on my iPod for playing my music anywhere i go and not on my cell phone. Samsung, Motorola, Nokia or Sony Ericsson will have a lot of marketing and promotion to do to convince me otherwise.
One word: Motorola.
How soon we forget.
A service agreement would make the hardware costs low enough that multiple Apple iPhone/iPod devices would be feasible – keep one on your belt – leave the other one(s) wherever. Sign the contract, get two for $99. Done.
Fef, I understand, and agree with you about the fact that the iPod will always be there. It is such a great device for Dj’s and other music lover (I use mine with TRAKTOR and never even bring my lap top to clubs, for I just have to plug my iPod in the lap top and have my entire library available).
None the less, I believe that APPLE will go for a device that is has versatile as it can be. As we all know, S. Jobs is not a PDA lover (or at least, he doesn’t want an APPLE PDA). 3G cell phones are already here, but America doesn’t have the ability to use them fully. One reason is that the bandwidth for cellular in America is too slow. I personally think that APPLE is just waiting for the 3G technology to be fully available in the States for the Company to come up with a video-conference cellphone device using a special version of iChat for cellular. we already know that APPLE knows how to put a big HD in a little device like the iPod Mini, so now we’re just waiting for technology to follow up in the States to see the new APPLE device.
When it comes to 3G cell phones, you can see what Japanese can do and use it for on the brilliant company’s website of ntt-docomo (http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/index.shtml).
Bad news for phone, camera and ipod-type manufacturing companies.
The future is everything in one.
Biggest loser: nokia.
Possible big winner: apple – if it gets all-in-one ifone/ipod/icamera out quick and leverages its music angle.
MDN, you are right! That si way Digital Music is going.
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I certainly hope you’re talking about having a headphone plugged into your iphone(which is in your pocket) and not holding the phone up to your ears like an idiot…
Do people really want something that does everything poorly and nothing well? Except, of course, Windows users.
d, you must be a young whipper snapper, or you’d know Eric Stoltz from such American classics as Pulp Fiction and Memphis Belle.
“Ditto the phone’s radio, which… can broadcast audio content to nearby FM receivers.”
Huh?
Wow really great and amazing. Nice information on latest and unique samsung mobile phone SPH-V5400. I read your post and it’s features too. Really unique because not any mobile has hard drive. This is really amazing. Thanks for sharing nice information.