“Motorola, the world’s second-largest mobile phone maker, on Wednesday night confirmed plans to launch a new phone that will play digital music downloaded from Apple Computer’s iTunes online music site,” Paul Taylor reports for The Financial Times.
“Ed Zander, chief executive, said the iTunes product would be coming out in the next few months. He was speaking during a presentation of Motorola’s first-quarter results after the markets closed on Wednesday,” Taylor reports. “There has been some speculation that Motorola might delay the launch of its music-playing mobile phone because of lack of enthusiasm among US network operators. Mr Zander sees innovative mobile phones, such as the sleek and successful Razr, as the key to competing with Nokia, the market leader.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like the rumors of the death of Motorola’s “iTunes Phone” may have been greatly exaggerated.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
RUMOR: Apple’s iTunes Mobile 1.0 to be ready by June – April 20, 2005
Verizon, Sprint, other wireless companies balk at carrying Apple’s and Motorola’s ‘iPod phone’ – April 19, 2005
Motorola to unveil iRadio – PC to Mobile to Car Stereo service – April 18, 2005
Will Motorola’s Apple iTunes phone make it to market? – March 28, 2005
BusinessWeek: What’s going on with the Motorola Apple iTunes mobile phone? – March 24, 2005
So who’s really delaying the Motorola iTunes phone anyway? – March 21, 2005
Motorola exec: Apple iTunes phone debut delayed by Steve Jobs; phones will launch in 2005 – March 16, 2005
Motorola’s Apple iTunes phone in trouble? – March 14, 2005
Motorola says iTunes phone unveiling delay not caused by dispute with carriers – March 10, 2005
Motorola says it’s working on more iTunes phones, some models ‘can store eight hours of music’ – March 10, 2005
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 would buy it
The carriers are wary of this because they cannot see how they are going to make a ton of money off this model. But I’m sure Apple has some way to make them some sort of “iTunes Partners” in order to bring them around. Once this launches and evreybody wants one, they’ll soon get it. And everybody will want one because, right now, no-one really understands how the “downloading-music-to-your-cellphone” models work. But as soon as you say “iTunes” they’ll know how it works.
Of course you would buy it. You’re a part of the mindless cult of mac.
Repeat after me:
Must do what Steve Jobs says
Must do what Steve Jobs says
Must do what Steve Jobs says
Maybe the phone companies will get their heads out of their asses and sell phones for a profit (what profit on the phone? nooooo) and make money that way.
Does anyone know if Apple did anything more than port the iTunes software to an off-the-shelf Motorola phone? Did they design the handset or any other aspects of the software/interface? I want a real Apple phone, not just a Moto handset with iTunes loaded on it.
Recently, I sat at my friends kitchen counter and unclipped my silver iPod mini and placed it upright on the counter. Knowing how much I love technology, she asked, is that your new cellphone?
Right then I thought to myself, if Apple just made a cellphone, I would buy it in a minute.
Just a thought
i’d rather have my RAZR work with iSync and SalingClicker than some lame iTunes functions that no one needs anyway. Ever heard of the iPod? I dont get the priorities here.
:/
i’m switching back to ericsson
Would the cell carrier make money by charging per mb of downloading and surfing the store
oh and repeat after me…
“5 years is not too LONG to wait for an OS upgrade, especially when I have purchased the upgrade assurance plane evry year”
Woops, misplaced that “e”
“upgrade assurance PLAN EVERY year”
Maybe Moto should just release an unlocked version of the iTunes cell phone so I can just insert my SIM card (assuming it comes as a GSM phone). Maybe the release can generate the buzz such that a major carrier will finally pick it up.
I echo the sentiments of one of the previous posters – I’m more interested in the Moto iTunes phone for it’s potential integration with iCal, Address Book, etc. than for it’s music playing ability. Does anyone have any idea if it will provide any Apple specific software advantages in these regards?
Mark
Motorola may make it, but the phone companies don´t have to offer it.
Panasonic just pulled out of the US phone market because no phone company would offer their phones.
I’m so sick of hearing about this stupid phone – can we let it be, on, off, on, off, …
That and the dumb-ass redneck county buying iBooks, same thing, on, off, on, off,
“Shit or get off the pot” as my grandma would say.
they say it won’t bring in revenue?? cmon-whichever provider uses this phone is going to get a lot of customers because of it-they may not make any $$ on downloads, but they still get the monthly bill. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there waiting for this phone, and are going to go with the provider that carries it first.
Music over phones?! What other innovations do these cellular phone companies have in store?? Perhaps next they can work on improving the signal quality, or make the calls sound better than they did the day I called Watson in from the other room…