“Mobile phones that rock, jam, thunder, and swing are on the way. Wireless operators around the globe are working with music studios, phone makers, and artists such as Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs in a sweeping effort to turn the mobile phone into a go-anywhere digital jukebox. Foreign carriers such as Vodafone and SK Telecom are leading the way, and U.S. wireless players are following fast. BusinessWeek has learned that Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Cingular Wireless are expected to unveil services for downloading music directly to wireless phones later this year. ‘We have a tremendous opportunity to make a big impact in music,’ says Dennis F. Strigl, CEO of Verizon Wireless,” Roger O. Crockett writes for BusinessWeek.
Crockett writes, “With innovative services and snazzier phones, the telecom players figure they can swipe a chunk of the digital music market that Apple Computer Inc. cracked open with its iconic iPod. That sets the stage for a battle between two industries. On one side are Apple and the other tech players concentrated in Silicon Valley that see the computer as central to the future of music. On the other are telecom companies, from Finland to South Korea to the U.S., that think the mobile phone can become the center of this emerging world. ‘The iPod is great,’ says Frank Nuovo, chief designer for Nokia, the world’s largest handset maker. ‘But no one has a stranglehold. There’s nothing that keeps the mobile phone from moving into that area.'”
Full article, highly recommended, here.
MacDailyNews Take: At some point, as phones hit 6-10GB capacities, Apple will need to have an answer. We want one device, please. We want either an iPod that can place / receive phone calls or a mobile phone that has 10+GB and a headphone jack. That’s all it needs to be. And it can be good at being a phone and playing tunes, too — just look at the miniscule size of an iPod shuffle and some of the tiny phones on the market today. We’ll get this device eventually from someone (hopefully from Apple). And we bet it’ll take pretty decent snapshots, too.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Motorola CEO Zander: Apple iTunes phone due ‘in the next few months’ – April 20, 2005
B-Sabre
Looks pretty neat, but with just 3-4 hours of talk time, I can’t imagine that wou’ll be rocking out for too long without charging the thing again.
Correction: 4 GB drive…
This from the Nokia page:
“The Nokia N91 serves up to 12.5 hours of great sound via the included stereo headset with remote control. Enjoying your music collection has never been easier, as the Nokia N91 supports a wide range of digital music formats including MP3, M4A, AAC and WMA.”
How music time = talk time = standby is a good question.
After seeing the new Nokia N91 Steve Jobs just flipped out….totally…screaming:
“We had the first, we had the first one with Motorola. Why didn´t they show it a month ago?”
Now Apple is late to the party…or not ever showing up…?
Meanwhile Steve is locked in his room throwing Pixar dolls around…”I´ll show them who is incredible!!!”, screams Steve.
Apple and Motorola only needs one carrier. When one carrier start offering iTune compatible phone, it is time to buy their stock and watch them become number one carrier (chances are major carriers will get a wake up call when their customer base swich in mass to a no name start-up carrier).
s: You are dreaming.
The computer (or some home unit) will _have_ to stay the center of music for 3 reasons:
1, no matter how big these devices get, a heft comptur HD is the only thing large enough to really hold a big music collection
2, I, and I think most people, still like to listen to music at home. I suppose you could get a dock and rest the phone in it to play music at home, but see # 3
3, For organizing music, no portable device is sufficient (including the iPod). You really need a computer interface to be able to effectively organize thousands of songs
Now I’d be more than happy to ditch my iPod someday if I get a phone with 20-30GB of storage, so I don’t have to carry 2 things around with me. However, I’ll still want to use my computer as my “base station” for music, dock the phone to it, and just use that for portable uses.
do the major labels think anyone is going to buy songs for over $2 a pop? They’re such freakin’ morons – $0.99 is the price point people are willing to legally download. If they want to increase the prices at iTMS and the lot to do it, they should be prepared for a slowed rate of increase of legal downloads and a similar increase in piracy.
MDN wrote…”We want either an iPod that can place / receive phone calls or a mobile phone that has 10+GB and a headphone jack”
Umm, speak for yourself. Don’t say “we” cause I have NO desire for the Swiss army kife approach.
my boyfriend bought this all in one aptex dvcam/stillcam/webcam/mp3player/voice recorded. not only is it not mac compatible, it also fried every 512 memory card ever put into it. the webcam is crappy, doesn’t work well in low light. the still cam has white balance but the dvcam doesn’t. he’s never been able to get it to play a single mp3 or get the voice recorder to work. in other words, he paid for shite!!!! i like my ipod being my for my music and my cell for my phone call.
IMO, I just want a phone that actually works as a phone. The cell phone companies should be doing everything they can to improve the quality of their wireless networks (instead of spending billions buying other companies like AT&T and fighting over MCI).
I THINK I want the Motorola iTunes phone, but it has more to do with the fact that I EXPECT it will be a nice looking phone.
If I do buy a phone with music playing capabilities, I definitely want it to be compatible with the music I already own. I don’t see any advantage to downloading songs directly to my phone (of course, I’m older and wouldn’t consider using a phone for email or browsing the net either – the screen is just too small).
Anything that complicates the working of the phone is useless to me and that’s one of the reasons why I’m a Mac user. Apple generally tries to keep things simple.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
I’m sure the human race will survive without their precious muzak. Don’t get me wrong, I love music, but i don’t need it absolutley everywhere I go. There is a time and aplace for everything. For me, music sounds best thumping through a home stereo unit attached to the computer. If I walk around all day listening to ‘Hey Piddy Diddy or whatever his name is, I’m not gonna want to listen to him properly when I get home.
Is it even possible to listen to “Piddy Diddy” properly in the first place?
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“We want one device, please.”
hate attittude like this. You dont speak for me. Im 16 and like the shuffle. Its care free and light as a matchbook, UNLIKE YOUR DREAMED OF PDIDDY PHONE LOL!
I love the 40 yr old geeks who think they know what kids want. You dont speak for me old man, or anyone my age LOSER
tungi beha