“Expect to see the iTunes mobile phone from Motorola before the end of September. The release, presumably simultaneous around the world, was foreshadowed in Chicago last week by Ed Zander, Motorola’s chief executive, during the company’s annual bash for IT industry analysts,” Garry Barker writes for The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Originally, the Motorola Rokr, as the iTunes phone is called, was expected in March. It was delayed, apparently because some of the big US mobile phone networks thought they ought to get a piece of the download action,” Barker writes. “The Rokr, which is based on the platform used for the successful super-slim Razr phone – purportedly the most desirable phone in Australia – does not download songs from the air. You connect it to your Mac in the same way as an iPod and store songs in the phone’s memory. For the moment this is fairly small, but according to Mr. Zander by 2007 a phone will have at least as much memory as the average home computer.”
Barker writes, “Mr. Zander said the iTunes phone was ‘way out in front’ of its rivals. ‘Nobody will have the compelling user experience we will have,’ he said. Nokia and Sony may dispute that, saying direct downloads to the phone beats going by way of the computer, but there is support for Mr Zander’s view. One of the problems is multiple use of downloaded songs. From a computer, a user can hear them on a phone, in the house, the car and legally burn a CD. Doing it from a mobile might be clunkier. What this will do to iPod sales has yet to be seen. Apple seems confident the iPod has plenty of surge left yet but as mobiles become more capable, things must flatten out and Apple must find another magic wand. Will it be a seamlessly connectable mobile device?”
Full article here.
Related iPodDailyNews articles:
Report: Motorola Apple iTunes phone to debut in UK on August 20th – July 28, 2005
Report: Motorola Apple iTunes phone ‘ROKR E1’ to launch in UK in July, US in August – July 14, 2005
Apple’s iTunes 4.9 contains many hints of iTunes music phone – June 28, 2005
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Motorola, Microsoft unveil RAZR-thin Windows smartphone, Apple iTunes phone deal still unclear – July 26, 2005
Motorola to announce Apple iTunes phone via webcast on July 25? – July 20, 2005
Motorola to unveil Apple iTunes mobile phone during UK’s V Festival – July 11, 2005
Photos of Motorola E790 ‘Apple iTunes phone’ posted online – July 04, 2005
Report: existing Motorola handsets talk to Apple’s iTunes 4.9 – June 30, 2005
MacDailyNews Exclusive: Leaked images of Motorola Apple iTunes phone? – June 29, 2005
Apple iTunes phone image shown by Motorola execs in Beijing? – June 28, 2005
Cingular Wireless considering selling Motorola Apple iTunes mobile phone – June 24, 2005
Motorola CEO: Apple iTunes mobile phone on track for July debut, carriers not balking – May 18, 2005
Motorola expects to launch first Apple iTunes phone this summer, second iTunes phone in 4th quarter – May 11, 2005
Motorola’s Apple iTunes phone software screenshots posted online – May 11, 2005
Will cellphones eat Apple’s iPod or vice versa? – May 09, 2005
Bona fide Apple iPod killer? Nokia’s 4GB mobile ‘jukebox’ phone due by Christmas – April 28, 2005
Can mobile phones and telecoms kill Apple’s golden iPod+iTunes combo? – April 26, 2005
Motorola CEO Zander: Apple iTunes phone due ‘in the next few months’ – April 20, 2005
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
Nokia to use Microsoft’s music formats on its handsets – February 15, 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 just signed up for another 2 year with Sprint for my phone.
I really like my phone because frankly, it works.
But I might be interested in this phone, but I don’t think that Motorola phones are supported by Sprint, are they?
MDNW: Vagina
as in: San Diego is German for a Whale’s Vagina
256 megs? Maybe 512.
Shouldn’t have to wait a year and a half for that.
I cannot wait for this phone. Its gonna be HOT!
All I want is a phone that will not drop calls.
All I want is my iPod to play music.
The iPod works; mobile phones do not.
All I want is a phone with a scroll wheel!
MP3 players will never go away…there are some places you just don’t want to take your phone: working out, yard work, etc.
This new “iTunes” phone will be the same thing – phones and pdas made sense, but a conversion over to a phone/pda/mp3 player will not be an mp3 player killer – it may slow sales, but it won’t kill it off.
At this stage al I want is the iTunes Music Store to be released in Australia. At this stage we’re being told by the end of the year…which year is that?
…there is a combo device that stores 40 GB of music, that only needs to be recharged every 2 days, and gets great reception, and is under $200, I’ll get one. Until then, I’m carrying one of each.
austrailia sucks. all the criminals from england live there.
cheerio!
I am really getting sick of hearing about the Motorola itunes vapor phone. It is starting to feel like longhorn.
The article say “as much memory” not “storage”.
Big deal my digital camera has more memory than my computer.
After all this hoopla, the damn phone better have a built-in tricorder, light saber and orgasmatron or I’ll really be pissed.
Sure it shouldn’t be “blue blooded twit”?
Hey mate, I’m from Oz, and I can tell you – you brits are pretty stupid. You gave up a land with fabulous beaches, sunny weather, vast natural resources… for what? For something small, crowded, quaint, old, and with rather dull weather.
If you’d been smarter, you’d have left the criminals in England and moved the honest folk to Australia.
So buggar off, I’ve gotta go eat me a Vegemite sandwich.
ps you no longer need a criminal record to get into Australia these days.
Nokia’s N91 will blow that ROKR turd away.
n91,
And the tunes only cost $3.00 plus the air time needed to download them.
Dude, you haven’t even seen the ROKR yet. How the Fu*k do you know?
didn’t Moto said Rokr is NOT going to be the iTunes phone??
I am really getting sick of hearing about the Motorola itunes vapor phone. It is starting to feel like longhor
—
yea… but this thing is already done.. it’s been done for a while.. it’s just annoying that they won’t show it to us.
Just like the iTMS.. the actual technical work isn’t that big of a deal.. it’s all the other shit.. setting up networks and partners to support the phone service.. that’s what’s taking so long..
they COULD show is pictures of the phone.. but.. spoil the surprise?
End of Sebtember?
Cheese!
Apple should do its Newton iPod Phone or hook up with Nokia
– Life is a sexually transmitted disease that causes death
value vs value
via air
download music and have it on your phone
via itunes
download music and have it on your phone, your ipod, your computer and 2 others burn, it to cd, stream to your stereo
something wrong here esp since via air will be more expensive
Ha ha! Dunno where you guys get a headline like that. I got one of these phones sitting in front of me. And unless your average home computer is very underpowered…
Oh! Hang on , this is a Mac site. No wonder you are used to computers shiping with only 256MB…….
Hi I wants a itunes apple phone for christmas on 25 day santa claus thank you so much!!!