“Motorola CEO Ed Zander on Thursday downplayed disparaging remarks he made last week about Apple Computer’s newest music player and predicted that the Mac maker will build its own cell phone,” Mike Ricciuti reports for CNET News. “Zander said his comments about the Nano were ‘taken completely out of context. We have a great relationship with Apple. I’ve known Steve Jobs for 15 years. Sure, there is some tension there. We have the Rokr, and they have the Nano. They are a competitor as well as a partner.'”
Ricciuti reports, “He also added fuel to persistent speculation about Apple’s interest in producing its own phone. ‘And we know that they are going to build a smart phone–it’s only a matter of time.'”
Full article here.
As we’ve said many times, Apple would be making a stupid mistake if they weren’t working on an Apple-branded “iPhone.” We think there’s a good chance they’ll continue to pooh-pooh the idea right up until the day they release it. Why give potential competitors any ideas, right?
As we wrote on Tuesday, “The ‘Apple iPhone’ as an iPod accessory would work best. When the two are married, the screen and battery (all or some of the power) come from the iPod and the phone necessities (buttons, internals) are in the ‘iPhone’ unit that the iPod slips into or that slips onto the iPod. Perhaps the iPhone doesn’t even work without an iPod. There are many ways to approach this and, like Jobs’ initial comments that putting an iMac behind a screen wasn’t the best solution and then later debuting the iMac G5, we hope Apple’s just diverting competitors’ attention while working hard on ideas.”
Related articles:
Apple iPod division head: iPod and mobile phones best left separate – September 27, 2005
If Apple isn’t working on their own iPhone, they’re making a stupid mistake – September 12, 2005
Does Apple need a mobile phone of its own design? – September 09, 2005
Motorola says ‘screw nano’ comment was joke – September 26, 2005
Motorola CEO Ed Zander on Apple iPod nano: ‘Screw the nano’ – September 26, 2005
Fortune’s Lewis: Apple iTunes software the only cute thing about Motorola’s ROKR mobile phone – September 21, 2005
Consumer Reports: Apple’s iPod nano ‘sizzles,’ Motorola ROKR mobile phone ‘fizzles’ – September 21, 2005
BBC: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone design ‘feels like yesterday’s phone by UK standards’ – September 17, 2005
Hands on review of Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone – September 12, 2005
Motorola ROKR iTunes-enabled mobile phone greeted with cool response – September 12, 2005
Music phones pose no threat to Apple iPod – September 09, 2005
USA Today: Motorola ROKR iTunes mobile phone provides ‘snazzy’ first impression – September 08, 2005
NYT’s Pogue: Motorola ROKR iTunes phone ‘great-sounding, reasonably priced and a lot of fun’ – September 08, 2005
Apple’s iPod nano will make competitors whimper, Motorola’s ROKR inexplicably bland – September 07, 2005
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘iPod Nano is a hit,’ Motorola ROKR ‘simply doesn’t have enough Apple in it’ – September 07, 2005
Apple announces Motorola ROKR iTunes phone, Cingular partnership, iTunes 5 – September 07, 2005
Apple, Motorola & Cingular debut world’s first iTunes mobile phone – September 07, 2005
Motorola ROKR Apple iTunes mobile phone availability dates for Europe, North America, and Asia – September 07, 2005
I’ve had a WMobile based PDA and now own iQue 3600 and Treo 650. I HATE the WMobile trash! I’m OK with Palm OS, altough its ancient feel and still doesn’t sync perfect, even with MissinSync. Take my credit card, too, Steve! I’ll buy an Apple/OSX phone and/or PDA, whatever, just get me out of Palm and WMobile hell.
Wonder why so many Windows/WMobile users? Because there are way TOO MANY technological IGNORANT folk out there, that’s why. and some are plain DUMB to recognize the intelligence and class of Apple/OSX.
Screw Linux. Apple rules!
Apple went along with the crappy ROKR and other Motorola iTunes phones in order to lead folks to believe the covergence of music and cellphone will be a rather lame experience. The ROKR launch went over like a lead baloon. The forthcoming and crippled Motorola iTunes phones will quench the thirst of the overeager convergence crowd, but convince everyone else to stick with the iPod.
They will talk down the idea of an iPhone until the day they launch it. Apple will release an iPhone. They are just waiting to pounce. It will be cellular and WiFi capable. It will work flawlessly on Google’s free WiFi network with full access to the iTunes Music Store to purchase music and download podcasts. Google and Apple have plans reshape the computer and music industries. The major label record companies, Microsoft, and telcos are in for a rude and long overdue awakening.
Cheers,
ITG