“Japanese Web and telecom conglomerate Softbank Corp. is working with Apple Computer Inc. to develop mobile telephones with built-in iPod music players, Nikkei reported on Friday. The music-playing phones can download songs from Apple’s iTunes Music Store, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said in an article posted on its Web site,” Reuters reports.
“A spokesman for Apple in Cupertino, California, was not immediately available to comment,” Reuters reports.
Full article here.
Appleinsider reports that the phone(s) in question will be a 3G cell phone combining features of the iPod and Cell phone and is expected to be released in Japan “sometime this year at the earliest” and in the U.S. at a later date.
Full article here.
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The Nekkei as in the Japaneese stock market? Interesting story to report on. Also interesting that Apple would choose the Aisen market – Apple’s lowest market share – to feature the new product/service.
Hah!
me,
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/
@me:
I think they chose the Japanese market first because of the more advanced cellular/mobile infrastructure. It would be easier to take advantage of the high-speed mobile connection features in Japan rather than in the U.S.A.
Wasn’t the Pippen released only in Japan? Of course it was a game system and a lot of game systems are released there first.
I want an iPod phone NOW, daddy!
You don’t know the history of Japanese telecom. I do.
rise AAPL RISE!
you don’t know shit
me: The Nikkei is a newspaper I believe, the Nikkei index is a stock index like the Dow Jones. I imagine they are the same company, much like in the UK the main stock indexi is the FTSE, where FT stands for Financial Times.
now if we can get rid of the stupid new pop up ads here the info would be worth stopping by for.
ive always thought the waay to go would be to buy a small cellphone maker and then integrate them for their knowledge, i hope apple have a big say in this partnership
Why would APPL release this phone only in Japan when the US market has been screaming for this. I would buy one in a minute…just make sure you stick with Cingular APPL. Or Else.
Turano
This story is interesting because Softbank is in the process of buying the Japanese arm of Vodafone (the world’s largest mobile phone company). Softbank is also partnered with Yahoo! Japan.
Japan is a great market for Apple to work in. iPods are incredibly popular here, almost everyone has a mobile phone, and the cellular network in Japan is among the most advanced in the world.
Softbank’s owner, Masayoshi Son, is a celebrity in Japan and is known for his forward, unconventional thinking. He and Steve Jobs might make a great duo in this project.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (日本経済新聞), often called Nikkei (日経) never publishes rumor.
****HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?******
———–
Honda Motors and Apple plan to jointly develop hybrid vehichles that feature a built in iPod digital music player and a Mac mini mounted directly into the vehicles dashboard.
According to the report, Honda Motors President Kwan Houng and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs have already met and reached a basic agreement on the vehicle/music player/computer partnership.
The two companies will reportedly first develop a prototype that incorporates functions of Apple’s wildly popular iPod and Macinstosh computer systems into the vehicle eliminating the need for customers to purchase three separate devices.
“These vehicle/music player/computers are to be released in Japan sometime this year at the earliest,” the report states.
Apple plans to later introduce similar vehicles in the United States, the report adds. Details such as the fee for wireless internet and whether the keyboard and mouse will be mounted onto the steering wheel, or if the Mac mini will rely solely on spoken audio commands are said to be up for discussion amongst the two companies at a later date. However, early information indicates that the stereo interface will resemble Apples soon to be released 6G touch-screen iPod video device.
The reliability of the report is unknown, but if you’re reading it, it must be true.
Solsun:
I believe that Apple does not recommend running Windows on the mini. Something about voiding the Honda warranty. Drive carefully.
Tell me more of this iPod you speak of…..
Solsun,
What’s your source for that information?
I will believe this when SJ says “It is available immediately” and the Apple online store goes back up and has a page for it.
I love rumors! Speculate away.
MW: who?
Alex,
http://www.honda.com/apple/hybrid
Yawn.
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The iPod is sooooo yesterday. WMP11 with the Urge music store is now available on the beta Vista builds. Screenshots here:
http://www.skoogie.be/
iTunes won’t stand a chance when this goes public in a few weeks.
fun while it lasted Apple…
Funny, having music stores accessible from the existing WMP doesn’t seem to have dented iTMS’ dominance. Who wants songs that won’t play on an iPod?