Motorola iTunes Phone - No Delays?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Motorola iTunes phone is coming in "a couple of more months" and that wireless carriers are not resistant to the iTunes-enabled product.

Motorola Inc. Chief Executive Ed Zander said mobile phone carriers aren't balking at his company's plan to sell a phone that doubles as a music player.

"There is no resistance on anybody's part," Zander said. "I don't know where these rumors got started."

The rumors were started primarily from this Businessweek article which cited concern for competition from Wireless carriers.

[Koodauw]

Are they resistant to the Fugly designs shown so far? Lets hope its not what we've seen.

[Abstract]

Lots of phones can play mp3s anyway, so that was never the issue anyway.

And the new design concept going around is just the Moto e398 but redesigned.

I like it....its not ugly if you see it in person, but as I don't believe Apple has any control of the design, lets hope that Moto doesn't give the phone an ugly design.

[After G]

Sounds good to me. I for one would be glad to get an iTunes enabled phone, because I'm looking for a new one anyway. And it can be from multiple wireless carriers now. This just makes getting a new phone even better for me.

[wide]

Originally Posted by Koodauw

Are they resistant to the Fugly designs shown so far? Lets hope its not what we've seen.

aren't these designs just renderings by random (i.e. not employed by Motorola) people of what they think the phone might look like?

[swissmann]

Maybe this is why Apple keeps a hush hush on their products until they are ready to go pretty much. Otherwise the public would go even more crazy about the "delays" and "obstacles" than they do already.

[SAukland]

Is it just me, or is this article about the CEO of Motorola denying the resistance to the product he has been fighting for, through all the delays, for months now?

Doesn't sound too out of the ordinary to me for a CEO to defend the product.

Nonetheless, if the cell companies do catch onto this, all I can really hope for is wider iTunes reach, rather then the personal technology. My iPod is working fine for me.

[DTphonehome]

Does anyone really care anymore? This phone has been promised for a looooong time. Many new phones with cool screens and features have come and gone since we've first heard about this thing. The day it's released, we'll all give a collective "cool" and that will be the end of it. Unless it's a dramatically better phone than what else is on the market (and there are some very cool ones out and coming in the next few months), I don't think people will be buying these like they have been iPods.

From the rumors floating about, it just seems like a standard Moto cell phone that has the ability to play one music format more than other music-enabled phones. No crazy Apple design, no stunning new interface. Whoop-dee-do.

[iMeowbot]

Old news. Remember this? Moto claim that Apple want to time the intro on different terms.

[SFVCyclone]

Originally Posted by Abstract

I like it....its not ugly if you see it in person, but as I don't believe Apple has any control of the design, lets hope that Moto doesn't give the phone an ugly design.

I have to disagree, I believe apple does have control of the design or else they wouldn't have as much power over the release of this certain phone.

[noel4r]

I just hope the Apple had control over the physical design of the phone and not just the music player side. This will be as close as you get to the "iPhone". Hopefully they'll preview it at WWDC. Does anybody know if its going to be a GSM phone?

[dongmin]

Originally Posted by DTphonehome

From the rumors floating about, it just seems like a standard Moto cell phone that has the ability to play one music format more than other music-enabled phones. No crazy Apple design, no stunning new interface. Whoop-dee-do.

The latest rumor I heard was that it's the ROKR that's gonna be iTunes enabled. I haven't seen any images of the phone yet so I don't know if it's a repackage of an old phone, but I'm guessing it'll have a new look, in the mold of the RAZR and PEBL.

As for Apple's involvement, they are porting iTunes to the Motorola phone. So it's more than just adding another format. I'm imagining that you'll be able to buy music directly with your phone. And possibly, further down the line, watch music videos through iTunes.

[bluemouse]

Originally Posted by swissmann

Maybe this is why Apple keeps a hush hush on their products until they are ready to go pretty much. Otherwise the public would go even more crazy about the "delays" and "obstacles" than they do already.

Bingo. It's not much, but it helps me maintain Zen to think of things in this light when I start to wonder about product updates. The public is rabid and the press hypercritical. I understand why Apple is the way they are. Interestingly, I feel that Nintendo is the same way.

-bluemouse

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Assuming our fears are true, how the heck could moto and Apple fumble this one?
When the news broke people where overjoyed. Here we had what could be described as the marriage between two unparallell success stories, the iPod and the cellphone. The idea was clever and the progress in this direction is inevitable.
As the time passed, something happened. What we all thought and hope would be another step in the evolution of the iPod, instead seem to turn out to be a white moto phone with capacity to play mp3.
Assuming this is true, how the heck could moto fumble like this? To me it appear as a perfect example on the wrong man in the wrong place.
Moto and design???? Wouldn't it be better to let Apples designer to come up with an idea?
Why moto in the first place? Apple have been synonymous with high quality products. It would be wrong to accuse moto producing high quality.
The pics I have seen so far (I hope they are very far away from the real version) lack everything that has been the foundation of Apples success: simplicity, highly intuitive user interface, high quality hardware...
Again assuming all this is true, how could Apple lend out their name to this contraption? It smells like a big flopp to me.

[brap]

Wow. A paper release. Nobody cares.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

And just when I was getting my hopes up for Apple to ditch Moto and make an iPhone (a perfect iPod accessory) for themselves...

[beatle888]

Originally Posted by Abstract

Lots of phones can play mp3s anyway, so that was never the issue anyway.

And the new design concept going around is just the Moto e398 but redesigned.

I like it....its not ugly if you see it in person, but as I don't believe Apple has any control of the design, lets hope that Moto doesn't give the phone an ugly design.

the issue isnt weither phones can play mp3's. it's people downloading and buying songs from iTunes and cutting out the carriers from the revenue stream. think of how much money carriers make off selling just ringtones. they see this as an opportunity to capture some of the sucsses that apple has had.

[iMeowbot]

Originally Posted by dongmin

The latest rumor I heard was that it's the ROKR that's gonna be iTunes enabled. I haven't seen any images of the phone yet so I don't know if it's a repackage of an old phone, but I'm guessing it'll have a new look, in the mold of the RAZR and PEBL.

Moto have been sticking to the story that there will initially be two phones that can run iTunes. E790 and ROKR are supposed to be separate products, with the advance leaky-hype stuff point toward E790 as more of a traditional phone with iTunes grafted in, and ROKR as higher end toy. (And the dearth of details about the ROKR model has Apple written all over it)

As for Apple's involvement, they are porting iTunes to the Motorola phone. So it's more than just adding another format. I'm imagining that you'll be able to buy music directly with your phone. And possibly, further down the line, watch music videos through iTunes.

It's definitely more than a QuickTime port, the software is supposed to be a complete player.

[PlaceofDis]

still waiting, still waiting

not that i want an iTunes phone or anything, i dont like my current phone though and will probably get a new one come fall, so im being patient, but im willing to see what this phone has to offer, if anything worthwhile

[PretendPCuser]

Bet you can't use dl'd songs for ringtones. "That'll be an extra $2 to enable that song for a ringtone." Please. Spare me. Or better yet, they can *charge* you every time someone calls you when you're using a song as a ringtone. Oh, joy! Sign me up!!!

Let's go further, artists will reverse bid how much royalties they receive for their songs. (Like reverse Google Adwords)

"uh, oh, Eminem lowered his bid on 'Lose Yourself - the ringtone', guess i better lower my bid for 'Candy Shop" -50

Anyone else care to poke fun at how ridiculous things could be?

[beatle888]

Originally Posted by DTphonehome

Does anyone really care anymore? This phone has been promised for a looooong time. Many new phones with cool screens and features have come and gone since we've first heard about this thing. The day it's released, we'll all give a collective "cool" and that will be the end of it. Unless it's a dramatically better phone than what else is on the market (and there are some very cool ones out and coming in the next few months), I don't think people will be buying these like they have been iPods.

From the rumors floating about, it just seems like a standard Moto cell phone that has the ability to play one music format more than other music-enabled phones. No crazy Apple design, no stunning new interface. Whoop-dee-do.

LISTEN UP PEOPLE

jeeze i cant believe people still dont know what this is about.
its about downloading songs from iTunes on your mobile phone. no promise of a new kick butt phone or any other special features. and if you cant see "woop-dee-do" the benefits and revenue stream from that idea i dont know what to say.

[wdlove]

It sounds good then. Increased availability of access to iTunes will increase sales for Apple.

[MontyZ]

If Motorola combines earbuds with hands-free phone cord, that'll be quite cool. You can listen to music or hear/talk to someone through the same earphones. There will probably have to be a setting that automatically turns music off if a call comes through so you can hear. Or, better yet, leave the music on in the background during your conversation, especially if it's boring.

[milzay]

Well Apple could be working on the design and interface for the phone. Right now Apple probably just don't have the manufacturing power / components that are needed to make the phone. So all the inside/hardware could be dealt with by Moto and the design / ui could be dealt with by Apple.
^ i doubt it, but it would be cool...

Also- If this is only using iTunes then this could be just the first steps of Apple testing the market, if it goes good then maybe we'll an iPhone

[Philsy]

Why should you need a special phone to access the iTunes Music Store? Why not just release an 'iTunes Portable' that can be used with any 3G phone or, indeed, PDA?