Motorola iTunes Mobile Phone - in July?

[lokey]

We'll have to wait to see the actual device before really seeing how it will work, but I'm looking more forward to Sony Ericsson's W800 Walkman branded cell phone. I'd really like an Apple Phone that is essentially a cell phone mated with an iPod Shuffle. I think that would really take off.

But who am I? I don't make those decisions.

 

[rockthecasbah]

I'm not sure what the phone will look like or how much it will emulate the iPod or anything like that. The real question is how do Motorolla and Apple expect to sell a cell phone this hyped WITHOUT ANY U.S. CARRIERS:?!?!?!?!?! In order to have the phone part, you need a carrier. If no U.S. carries will agree to support the cell phone, this whole project is going to be flop.

 

[MontyZ]

... but too bad it only has like 2 megs TOPS of memory if not i would record more songs into it.

Yea, that will be the biggest obstacle to overcome: the amount of storage on cellphones. But, if they can fit a decent number of songs on the teeny-weeny iPod Shuffle, it should be no problem to do the same on a cellphone.

 

[stephenli]

as I can see, it seems to me that the screen is not a QVGA (320 x 240) one, which is quite a standard even in low end japanese phones. the fonts are big and ......not my cup of tea.

currently i am using Sharp 902, it have:
A perfect screen (CG Silicon QVGA)
A perfect camera (2x Optical Zoom 2mp auto focus), and
A terrible interface

I hope iTunes mobile phone would at lease better than my SH902
Oh...i forgot that even iPod photo have only a 220 x 160 pixel screen, is it too luxury to request a QVGA?!.....comeon steve.

 

[ijimk]

i am really excited about this. One question thought will apple be putting out their own apple/motorolla phone? Or will this be some kind of software that will be loaded on pre-existing motorolla phone?

 

[Thataboy]

I think this project is useless and that apple is pursuing the wrong strategy.

I understand why they don't make phones. however, to leverage apple technology, apple should create a mobile OS that is scaleable from cells to handhelds to smartphones.

palm is an atrocious OS. palmsource needs to die off. it is amazing how poor this OS is in 2005. an apple CE, if you will, would be a boon to everyone. phone companies wouldn't have to develop crappy OS's and interfaces, syncing would be a breeze... people could REALLY use them as an ipod sidekick once bluetooth is all built in.

apple already has tons of technology to do this, such as quicktime 7 to ink.

I love my treo hardware, but the OS is & total nightmare. my contempt for palm OS is matched only by my hatred of Windows. we need more mobile OS options. so we don't need an iPhone.... just a fantastic new OS from the king of OS's.

 

[shamino]

I'm not sure what the phone will look like or how much it will emulate the iPod or anything like that. The real question is how do Motorolla and Apple expect to sell a cell phone this hyped WITHOUT ANY U.S. CARRIERS:?!?!?!?!?! In order to have the phone part, you need a carrier. If no U.S. carries will agree to support the cell phone, this whole project is going to be flop.

You don't have to buy your phone from your carrier.

I can (for example) buy a phone directly from Motorola, or Nokia, or any other company. I can take that phone to any Verizon (or Cingular or whatever) dealer and (assuming the phone is compatible with their network), they will activate it.

In doing so, I (obviously) will be paying a lot more than I would from a the carrier (since carriers subsidize phone prices), but I'll be getting it without any crippled firmware and without a two-year contractual obligation.

 

[nms]

i am really excited about this. One question thought will apple be putting out their own apple/motorolla phone? Or will this be some kind of software that will be loaded on pre-existing motorolla phone?

I think the main thing is. we dont know bugger all about this!!!

and WHY oh WHY would apple want to become simply a software partner?

 

[dreamer.redeeme]

razr

well, if it means anything, the UI has the same screen shortcut layout as the razr v3. I don't find it feasable to cram a ton more memory in a v3, but hey, more power to them. if it is at all related, the razr has dropped in (vendor) price nearly 250$ since launch. I don't think the idea of an itunes phone is very good either, at least not yet.

 

[SeaFox]

You don't have to buy your phone from your carrier.

I can (for example) buy a phone directly from Motorola, or Nokia, or any other company. I can take that phone to any Verizon (or Cingular or whatever) dealer and (assuming the phone is compatible with their network), they will activate it.

I don't even know how true that activation part is anymore. GSM phones store their information (including the phonebook) on the SIM card (the phones have internal phonebook memory, too, but I turned mine off).

So all I have to do is buy a new phone, charge it, and then take the SIM out of my old phone and put it into my new one. Turn on the new phone and it works perfectly on T-Mobile's network, with all my contacts moved over too.

Since AT&T Wireless and Cingular have been changing over to GSM networks, they might be just as easy. Verizon and Sprint PCS will require a visit to the dealer though.

I'd rather keep my music player separate and have cellphones and digital cameras continue to evolve together. I really want better bettery life for my phone more than anything.

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

We only have GSM and UMTS in Europe, so here you are able to buy an "unbranded" phone and use it with any carrier of your choice. Most people prefer to buy their phones through the carrier, since you get it a rather hefty rebate (In Sweden it is up to about $200)
I have understood (?) that it is not as easy to switch phone with CDMA and WCDMA. But I was under the impression many carriers utilized GSM in US. If that is the case, the nonexistent support from US carriers wouldn't be that much of a problem. OK, you might lose the carrier rebate. I don't know your system, but here in Europe (at least in Sweden) you will get lower monthly fee if you don't want a "free" phone.

 

[Hawthorne]

Do I want one?

Hell, yes.

I want something that can replace my PDA, phone, iPod and camera. Maybe not do each function as well, but at least stop me from looking like I have Batman's utility belt strapped around my waist. If this has the PDA capability of the iPod that can be updated via the keypad, a 1mp-ish camera, 2-6 hours of iTunes music, and a decent form factor, I'm first in line. I want it all, and I want it in on gadget.

 

[CubaTBird]

when is this phone coming out? eesh seems like forever... i was going to get this one instead of my samsung e317... well.. then again.. my current phone suits me fine so im good

 

[shamino]

We only have GSM and UMTS in Europe, so here you are able to buy an "unbranded" phone and use it with any carrier of your choice.

This makes sense, since all of the identifying "smart" of a GSM phone are in the SIM card.

I have some coworkers here who make regular trips to Europe and India. They own two SIM cards (one for a US carrier and one for a European carrier) and switch them when traveling.

I have understood (?) that it is not as easy to switch phone with CDMA and WCDMA.

There are several incompatible networks in the US (CDMA, PCS and I think a few others). As far as I know, if your phone supports the tech your carrier is using, it is no problem for them to activate it for your account on their network.

But I was under the impression many carriers utilized GSM in US.

GSM is available from many carriers, but the coverage is sparse compared to the other networks. There are large parts of the US where CDMA phones work and GSM phones do not (my parents' town is one such place.) I'm sure GSM's coverage will improve in the future, but right now I only recommend it for those people who expect to travel outside of the US.

 

[shamino]

So all I have to do is buy a new phone, charge it, and then take the SIM out of my old phone and put it into my new one. Turn on the new phone and it works perfectly on T-Mobile's network, with all my contacts moved over too.

Since AT&T Wireless and Cingular have been changing over to GSM networks, they might be just as easy. Verizon and Sprint PCS will require a visit to the dealer though.

Any GSM phone will work on any GSM network. You simply have to install the activated SIM card into the phone. As far as I know, this is a mandatory part of the GSM standard.

It's my understanding that Sprint/PCS has something similar, but their ID chip is not in any way compatible with a SIM card. It can be moved to other phones, but the only phones it will work in are those designed for Sprint's network.

Phones that do it the old-fashioned way (like Verizon's CDMA) must be activated by a dealer. Any compatible phone (meaning anything CDMA for Verizon) should be usable on their network, once you get them to activate it.

I'd rather keep my music player separate and have cellphones and digital cameras continue to evolve together. I really want better bettery life for my phone more than anything.

Personally, I prefer to keep it all separate.

I wouldn't want a PDA in my phone - since I sometimes need to take notes while I'm talking, and I don't always have a convenient headset.

I like the concept of a camera in the phone, but so far, phone-cameras have lousy picture quality. My inexpensive 4MP Kodak camera blows away even the best of the phone-cameras.

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

There are several incompatible networks in the US (CDMA, PCS and I think a few others).

That was news to me. I just thought you had CDMA/WCDMA and GSM. It gets worse since in Europe we use 900 and 1800 band. I know/think that you use 1900 right? I know that I have seen some other bands too. (800?)
The bottom line is: it seems like Moto will have to make many versions of it, assuming they want to be able to sell it on more than one market. Moreover, you won't be able to use your CDMA iTunesphone as a phone if you go to Europe... Didn't think of that aspect before.

 

[cemil]

Photoshopped!

If you look at the second and third screenshots, the third image is clearly photoshopped.

Evidence:

Article A) The songs are EXACTLY the same length. (3:47) (AND shot at the same time)
Article B) They are both song 1 of 10 (not convincing proof, but why not just skip to the next song?
Article C) Screenshot 3 looks fuzzier than screenshot 2. (that could just be my eyes of course)
Article D) Does the first image even make sense? Why have pause, forward, back, and iTunes button? How to control them?

I could be wrong, but I call hoax.

-Cemil

 

[shamino]

That was news to me. I just thought you had CDMA/WCDMA and GSM. It gets worse since in Europe we use 900 and 1800 band. I know/think that you use 1900 right? I know that I have seen some other bands too. (800?)

Yeah, there are two GSM frequencies. One that's popular in the US and one that's popular in Europe. The good phones (so-called "tri-band") support both (old A-band analog being the third). The cheaper ones don't.

The bottom line is: it seems like Moto will have to make many versions of it, assuming they want to be able to sell it on more than one market.

If they want to be compatible with all the carriers, yes. Of course, they might choose to not bother. I remember that when Handspring introduced the Treo, they only sold it as a GSM phone. I think they (or Palm, since they were acquired) later released a PCS version for the Sprint network. I don't think they ever made a PCS version.

Moreover, you won't be able to use your CDMA iTunesphone as a phone if you go to Europe... Didn't think of that aspect before.

This is unfortunately the case with lots and lots of stuff, not just phones. Sometimes because of actial incompatibilities (like NTSC vs. PAL video tapes), sometimes things that need adapters (like AC power) and sometimes artificial restrictions imposed by software (like DVD regions.)

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

This is unfortunately the case with lots and lots of stuff, not just phones. Sometimes because of actial incompatibilities (like NTSC vs. PAL video tapes), sometimes things that need adapters (like AC power) and sometimes artificial restrictions imposed by software (like DVD regions.)

Well, most people don't travle with their TV sets Most eletrical appliances, that are thought of to be portal/mobile, are compatible with both 110v and 220-250v. Most DVD-players here in Europe can be bought or converted regionfree, so DV-movies arent that much of a problem
A cellphone is very much thought of as a portable gear, so is the iPod. I travel a lot and I know all too well about the hassle with cellphones on international travels. In most cases it is cheaper/easier to buy a phone when you come to US. (Just imagine paying $4/min on a local call) The same problems would apply for americans with CDMA phones going to GSM countries. Incompatible or very expensive.
As I see it, a lot of the simplicity of the iPod is lost when you combine it with a cellphone, due to this mess of diff. standards.
The sorry fact is that the next gen. doesn't look much better with WCDMA and UTMS.

 

[Misplaced Mage]

While there is a variant of SIMs for CDMA use (RUIMs), only some Asian carriers use them. Sprint and Verizon have become increasingly restrictive of the phones they will activate on their networks. Yes, you can buy a phone neither would sell you directly from a manufacturer, but if its ESN isn't in the carriers' databases of "permitted" ESNs (provided by the manufacturers to the carriers with each lot of phones shipped to the carrier), you're going to have a hard time activating it. It's not that they can't use RUIMs, it's that they don't want to; it gives them more control over their customers, the services they offer, and their networks.

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

While there is a variant of SIMs for CDMA use (RUIMs), only some Asian carriers use them. Sprint and Verizon have become increasingly restrictive of the phones they will activate on their networks. Yes, you can buy a phone neither would sell you directly from a manufacturer, but if its ESN isn't in the carriers' databases of "permitted" ESNs (provided by the manufacturers to the carriers with each lot of phones shipped to the carrier), you're going to have a hard time activating it. It's not that they can't use RUIMs, it's that they don't want to; it gives them more control over their customers, the services they offer, and their networks.

This only applies to CDMA and not to GSM. right?
If I have understood it correctly, the GSM network is gaining ground in US. Since switching carrier/phone is just a matter of switching a SIM card things might become better for you.
I still see a problem when it comes to a Phone/iPod. People, like myself might be ok with buying a cheap phone when you travel over the puddle, but I doubt that they would be ok with buying a new iPod.

 

[Misplaced Mage]

Correct, at least so far.

 

[aswitcher]

I really hope these phones appear on plans quickly...

I have a funny feeling they will be sold at Apple stores and wont be cheap...nor will the aceessories - pessimistic much

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Correct, at least so far.

I believe that the GSM standard imposes much harder restrictions on the carriers when it comes to "locking in" their customers. The SIM cards they provide must work on all certified phones.

 

[Dr.Gargoyle]

I really hope these phones appear on plans quickly...

I have a funny feeling they will be sold at Apple stores and wont be cheap...nor will the aceessories - pessimistic much

Do you use CDMA or GSM in Oz?
I share your fears when it comes to the price of the phones and accessories.