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View Full Version : IT Pro Speculates on the Zune Phone


Jason Dunn
07-15-2008, 04:07 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.itpro.co.uk/blogs/chrisg/2008/07/14/microsoft-planning-a-zune-based-smartphone/' target='_blank'>http://www.itpro.co.uk/blogs/chrisg...sed-smartphone/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Following Microsoft's partner conference in the US last week, it seems the answer is clear - you combine all these elements together and make a smartphone based on the Zune software and user interface. Sources close to the situation have confirmed that just such a device is in the works, which is great news as it would easily provide respectable competition to Apple's iPhone. All the components are in place - Windows Mobile as the underlying OS, the Zune user interface for the front-end, tweaked and extended using the team and technology at Danger (the company behind the front-end ssoftware for the Sidekick smartphone, which is based on Windows CE)."</em></p><p><img style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1216088982.usr1.jpg" alt="" /></p><p><em>Above: the completely fake mock-ups of a mythical Zune Phone from <a href="http://www.zunescene.com/zune-3/" target="_blank">Zune Scene</a>.</em></p><p>It seems like every couple of months there's a resurgence of Zune Phone rumours - I've never seen so much hopeful excitement over a product that doesn't exist other than the iPhone. People seem to really want to see this product come to market. This latest rumour seems to have a bit of teeth to it, coming on the heels of the Microsoft partner conference. But is there really going to be a Zune phone? I just don't know - on the one hand, Microsoft's Windows Mobile phone business is doing solid numbers, and making money for the company, so why would they want to alienate all their hardware partners by doing their own phone? On the other hand, Windows Mobile is very enterprise-focused and perhaps the Zune guys feel they could hit the ball out of the park with a consumer-focused phone. Given the inability of Windows Mobile to resonate with consumers thus far, perhaps the Zune can make some headway in this market?</p>

inteller
07-15-2008, 02:04 PM
I still want my touch pad. I also want more buttons. Contrary to popular belief, having no hard buttons is NOT a good thing.

David Tucker
07-15-2008, 02:22 PM
IF a Zune Phone ever came out...I highly doubt these "mockups" represent anything approaching reality.

That said...if its being marketing as a consumer smartphone...then the buttons are less needed these days.

Alber1690
07-15-2008, 09:25 PM
If they plan on manufacturing it themselves, they should definately identify Windows Mobile phones as more pro-enterprise while a possible iPhone-competitor as a more consumer-friendly device. Yet, seeing that Apple wants to make their iPhone more pro-enterprise, then it's kind of a struggle to really defend that argument towards Microsoft's hardware partners for Windows Mobile.

Jason Dunn
07-15-2008, 10:30 PM
I still want my touch pad. I also want more buttons. Contrary to popular belief, having no hard buttons is NOT a good thing.

Yeah, I agree - I like buttons! If they did a Zune phone, I'd want it to have a QWERTY keyboard...but if they do a device like this, I'm convinced they'll make it iPhone-like and have almost no buttons - because that's what they think consumers want. :(

Rocco Augusto
07-15-2008, 10:56 PM
Even though these are fake, I still like the red one a lot! :D