Straight from the Crazy Unconfirmed Wild Speculation Department: More on the Zune Phone

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/zune-phone-real.html' target='_blank'>http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/z...phone-real.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"We have totally unconfirmed information from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous that Microsoft is indeed working on a Zune phone. This source had information about a meeting this week in Redmond that was planning a Zune phone to compete with the iPhone. According to this information the Zune phone will be based on a specialized variant of Windows Mobile 7 and key functionality will be centered around WIndows Live Services. On the hardware side the ZunePhone would be touch-screen based using multi-touch (surprise) but other than that not much is known."</em></p><p>I'm wary about placing too much stock in rumours, but thing one has a ring of credibility to it that the others lacked: if the Zune team were to to a Zune phone, this is exactly how they'd do it. They'd take Windows Mobile 7, they'd optimize the hell out of it for speed and stability, and slap a Zune-like interface on it. Wrapping it all up with Windows Live services also sounds like a Microsoft thing to do, for better or worse (I love the Live Search client on Windows Mobile though, it rocks!). Multi-touch? That's a bit surprising, if true, but it makes a certain amount of sense: Apple has drawn a line in the sand with a number of iPhone features, and when consumers see someone with an iPhone pinch a picture to make it small, they expect to see that feature on all touch-screen phones. Will we see a Zune phone next year?</p>

[Jason Dunn]

Great post here on this topic from Michael Gartenberg:

http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/2008/07/zune_phone_not.html

[Rocco Augusto]

You know, I hope Microsoft releases a Zune Phone. I love my Windows Mobile Smartphone but I would rather just carry around a combined solution instead of two separate devices. Also it just makes sense to release something that is more consumer oriented and completely controlled by Microsoft instead of having a ton of manufactures releasing devices that are buggy and slow or just not very pretty.

[Jason Dunn]

Also it just makes sense to release something that is more consumer oriented and completely controlled by Microsoft instead of having a ton of manufactures releasing devices that are buggy and slow or just not very pretty.

Yeah, there's some logic to be said for Microsoft letting their Windows Mobile OEM partners take care of the business space, and the Zune Phone being a consumer-focused device...but then again, it's not like Samsung or HTC would be pleased to see Microsoft's product competing with their own products. I'm just not sure I believe that one Microsoft team could/would do that to another Microsoft team...but I guess we'll see over the next year!

[trolane]

i would buy a zune phone in a heartbeat and i already have an ATT Tilt and 2 80GB zunes.
The phone would need a 80GB drive, gps, and all that good stuff.
We must be able to write our own apps for it and expect them to run the same on it or another windows mobile device so the zune interface should just be an app that can be top mosted.

[ManMythLegend]

The phone would need a 80GB drive, gps, and all that good stuff.
We must be able to write our own apps for it and expect them to run the same on it or another windows mobile device so the zune interface should just be an app that can be top mosted.

Semi-Agreed. It should have a rather large harddrive or at least room for expansion; 80GB for a phone is definitely WAY overkill yho. With the focus of Zune being on the Social and the finding new music that one enjoys it would make no sense for the theoretical Zune Phone to not have room for the songs that you find through your friends and other means on the Market Place via the Pass but after discovery, they should make their way towards the actual Zune for storage...

[Kacey Green]

I can't see myself toting two Zunes, I use a WinMo phone right now and it could use more storage, and my Zune80 only has 7 free gigs right now and dropping. The phone would need 120 GB of flash or solid state hdd, or even a big hdd, but I'm not sure how they'd get the power consumption down on a drive that large just spinning away.

I was thinking of a Zune8 for my specific playlists, like when at the gym or something like that.

[Jason Dunn]

The phone would need a 80GB drive, gps, and all that good stuff.

A hard drive in a phone? Not a good idea. At all. ;) If they were to do it, it would be Flash-memory based. Now maybe by 2009 we'll see 64 GB Flash at afforadable prices - who knows (I doubt it...*maybe* 16 GB will be the entry level).

We must be able to write our own apps for it and expect them to run the same on it or another windows mobile device so the zune interface should just be an app that can be top mosted.

If the Zune team has shown anything, it's that it has a strong preference for closed, controlled ecosystems - and that's a good thing, because it preserves product quality and user experience. So while they might allow applications, you can be sure it will be in an Apple-iPhone-like way where the applications are in a tightly controlled catalog...it wouldn't be the open ecosystem that Windows Mobile is/has.

This is all wild speculation though of course. :D

[rockbox1590]

If the Zune team has shown anything, it's that it has a strong preference for closed, controlled ecosystems - and that's a good thing, because it preserves product quality and user experience. So while they might allow applications, you can be sure it will be in an Apple-iPhone-like way where the applications are in a tightly controlled catalog...it wouldn't be the open ecosystem that Windows Mobile is/has.

This is all wild speculation though of course. :D

This is why I believe Microsoft bought out Danger. What you've described is pretty much how the T-Mobile Sidekick/Danger Hiptop is. Applications are submitted to the carrier for approval and the made available to the end user. I think a variation of the Sidekick would be ideal for use as a Zune phone.