Repeat After Me: There Will Be No Zune Phone

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://i.gizmodo.com/5147540/will-we-see-the-zune-phone-this-month' target='_blank'>http://i.gizmodo.com/5147540/will-w...hone-this-month</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Microsoft says absolutely not, but an analyst memo posted on All Things D claims we could see a Microsoft phone at Mobile World Congress later this month in Barcelona. Update: Zune Marketing Exec Brian Seitz says he's heard nothing about a Microsoft Branded phone launching at any upcoming shows, which seems to rule out the possiblilty of it being a Zune Phone, if anything at all."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1233949630.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>OK, repeat after me: there is no Zune phone. There is no Zune phone. There never will be a Zune phone, unless Microsoft wanted to completely destroy their Windows Mobile business. Move along people, there's nothing to see here...</p>

[USArcher]

What we are likely to see, and I believe this article confirms it, is a Zune logo hardware program. If the OEMs hardware matches or exceeds the reference specs, then it can earn the Zune logo. Why else create a reference design? I'm sure one of the top issues governed by the Zune logo requirements is the phone's data port..they will want to be sure it can work with existing Zune Speaker/Docks.

[David Tucker]

Could they just make one so the rumors would stop? Please? :rolleyes:

[Janak Parekh]

So how does the Danger platform fit into Microsoft's plans? That's the remaining mystery to me.

--janak

[Sven Johannsen]

I'm sure one of the top issues governed by the Zune logo requirements is the phone's data port..they will want to be sure it can work with existing Zune Speaker/Docks.Both of them;):(

[Adam Krebs]

Both of them;):(

Yeah for real. What, the Kicker and the M604? Oh, and the iHome alarm clock. Seriously, we're lacking in accessories for Zune. And while I don't think many people are as deeply entrenched in the Zune ecosystem as are in iPods, I still think they'd have to be crazy to change the spec now. Every new Zune should work with the older Zune accessories; there's simply no reason why the data port wouldn't be enough. One of Zune's halmarks since Day 1 has been backwards compatibility with previous versions (I always get a kick whenever the car pack auto-updates itself with firmware from my Zune).

[ManMythLegend]

This article sounds a lot like it could have taken place a few years ago about the Plays for Sure platform.

Hopefully, MS has learned from that though.