CES: Motorola Leaks iTunes Phone Image

[Mike Temporale]

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=816

"During a presentation Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show, a Motorola executive previewed the upcoming mobile phone that the company is jointly developing with Apple Computer. The iTunes-compatible phone in many ways mimics the iPod, according to a first-hand PC Magazine report. "It syncs with a computer and the iTunes Music Store like an iPod does, and incorporates the iPod interface for navigating and playing digital music," said Ron Garriques, a Motorola executive vice president. Garriques also revealed that the phone is the first of many Motorola devices that will support iTunes this year. However, he did not provide product specs or say when the phone would be available."



The phone in the picture is just a reference design used for demonstration purposes. Personally, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I can already listen to music on my phone thanks to Pocket Window Media Player, and I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either. :wink:

[Mike Temporale]

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=816

"During a presentation Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show, a Motorola executive previewed the upcoming mobile phone that the company is jointly developing with Apple Computer. The iTunes-compatible phone in many ways mimics the iPod, according to a first-hand PC Magazine report. "It syncs with a computer and the iTunes Music Store like an iPod does, and incorporates the iPod interface for navigating and playing digital music," said Ron Garriques, a Motorola executive vice president. Garriques also revealed that the phone is the first of many Motorola devices that will support iTunes this year. However, he did not provide product specs or say when the phone would be available."



The phone in the picture is just a reference design used for demonstration purposes. Personally, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I can already listen to music on my phone thanks to Pocket Window Media Player, and I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either. :wink:

[MS Mobiles]

Originally Posted by Mike Temporale

Personally, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I can already listen to music on my phone thanks to Pocket Window Media Player, and I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either. :wink:

The fuss is about many millions of iPod and iTunes users that would like to listen their music also in cellphones.

Maybe I am overly naive but I still hope that Motorola will put that iTunes mobile into Microsoft Smartphone phones! It is not impossible!

However that what I fear is that Apple will release its own cell phones and then it will be direct competition not only to Motorola but also to Microsoft.

Thanks for interesting story, Mike!

[Janak Parekh]

Originally Posted by Mike Temporale

Personally, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. I can already listen to music on my phone thanks to Pocket Window Media Player, and I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either. :wink:

Mike... have you used iTunes?

--janak

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by MS Mobiles

Maybe I am overly naive but I still hope that Motorola will put that iTunes mobile into Microsoft Smartphone phones! It is not impossible!

I would like to see it as a installable application so any Windows Smartphone could have it - or not have it. :wink: After all, it's just a player and Sync conduit, so it's all software. There is no hardware requirements beyond what every Windows Mobile device already has.

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by Janak Parekh

Mike... have you used iTunes?

Nope. Until recently, it was not available here in Canada. In fact, is it even launched here yet? I can't find the a Canadian reference to it... :?

But why would I buy music that I can only play on my desktop? I use PureTracks.ca and can download WMA files that can play on my Pocket PC , Smartphone, and desktop with out any conversion hassles.

Does iTunes sell music in other formats like MP3 or WMA? Last I heard was no.

[jfreiman]

Yea, I already listen to good sounding music on my Smartphone (SMT5600) via WMA and WMP 10 on my 512MB card.

However, knowing Apple, this likely won't just be a plug-in to play music. I bet it will also have the picture feature(s?) of the iPhoto as well as a "Mac" GUI for the rest of the phone.

Am I a little worried that Apple will takeover the cell phone music arena? -sure, but I also know that it might take Apple in the market of cell phones audio to bring "smartphones" and "Smartphones" to the mainstream population.

Microsoft and has a very good and competitive product with a stong game and application base, this is an area Apple can't touch by supplying vendors (Motorola) with music playing softare. Not many phone vendors share the same hardware and software core that allows for easy porting of software.

Apple - Bring it on!

[Skitals]

Originally Posted by Mike Temporale

Nope. Until recently, it was not available here in Canada. In fact, is it even launched here yet? I can't find the a Canadian reference to it... :?

But why would I buy music that I can only play on my desktop? I use PureTracks.ca and can download WMA files that can play on my Pocket PC , Smartphone, and desktop with out any conversion hassles.

Does iTunes sell music in other formats like MP3 or WMA? Last I heard was no.

I believe you are confusing iTunes as a whole with the iTunes music store. The iTunes music store only sells aac tracks, just like Napster/MSN/etc only sell WMA. You can still play other non-drm protected formats such as MP3s in iTunes. Your statement "I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either" shows you arrogance on the topic. You no more or less locked into iTunes then you are with WMP. :roll:

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by Skitals

I believe you are confusing iTunes as a whole with the iTunes music store. The iTunes music store only sells aac tracks, just like Napster/MSN/etc only sell WMA. You can still play other non-drm protected formats such as MP3s in iTunes.

But I can't play WMA, right? And since that's the only way I can buy music online here in Canada, why should I have to waste time burning and ripping the songs I buy just to use iTunes. I'm sorry, but I just don't see why I should bother.

Originally Posted by Skitals

Your statement "I'm not locked into playing only iTunes music either" shows you arrogance on the topic. You no more or less locked into iTunes then you are with WMP. :roll:

Arrogance? Ill-informed or maybe naive, but arrogant because I haven't installed and played with a software application that doesn't suit my needs - whatever. :roll:

[elehcdn]

Originally Posted by Mike Temporale

But I can't play WMA, right? And since that's the only way I can buy music online here in Canada, why should I have to waste time burning and ripping the songs I buy just to use iTunes. I'm sorry, but I just don't see why I should bother.

Arrogance? Ill-informed or maybe naive, but arrogant because I haven't installed and played with a software application that doesn't suit my needs - whatever. :roll:

Maybe arrogance should be replaced with ignorance. The iTunes Canada store is open for business http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12...canada_itunes/. Also, if you tried to look around a bit, I am sure that you could easily find MP3's for sale that could play in either the WM player or an iTunes player (try out http://www.canehdian.com/).

WM is fine for small numbers of songs, but the ability to build and search playlists is pretty limiting. That is where the iPod/iTunes interface works so well. It can manage large playlists and provide quick access.

Try not to show that you are brainwashed by supporting a format that Microsoft is trying to jam down people's throats.

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by elehcdn

Maybe arrogance should be replaced with ignorance. The iTunes Canada store is open for business http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12...canada_itunes/.

As I said earlier: Until recently, it was not available here in Canada. But hey, thanks for finding that link. :wink:

Originally Posted by elehcdn

Also, if you tried to look around a bit, I am sure that you could easily find MP3's for sale that could play in either the WM player or an iTunes player (try out http://www.canehdian.com/).

Thanks for the link, but all the music I found there was Real Audio and most of it, if not all of it, was pirated. :roll:

Originally Posted by elehcdn

WM is fine for small numbers of songs, but the ability to build and search playlists is pretty limiting. That is where the iPod/iTunes interface works so well. It can manage large playlists and provide quick access.

Well, I guess I have a small collection then, becuase it works fine for me. :P

Originally Posted by elehcdn

Try not to show that you are brainwashed by supporting a format that Microsoft is trying to jam down people's throats.

So I'm brainwashed because I use a format that allows me to buy music online, and share it between all my devices at the click of a couple buttons, without having to burn and rip the tracks into another format? Sure, whatever you say. :roll: I guess I should burn and rip all my purchased music to a non-evil format like MP3? and then use iTunes to play it back and purchase any new music. What happens when I want to play that newly purchased music on my Smartphone, or Pocket PC? Oh, I get it, I either have to burn and rip, or I have to buy another gadget just to play those newly purchased tracks. Sounds like a great solution! :roll: