Apple, Motorola Plan An iTunes-Friendly Phone 305
PabloJones writes "Apple and Motorola have come together to create a new mp3-enabled cell phone, according to this Reuters article. It says that the device will be capable of storing about 12 songs, and will be fully integrated with iTunes. Perhaps this is a beginning of a new relationship between the two companies, after the PowerPC problems between the two in recent years."
Sounds Good... (Score:3, Interesting)
Uh, woo? (Score:4, Interesting)
Why doesn't Apple just make this the iPhone (Score:5, Interesting)
Then again, one could read that this announcement came from Motorola's web site as an indication that it won't be the last deal with a phone manufacturer. Maybe the iPhone is just further down the road.
Apple has done this before.
The Quicktake 200 Camera was a Fuji DS7 camera - they were no different. The Apple Quicktake however used a better JPEG compression technology (read as quicktime) - that was especially developed for the Quicktake. Apple also created it's own system level camera reading and editting software.
I think this could represent a possible new hardware direction and unlike many have suggested I think this DOES possibly mean an Iphone from Apple could be in the works. Except this time, unlike the iPod that is Windows and Mac; the iPhone will be for Macs ONLY, the Moto version will be for everyone else.
Semi unrelated - a smaller footprint of iTunes would also be easier to emulate - possibly giving Linux a better shot at a quality iTunes solution.
Looks like Apple learned a lesson... (Score:5, Interesting)
Good for them!
I'll Wait ... (Score:4, Interesting)
With only 12 songs, I'd still need my iPod for real music needs. Will the phones have headphone jacks? I sure don't want to listen to music from a single crappy phone speaker.
While this is a step in the right direction, it's not enough.
When I can fully replace my iPod, cell phone, and PDA with one device, i'll buy.
12 Songs? (Score:5, Interesting)
First of all, the 48mb seems a little odd to me. I guess it's a 64mb device, with 16 used for the phone's OS/address book/ringtones/etc. But more importantly, why not make it hold 74 minutes of music. One full CD. I think that would be ideal for tiny storage. That would be 74mb, and if you include the 16 for the phone's other requirements you get 90 megs. That means that using 96 mb of memory on the phone, you could hold the OS and such, and 80 minutes of audio. Seems fantastic to me.
That said, I have three other comments. First, how 'bout bluetooth so you can use your Bluetooth headset to listen to music? Second, will the memory be expandable? That would be great. Third, can you use your files (MP3, AAC, etc) as ringtones? Those would be three nice things.
It will be interesting to see how all this pans out.
On hold (Score:5, Interesting)
iPhone? (Score:3, Interesting)
12 Songs Absurd (Score:1, Interesting)
There are sell-fones that have long been in existance with built-in MP3, WMA, and WAV players that accept high-capcity removable memory-stick storage (128mb+). Like the Sony-Ericsson P800 & P900. These phones are GPRS and Bluetooth enabled, natch (and yes, that's enough bandwidth to transfer some content). Undoubtedly there are a few that take CF as well.
If 12 songs is the most they're going to offer you, when it's abundantly clear that's lightyears off of the current technical ceiling, then someone's trying to screw us (surprise).
Why Motorola? (Score:3, Interesting)
Drain on batteries... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Sounds Good... (Score:4, Interesting)
It sounds like a great idea, I have to say I have been wating for such a cellphone for a while. I do have a few potential issues though. Battery life and size. While the Palm Cell phones were cool, they would eat a battery in about an hour and were about as sleek as carrying a forty pound rock.
What would be really cool is if this was integrated with Bluetooth into a Motorola phone. Since my Powerbook has built-in Bluetooth the phone could then just stream from the Powerbook and use the 12-song space as a cache.
Re:Wow. (Score:3, Interesting)
Can you download over the phone? (Score:3, Interesting)
The real question? (Score:1, Interesting)
Everyone is complaining about 12 songs already (Score:4, Interesting)
C'mon people. Have faith in Apple. They seem to know what they're doing (finally...we'll just forget about the Cube...). When your son or daughter (who probably helped put the iPod Mini on the 25 year (slight exaggeration) waiting list is at the wireless store comparing phones, are they going to be looking at the phones that have no ring-tone options, crappy ring-tone options, or the cool new phone that plays music from iTunes (considering they probably already own an iPod and iPod Mini).
I see a lot of "12 song only" complaints but I bet three months after release, this will be a wildly popular phone.
Bluetooth Remote (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Sounds Good... (Score:1, Interesting)
Wrong Company Bub!!! (Score:1, Interesting)
Fyi. Working at Motorola sucks. Low pay, lower benefits every minute. Culture and morale is near the toilet... Great quarter everyone! Now please read the reduced severance plan as it's going to hurt as I stick it to you!
The Cube rocked... (Score:3, Interesting)
I bought a Cube (500mhz) the day they came out (waited five months, but oh well.)
It still sits on my wife's desk, working faithfully and silently, handling her little business and the house bills, along with her mail, browsing and Office stuff. It's 802.11b, and has never had a touch of trouble.
It still gets compliments and "what the heck is that?" comments, and still will get $550-$600 on ebay.
Nothing wrong with the Cube at all...people just wanted a better, more flexible desktop, satisfied with the G5 I'm typing on.
Cubes rocked!
A matter of size.. (Score:3, Interesting)
iTMS Mobile (Score:4, Interesting)
A cell phone has the internet connection that the iPod lacks. The two can not be compared. Small capacity, yes, but I can download a song I want to hear RIGHT NOW.
Having the iTMS in my pocket is a groundbreaking concept. Considering the number of songs they've sold from PCs, imagine how many songs they would sell if the store was in your pocket all the time!
Re:Looks like Apple learned a lesson... (Score:4, Interesting)
This is a good thing (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Why Motorola? (Score:2, Interesting)
Apple has a pretty good reputation of making a solid, easy-to-use, pretty looking product that works exactly like it should when you need it to. Out of all the cell phone manufacturers I'd say Motorola most closely fits this description.
Re:Uh, woo? (Score:5, Interesting)
Apple isn't a stupid company. The PDA/cell phone market is already saturated. They would just be adding another competitor to an already saturated market. Creating a new cell phone isn't cheap. Apple doesn't like doing things in halves and the R&D cost for a new mobile phone would be huge.
This decision is effectively getting more clients for their music store for very little R&D cost. They are just leveraging their platform as THE solution for online/mobile music.
Re:Sounds Good... (Score:3, Interesting)
Not just 12 songs (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Uh, woo? (Score:4, Interesting)
If they can sort both things out, it will be a hot item on the market and I will want one too... Apple's involvement at least gives you some hope that they may get the UI right.
iTMS on the Go (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Sounds Good... (Score:3, Interesting)
they have that. it's called a Sony Ericsson P900.
That's what I was thinking. I'd like to own an Apple phone as I'm expecting it to be easier to use, better looking, well integrated with iTunes and nearly bug-free.
But right now, I've got a Sony Ericsson P800 with a 64 MB Memory Stick. It plays OGG Vorbis using OggPlay, and I can convert any song or entire playlists to OGG directly from iTunes using an AppleScript I wrote for that purpose. It internally uses mplayer and oggenc for conversion.
For mobile use, oggs are the BEST! I figure with all the background noise while commuting, 32kHz @quality "-1" work just fine. This setting results in bitrates around 32 - 48 kbps, or song files between 1 and 2 MB in size!!! No problem getting two albums onto my phone...
Re:Uh, woo? (Score:4, Interesting)
She had the iPod mini for 5 minutes and was completely enthralled. She'd burned half my spool of 100 CDs once she figured out the iTunes Music Store to the tune of about $130 worth of songs within four hours...
This is coming from someone who had trouble turning on her Windows PC and only used it for virus laden email.
So maybe you ought to rethink that statement? Maybe it should be 'people set in their ways don't find it intuitive' but defintitely not the people new to computers, you know, about 80% of the population of the planet.
Overkill? (Score:4, Interesting)
Yeah, I had to use google to find the Terminal app in OS X.
Couldn't you just have used the OS X find command? Isn't Google a bit of overkill for this?
SteveM
Re:12 songs? does it play pong also? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Uh, woo? (Score:4, Interesting)
I would beg to differ. Sure there are some entrants - but there is not IMHO a great deal of variety in features or form factor.
My suffeciently portable Audiovox/Verizon camera phone has the guts to do navigation, mp3, voice recording - but it does none of that.
Models with features are too large.
mp3 is an obvious feature, but personal communications should be extended - to near network applications, such as for use in meetings, voice conferances, and local data exchange.
If I'm in an airport, why shouldn't my bluetooth phone display departure gates and delays?
If i'm in court - why not scroll the transcription in real time?
why not bus stops that beacon the bus schedule?
In short - there is a world of information wanting to be real-time and personal. Creating large electronic displays everywhere is expensive and obnoxious - whereas bluetooth (WLAN) beacons can be very cheap and environmentally friendly.
So I suggest the PDA/Phone market has a great distance to go before realizing its potential.
The weakness of products now is largely a problem of vision, and permitting the industry to define its own features - for some services - we need a technology czar who will define the service - open the protocal, and set standards - it could be that free market economies only do SOME things better - say industry - but other things - such as ubiquitous connectivity very poorly.
(Do I get extra points for rambling?)
AIK