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More on Apple/Motorola Joint Cell Phone Venture
1+(smarterThanYou) writes "Forbes.com has an article with updates on the previous Slashdot story on the Motorola/Apple iTunes compatible mobile phone.
'Apple Computer and Motorola could soon show us the mobile phone they are developing to play music purchased from Apple's iTunes online music store.
'We've said we have something coming on this in the first half of 2005 and we're definitely on schedule for that. Hopefully you'll be able to see more about it soon,' says Eddy Cue, vice president in charge of applications at Apple.'" Theories about this device showing up at the next MacWorld Expo abound.
Could this phone be the rumoured flash-based iPod?
I also want a Moof ring tone!
Cellular would be the next logical area for apple to explorer. While i think a dedicated Apple Cellular phone would be interesting i don't think it would fly. A joint venture would be a good alternative. Make a slimmed downed ituens for a mobile device. Though i dobt VZW would carry such a cool phone...i mean they finally got bluetooth and look how that mess turned out.
-Will
If Eddie Cue has pre-empted the suprise and fawning over what could have been a Steve Jobs suprise announcement then Mr. Cue may very well be a Former Vice President by the time MacWorld Expo rolls around.
well, motorola is the company that is going to be delivering the application, so I think the apple related logo at the top has got to go........
anyway, Eddy Cue is about to be fired, leaking a comment a couple weeks before macworld, and a couple of days before christmas????? not that any of his comments are going to slow down the sale of any apple produced products, it is still a slip and he must be cut loose, there can't be any leaks in the apple ship
For the U2 edition newton.
it seems that this phone + mp3 player might be the convergence of the "flash based" ipod and the apple/motorola venture. Mac heads gotta have their lifeblood flowing...rumors...mmmm
sarcasm>
/Sarcasm>
Now we get white shiny phones with bluetooth
I wonder whether this will be branded as an Apple phone or as a Motorola phone. Seeing as Motorola's marketing gusto seemed to die with the Star-Tac, I'm personally rooting for an Apple phone.
So many things are becoming an addition to the mobile phone, and different groups teaming up to cover their core areas. Obviously Sony are placed fairly well at the moment with their audio, imaging, comms and gaming devices. Who else will team up to compete?
Personally, I'd love to see the Nintendo technologies meshed with Apple and Motorola. To me both Apple and Nintendo, lean towards highly usable, simple technology with high build quality.
Who else is next?
-----
Glen Williams
... we can listen to people on airplanes singing along to their cell phones.
"...whiskey for my men, beer for my [urph] hosses!"
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
i hope they come up with an add-on to merge two everyday gadgets...it would eliminate the need to have an ipod AND a mobile phone in my pocket
Wow first the merger with IBM now a team up with Motorola. Apple is like the town bike slashdot stories everyone is getting a ride.
just because your a schizophrenic doesn't mean people arn't really out to get you
You heard it here first, Apple will invent the iPhone, the first phone in the world to work as ... a PHONE!
Because ya sure as heck can't but a phone now, sure a PDA, or a camera, or any of that, but nothing that you can use to talk to people with for more then 15 seconds at a time, with a battery that lasts more then 30 minutes before the thing superheats and burns your hand.
They will sell exactly ONE of them, to me, since I'm the only one on the planet that wants such a rediculous product!
- Adam L. Beberg - The Cosm Project - http://www.mithral.com/
The iPod's image is a small object that is stylish, easy to use, and has enough space for your music. Through doing BS like this, they are destroying that image that has been so successful. The only advantage of having a phone that plays music purchased from Apple's music store is the fact that people will be buying their ringtones from Apple instead of the service provider. Of course, you will end up with people who think this crap is really 'schweet' and they will use their iPhones to play music extremely loudly from the phone's crappy built-in speakers.
Does Polly want a cracker?
hopefully it won't feel like a plastic toy. maybe someday motorola will take a look at samsung and build a quality phone.
Will Eddy be keeping his job?
Every phone that I could use in my area is hobbled by SOB carriers who view BT as headset only, and charge for transfer of photos, ringtones and everything else.
Not that I want the latest MP3 of Poo Doody as my ringtone, or want to take blurry, oversaturated photos with my phone...It's the principle of the thing...
May Apple destroy the phone market as they have beaten the mp3 market.
Hm...it doesn't look like they'll be able to use the name iPhone...Nuvio's got it locked up:
http://www.iphone.com/
I bet you'll have to madly spin around a little touch wheel in order to dial it. Like a rotary phone.
I'm just old enough to remember phones with no buttons or dials.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/jul/17isync.h tml Cingular and Apple are already buddies. With Moto's exclusive offering of the new RAZR phone with Cingular, perhaps are budding relationship will truly blossom with an iPhone to tie it all together.
Go Apple.
- Apple undercut the market for Motorolla's $200 CodeWarrior with a suite of free developer tools.
- Motorola's StarMax Mac clone was end-of-lifed when Apple killed MacOS licensing.
- Apple, IBM, and Motorola have had a difficult time resolving design and licensing issues in the PowerPC development line.
- Apple was heavily embarassed by Motorola's inability to produce sufficient 500mhz G4's after a roll-out of new machines far exceeded expected demand.
If Motorola is now in bed with Apple, you can bet that we're talking a major financial deal to sweeten the partnership.1) In Sino-Soviet Korea, a Beowulf cluster of iTunes-enabled fone overlords (who I, for one, welcome) plays Natalie Portman naked and petrified in hot grits to old people in a positive manner.
2) ???
3) Profit! Because the iPod has made Apple money hand over fist, so a fone that has the same general function (could this be the flash iPod everyone is talking about?) will likely be a giant seller.
Problem is that cell fones are typically loss leaders for SOMEBODY, and we all know the iTMS is barely profitable, so I just don't see where the money would be coming from here.
p
In Korea, long hair is for old people!
- iTunes ringback (what the caller hears is an iTune bought by the callee)
- Distinctive iTune ringtone (I can program the ringtone I hear with an iTune I bought, according to the caller)
- iTunes will not only sync with iPod but also with iPhone
- iPhone to iPhone gifts (I bought an iTune and I give it to you)
- iPhone to iPhone recommendations (I recommend an iTune to you)
- Express your feeling with iTune (when you call her, she hears a music you selected)
- ...
it's just the beginning man! Wait 'till Apple sells movies, documentaries and radio shows...Get a Kyocera. I have a 2325, but I don't know if they still sell them. The battery life is great, the sound is fine, and there are no moving parts to break.
I get about two hours of talk time on a full charge, which takes an hour or so. Idle time charge lasts about four days, sometimes more (if I stay near a tower). It doesn't suffer from heat problems.
And it has Tetris.
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
You hreak the number you want to dial either by;
That said, I'm sure it will be a hit with the
--#voxlator
Who's going to buy an iPod phone when we've all already gone out and bought Ngages?
I think phones are past status... the numbers are swinging to wireless for future communications...
Although I am currently considering dropping my t-mobile service for a landline, and dropping the cable modem for dial-up... (I couldn't possibly be the norm tho.)
I'm trying to be frugal in '05.
A fellow I know had the Japanese glyph for the word "Apple" tattooed on him because of his Mac fervor. He doesn't speak Japanese and used a simple, web based English to Japanese translation service.
Apparently people who do speak Japanese tell him that the glyph is more properly translated as "fruit" than as "apple". That isn't a big deal except when he's in the communal showers at the YMCA.
Okay, so it's now wireless. But I bet it'll have less space than a Nomad.
Lame.
Wouldn't you like to be able to navigate address books to dial a phone vial the scroll wheel and single click button, just like an iPod? I know I would...
Potentially this new phone could all cross licence the UI and be a real boon for Motorola.
As for diaing numbers not in the address book - voice reognition, I'd wager.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
My current cellular contract is up in February. I can't wait to go shopping for a new phone!
Wake up.
eVeryone who tries to use the nGage as a phone, & want to exchange it.
Ehh. You're just a wannabe cultist...
My name is already Steve. No need to name a cat here.
*shiver* It's like my parents figured it out before I was even born!!!
It seems to me, given the +5 Flamebait status on some posts here, that there are a few moderators that have been pushing a pro-Apple agenda in here. Kudos to those of you handing out "Underated" to those posts that have been unfairly moderated down in here.
'cause I want one.
Make me a friend and I'll mod you up
You forgot Apple-Moto, you insensitive CLOD!b randing overlords.
In Soviet Russia, Mobile phones make lame jokes (like these) about YOU!
And for the grand-finale...(rimshot)...I, for one, welcome our single-mouse-button-mp3-player-trendsetting-moto-
My Favourite Meme
Please, for the love of god, I just want a phone that will actually make phone calls in my apartment. *whimper*
I'm not in the boonies. I'm a mere 20 miles East of San Francisco in an area where the median home prices is over $700,000. People have money.
But I can't make a phone call from my apartment. Verizon comes close, but Cingular, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, Nextel - none of them work.
My old ass MetroPCS phone is the only phone that I get more than 3 "bars" with. And it doesn't have a camera, either.
What ever happened to making call quality the #1 priority? I don't want a camera phone! I don't want an mp3 player! I just want to make friggin PHONE CALLS!
*head as-plodes*
Am I the only one that needs a Kleenex after reading this???
maybe the rumors are way off and this is what the flash iPod is. the Moto V710 phone has a removable memory card you can put MP3 files on and play them as ringtones, or listen to them on the speakerphone. i guess headphones or a carkit would be possible too? who knows. you have to read the article knowing some are quotes from Apple and Moto and some is filler/speculation by Forbes. not to diss them, but it's possible they don't totally know and are off the mark with their speculation.
and i quote:
as mentioned by another poster, i also have a s-e T610 (actually, two) with t-mobile; and here is the first time i hear about the lockout of bluetooth features with other phones/companies. ...), though not as advanced as some of the newer nokias (which e.g. show the cover art when using it as itunes remote...).
maybe you should switch the carrier? the t610 is very nice as remote, too (using salling clicker
though, for a german it is kind of weird to see the familiar ugly magenta "T" logo of the formerly state owned german carrier popping up everywhere in the u.s.
Shameless self-promotion: iPhone is already available. ;)
CodeWarrior was released in the early '90s by a small Canadian startup named Metrowerks. When Apple transitioned to the PowerPC and was only able to come up with an abominably slow, clunky and cumbersome development system for it (a set of multipass C++ compilers bundled with their ancient MPW evironment), Metrowerks saved the day by shipping CodeWarrior which had a kick-ass IDE (inspired by Think C, formerly Lightspeed) and a fast, efficient one pass compiler and linker. A few years later Motorola released a compiler plug-in for Codewarrior; then Metrowerks started trying to branch out into other areas such as embedded systems and cross-development systems. Eventually they were bought by Motorola by the end of the '90s.
Now the mugger will get a phone with his mp3 player
Anyone know where to get a true rotary phone? I want one!
How about Apple and Motorola produce a phone that fully synchronizes with iSync for all the productivity items like contacts and calendars? The only folks that make such devices are Nokia and Siemens. I want everything down to the photo on the Address Book entry... plus decent enough e-mail for getting warning messages from the servers.
Is it just me or would it be really amazing if they released a phone with essentially an iPod mini integrated into it? That's all the convergence device I would need really. Seriously, why hasn't anyone released in the US either a phone or a PDA with a built in HD? The iPod mini shows the hard drive can be pretty damn small.
With an iPod mini integrated into a phone, you could get phone call making, mp3 playing, and basic PDA functionality all in one. Basically all I need from a mobile device. And you could wrap it all up with a super slick scroll wheel rotary dial interface. Maybe not as easy to use for making number dials as a regular phone, but easy enough, considering I almost never dial in a number manually and 90% of my phone calls go to people I already know. And man that sure would be futuristic retro cool.
Too bad it's pretty apparent the real device isn't going to be anything like this. I sure think this would be sweet...
Nokia beat Apple with a rotary cell phone, it's their Nokia 7280 (http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,62356,00.html).
seems iCel would be most appropriate
Apple's iPod hardware buddy HP seems to sell might-look-good-in-white, curiously out-of-stock bluetooth stereo headphones, but without a mic. Hmmm...
All white, beautiful OS, iTunes support, iTMS support, sync to mac and PC.
:(
But just one button
Check your renters'/homeowners' associations.
This happens in my area, too, and it's caused by the NIMBY attitude of people when they see a cell phone tower. Even if the cellular provider proposes a camouflaged tower (one that looks like a tree, etc.), they are beaten back by the pseudoscience wackos threatening health problems. They've even taken out existing towers ("Too close to the schools--think of the children!"), which I suspect is why you remember your MetroPCS phone fondly. As a result, my nearest cell tower is a zillion miles away and, like you, I have no coverage indoors.
What the hell is with you people and playing MP3's on your phone? I've been doing it for AWHILE. I downsample them of course... I have a SE K700i. It plays MP3's. some of which I use for custom ringtones for certain people who call me, or for groups of people! the do not answer before 10am crowd gets a certain ringtone, my party people friends get a different one, the girlfriend {GASP I READ SLASHDOT, I KNOW WHAT A VAGINA LOOKS LIKE WITH MY OWN TWO EYES THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE PORN OR REFERENCES TO MY MOM) has her own ringtone... all MP3, none paid for or retarded polyphonic stuff. Bluetooth is kickass, but not fast enough for EDGE yet. Hell, the US isn't anywhere NEAR Euro or Asian G3 yet. My K700 can play MP3's over it's speaker, and it ain't bad. It also doubles as an FM radio. And an Alarm CLOCK, and it has all the contacts, calendar events, etc sync'd via bluetooth. It's a crappy camera, but good enough for a quick shot when I'm not toting around any camera at all. It also does voice recording, where a 5 minute recording is good enough, it lets my laptop jump onto the web via GPRS. and the list goes ON AND ON AND ON AND ON. IT DOES a ton of stuff. the battery lasts 3 days, 1 day if I'm on the phone every other 5 minutes and using it for all those other things constantly. But I don't. It does 'enough' and it does it damn well. If you want a phone that goes everywhere and you only use it as a phone, fine. You get your free whatever phone from your provider and you don't bitch. ME? I want a phone that does some of this stuff. I don't want to have to bust out my PDA/Laptop to check my calendar to see whomever's birthday it is while I'm on the bus... Or send a quick email. Or plugin a headset and use it as an MP3 walkman, or an FM portable radio... I want a device that does ENOUGH, good enough. If Apple can make that? as well as they made the iPod? I'll pay 500$ for it. I've paid more for less. Hopefully they'll be able to make something right. IN the meantime. Go buy yourself a sidekick, or maybe an Ngage, and an iPod, and a cell phone, and a Palm and shove 'em in 1 pocket. My phone does all those in one small form factor, and it does all good enough. For now... FOR NOW. There's cool stuff comin' round the corner. All you people need is a little more patience. ~patience is a virtue... have a little, you might one day be considered a virtuous person~
The interesting thing with a potential phone pod would actually be whether the audio codec remains AAC or becomes AAC+. Obviously AAC+ would make more sense when considering over the air download constraints etc. AAC+ would also help on the memory side.... What does the NET think?
Maybe it's a US thing that they can do that and expect to get away with it. I don't know of any Carrier in the UK that does that sort of thing. I've got a K700i and regularly use Bluetooth with my Mac to sync up the address book, calendar, offload pictures I take with it and most importantly to connect to the phone's GPRS modem for mobile internet access. If I had to funnel the first three through my carrier (Orange) it would cost me a fortune. And the last feature would be impossible.
I simply would not accept that limitation from a carrier. It's an abuse of their service. Do the sensible thing and change you carrier to someone who doesn't cripple your phone and your computing experience. Then let them know in a letter why you're changing. If enough people do the same, they'll start to get the message.
One can only hope.
I have a website. It's about Macs.
Apple's success is based on Apple controlling all aspects of its business. Can you imagine a company that doesn't allow clones of its computers allowing people to judge their newest/coolest gadget by the quality of signal that someone gets from some anonymous tower?!?
Think about it...
When the average user gets crappy reception during a phone call, do they curse the towers? No, they get mad at their phone (sometimes tossing it across the car or shutting it violently or something)!
Apple will not make a product that is judged by the quality of something outside of Apple's control.
If this is a phone, it will be a new set of features for Motorola, not an iPhone. Since Nextel uses Motorola and Sprint just bought Nextel, here is what I think will happen:
Nextel/Sprint will offer 2 lines of phones:
Powerbook line:
Enhanced versions of what Nextel uses now
(black, invulnerable, geeky, GPS, etc.)
iBook line:
iTMS (iTunes Music Service) enhanced versions of Sprint
(Sprint "pin-drop" clarity with cool music downloads)
Think of this more along the lines of the HP iPod, Apple is going to allow others to license their service. Apple will not make their own phone. If Apple is really doing anything with Motorola specifically on chips, it would be trying to get a lower heat/power-consumption G5 so Apple can get them into new Powerbooks.
Maybe (I hope) I am being really, really cycnical but I bet it won't be possible to either transfer tracks from your PC that you have ripped from a CD or (even worse) transfer tracks from your PC that you have already purchased via iTunes.
I would put money on the only method of loading tracks onto the handset being downloading them directly to the handset.
Nice way to get you to repurchase music and to lock you into your contract/handset (if you change network or handset you would loose your tunes).
Maybe this will help the poor RIAA members get their profits even higher.
"Your current wait is expected to be two hours, twenty-five minutes...."
One can also see this with keyboards. Many PC ship with 10 or more extra keys to execute specilized commands. While this may be useful for a small subset, it annoys me that the extra keys make the keyboard bigger than it has to be and it causes confusion. For instance, on my compaq laptop there is a row a ancillary buttons across the top. The most important button, the start up button, is just one these buttons, barely differentiated. Everytime I want to turn on the machine I must look for the button. Time wasted because someone wanted to look technologically advanced by including lots of buttons.
The phone I want from apple has the structure of iPod mini, but much smaller. No keyboard, no speaker, no mic. Bluetooth to a headset. Scrollwheel selects person to call. Sync to adress book and datebook. If the networks would get full caller ID, like the bells, numbers could be stored with names. In fact I have often wondered how hard it would be add phone capability to the mini, and, of course, bluetooth.
The keyboard on a phone is useful for texting, but a popup keyboard and the scrollwheel could be just as useful, expecially with predictive technology and a phrase bank. I will never buy a phone in which the data cannot be gathered from my laptop. The current cellphone is evolved from 70's technology. It is time for something different.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
Apple's success is based on Apple controlling all aspects of its business. Can you imagine a company that doesn't allow clones of its computers allowing people to judge their newest/coolest gadget by the quality of signal that someone gets from some anonymous tower?!?
Just like Apple not supporting that internet thingy! Imagine having your customers judge their new computer based on the crappy service they get from Comcast.
Or like how you can't use third party software on your Macs. Imagine the user experience being ruined by some random app causing kernal panics!
[/sarcasm]
SteveM
In germany and benelux, the discount chain aldi is releasing the "AldiPod" . I'm not much of music-man, but a phone with the design-talent of the ipod, my god, the drool is shorting my keyboard!
10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then
I don't want my cell phone to:
Be a pda; play music,games, 3 billion different, ring tones,take pictures, record video, show tv shows, or any of the other things they keep cramming in.
I want a cell phone that works well as a PHONE, doesn't drop calls, and doesn't have to be "rebooted" because of a crappy OS trying to do everything but what a telecommunications unit should do. It should make and recieve calls - and maybe, just maybe store a few frequently called numbers.
IF, AND ONLY IF THEY GET THE BASIC PHONE FUNCTION ROCK SOLID THEN THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD "FEATURES." I would much rather see them invest in makeing the technology more reliable than cramming new "features" into the device.
. there used to be a sig here.....
Just didn't know that it was Apple who would do this.
And that it would be this soon.
Guess I win the bet. :-)
-- Boycott Shell
http://treomac.com/v-web/portal/cms/modules.php?na me=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=32
I can throw a little more gas onto the Apple phone rumors. I was on a train this weekend, watching an episode of the Simpsons on my Treo600. The gentleman sitting across from me asked me how I liked the phone. I told him I loved it and we began a tech conversation. He mentioned that he worked for Motorola. I told him I was a Macintosh consultant, and then he dropped the bomb! "I've got a scoop for you", he teased.
Apparently some of his associates had been telling him earlier in the week about an Apple branded phone that had been circulating around the office at Motorola. The phone had Motorola components, but most certainly had Apple brandings on it. He said that he did not have a chance to handle the phone, but that his direct supervisor did. The phone was "sleek and sexy" in her words. He mentioned that there was talk amongst the people who had seen it that itunes and iphoto would factor into this device somehow. They also said that the phone had a slot on the top (media slot?) as well as what looked to be a usb 2.0 port on the bottom.
All very interesting. He gave me his card, so I'll be sure to press him for more details in the coming weeks.
Stay Tuned!
_________________
Tony Ricciardi
Administrator
TreoMac.com
Also, from another source:
It's basically the successor to the Motorola E398, but with iTunes, and extensive Apple influence and iPod integration. I haven't seen it yet, but my info is direct from Moto top people.
The current Motorola E398 was a tri-band GSM bar form factor phone, with a large screen, TransFlash slot, Bluetooth, camera, media player, speakerphone, and FM tuner. And since this offering is GSM, and Steve Jobs has twice trotted out Cingular CEO Stephen Carter at Macworld keynotes, and given other carriers' resistance to the idea of iTunes on a phone (for reasons of either not wanting to provide bandwidth for such a service at a reasonable cost, OR being opposed to having full computer/device connectivity via Bluetooth bypassing their networks), it would appear that Cingular/AT&T might be a good candidate to carry such a device.
And for all those who think that Motorola phones suck OR are only basing your opinion on NEXTEL phones, trust me: they've gotten a LOT better, and actually have some excellent offerings (e.g., RAZR V3 and v710, Verizon crippling aside).
A cell phone is a pretty limited device -- maybe 256mb ram. Will there be a way to transfer my purchased music to my PC?
Also - will I be able to transfer AAC music that I purchased in the past from iTunes to my phone? It'd be nice to not have to carry a phone *and* an iPod to work.
And lastly -- what about battery life?
Chip H.
I have to admit I'm a bit curious about all the effort and publicity surrounding this, but I guess with Apple and Motorola being former bedroom buddies and with iTunes and Apple as hot as they are right now, anything involving either would make news.
Most of Apple's functions (Bluetooth, MP3, AAC, 3GPP, contact synchroniztion) already work with Nokia's Symbian platform right now, except for iTunes' DRM - which, admittedly, is the show-stopper. But why would you not also try to partner with, or license your stuff to, another company who has done much of the grunt work already ?
IIRC the Samsung Uproar was the first phone to come out with mp3 playback capability. For the technology available at the time (2001) it was a great device - 64MB flash player with a decent phone.
One of the best features of that phone was completely unintentional - since it had stereo headphones for both phone and mp3 player usage you could have two people talk on the phone at the same time without having to use a speakerphone by giving each person one of the earpieces.
Have you seen my stapler?
I love the idea of mp3 players merging with cell phones. If you think about it, it's a very natural merge. And, ideally, MP3 integration would force the production of more comfortable handsfree headsets, and perhaps one day, a headset so seamless comfortable you would never have to take it off.
"hey, could you pass me a paper towel? er.. I mean... DEPLOY ABSORBTION PANEL!"
Why will he be fired? Everyone already knows there is something going on at Apple+Motorola. Jobs himself announced that iTunes would be included in Motorola cellphone. If Jobs going to fire anyone over this music-on-cellphone rumors, he has to start with himself.
> So many things are becoming an addition to the mobile phone, and different
> groups teaming up to cover their core areas. Obviously Sony are placed fairly
> well at the moment with their audio, imaging, comms and gaming devices.
Personally, I think that most additions that are bolted on a cell phone result in a substandard product.
Consider a phone + camera combo.
On one hand, I want my phone to be small and light.
On the other hand, I want my digicam to take quality pictures, which requires a decently sized photosites and good optics (with lots of lens elements).
These requirements are at odds with each other.
On the other hand, adding audio functions to a cell phone should be doable without exessively compromising quality.
Is there a reasonably priced cell phone + AM/FM radio + MP3 player combo in existance?
Isn't this the same news organization that has such wonderful writers as Daniel Lyons, and publishes glowing articles about what a wonderful case SCO has? Wern't they buying SCO's story even as of August 2004?
Those who would give up liberty in exchange for security and DRM should switch to Microsoft Palladium!
There is a big difference between making something work and making something usable. Motorola may have already implemented the technical end of things but it's the user interface that makes or breaks a product. And creating a good user interface is just as hard, if not harder then making it work technically.
Well... it was inevitable. The venture between Apple and Motorola. Music was bound to be on cell phones eventually. We all new it was coming.
But, Wohoo! I'm excited. Not necessarily for the iTunes compatible cell phone, but for the concept. Sooner or later, all cell phones will be MP3 players as well. It's like two in one. It's like a combo DVD and VHS player. It sounds wonderful. Music on the go with no extra devices...
This new cell phone will definitely replace the iPod, despite what the executive said.
I would like to see Jobs think big and transform the whole phone industry instead of a boring old phone even if it is styled nice. How bout this...
------------
Apple sets up their own full-fledged telecommunications platform and buys the bandwidth wholesale (kind of like Virgin) from the current infrastructure the same way they but bandwidth for the iTunes music store and their site. Then...they do like they did with the iPod...
1) Portable device (iPod)...iPhone...but it is not just cell, it includes WiFi and Bluetooth for VoIP and traditional landlines.
2) Master App (iTunes)...iMessage...Syncs all addresses, etc. Ties into the internet for VoIP and to your land line through the modem port. Includes all the telephony functions like answering system etc.. Coordinates with iTunes and iPhoto.
3) Web Services (iTuneMusicStore)...iMessageCenter...Manage your cell/VoIP accounts/plan. Buy ringtones and iPhone accessories, etc.
----------
Apple controls the whole sheebang and transforms another staid, boring industry. Brings them all into the new millenium.
Probably not possible but I could see Jobs having a lot of fun doing it. And think of the revenue stream.
I agree that from the screen shot the phone looks very impractical.
But if it could recognize spoken numbers to dial, then it would be much more practical - and my initial point about using the scroll wheel to traverse address books still stands. Nothing beats scrolling through a large list of items like the scroll wheel.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
With a #11 key.
The last analyst report I saw pointed out that the entire revenue from legal downloads amounted to 5% of the current revenue from mobile phone ringtones.
If I was Apple I'd be selling ringtones on the ITMS.
Da Blog
Yep, phone quality needs work. I had to get a imported phone from soney ericsson. Most of the things it does are nice. I'd like it better if had a square form factor. Oh well. Phone call quality has gone to crap for amongst other things what people think about microwave towers neer them. On the handset end it's definatly gone to crap as well. Case in point: my nokia 3650: Droped MANY times. Still works. Treo droped once. dead. Ericsson. Droped a few times. not a scratch.
The companies said they plan to release a phone that will connect locally to computers unning Microsoft's Windows as well as Apple's Macintosh computers using a cable or a Bluetooth wireless connection.
What about Redhat's Linux?
When will they realize we don't need a cell phone that does a bazillion things? We just need them to WORK. Give us a cell phone that doesn't drop calls!!!
Is it black like the U2 phone? How much more black could it be?
Random is the New Order.
I have my Apple BT powerbook, I have Apple Ipod. Both designed for sleek and easy mobility. Whats missing? My connection! I want this to be an apple component that gets me onto the internet at the highest possible speed while on a cell network (rather than WiFi) . Perhaps it can autonomously download an album from iTMS without my laptop, for when I hear it on the radio, or see it in a store. but who knows...
They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!
I posted the item above. it didnt attach my name to it.
Making a phone that also works as an iPod would simply undermine regular iPod sales. If anything, my guess is that the Apple/Moto phone would have the typical integration with iSync, Address Book and add to it tight integration with .Mac (web-mail) & iChat AV. The possibilities with that would be amazing.
http://oldphones.com/
So far we seem to be the only ones thinking in the same direction.
STEPHEN EFFING CARTER? The guy who got replaced in late 2002 and slinked back to SBC? You need to update your database, friend. Getting trotted out at Macworld keynotes was the highlight of his Cingular career. The guy was AWFUL.
As an earlier poster pointed out - if it was possible to use ACTUAL songs as ringtones instead of those ANNOYING whining tones I have to choose from - wow! I would PAY $0.99 for my own choice of a song as a ringtone! I bet the Apple/Mot phone WILL have this feature.
...Wow!
So can we say - Ringtone download sites - get ready for Apple to take over THAT market too!
Hmmm - my favorite Bhangra song as my ringtone! or Clapton or Basie or
AM
And if they do address book they might as well throw iCal synchronization in there too so I can see my calendar on my phone. Though the Address Book Synch would be more useful.
And - of course - the interface to my PowerBook should be Bluetooth.
Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart
Although I have to say I've always wondered why Apple is so bad at missing the christmas and back-to-school seasons with their product announcements. But I guess it's working for them, since they never seem to make enough units anyway (except maybe for G4 Cubes...)
Keep up the good work. Every time I look at my friends list I fall victim to your ploy! Oh no! I have to remember to breathe again! *breathes*
So why dont you buy one then: http://www.apple.com/isync/devices.html My last 3 cellphones have talked happily with my Mac. Syncing, sending files, sending sms with the computer, using it as a modem etc "just works"..
It's already happening, dammit - I have a roommate whose phone blares some annoying-ass punk rock song in mono badness. He's with Cingular, I believe.
My English teacher once told me that two positives don't make a negative. Two words for her: Yeah, right.
Nokia seem to be working with Apple on the 7280:
from the site you linked to:
"Nokia Collector supports synchronization with Apple for photos, audio files, and video clips"
If it wasn't rude and anti-social enough for all you whippersnappers to talk loud on your cell phone in public spaces, now people will have to talk even louder over all that damn hippie music....
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
Thanks!
Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart
None.
None more black.
Actually, the Audiovox CMP3 was the first MP3 player/phone.
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http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servl
Be glad you never had one.