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Mobile Phones Forum / Cell Phone Manufacturer Forums / Motorola Forum

teleguy
Enthusiast

Mar 14, 2005, 11:46 AM

Post #1 of 4 (1898 views)

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What do you think of this decision by Motorola? Smart business or cutting their own pockets? Was this a service you were waiting for from them? Sound off.

from http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7149437/

iTunes cell phone put on hold
Motorola had planned to debut phone at CeBIT
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:16 p.m. ET March 10, 2005

HANOVER, Germany - Motorola Inc. postponed plans Thursday to unveil a cell phone that can buy and play songs from Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes download service, a sudden decision which may reflect tensions with cellular companies who also want to sell music to mobile phone users.

The company briefed reporters on the new offering earlier in the week and planned to unveil the phone at the big CeBIT technology show here. Motorola's two-story exhibition booth included a display of iMacs running iTunes, but the new phones weren't there.

Motorola spokeswoman Monica Rohleder said in Chicago that the company remains in discussions with a number of wireless carriers regarding the first iTunes phone and will announce it "when it's ready to go," close to its expected release time this summer.

She asserted that the last-minute change in plans was no reflection of a dispute with carriers who offer Motorola phones in their handset lineups.

"Absolutely nothing went wrong," she said. "It was solely our decision to hold off the announcement."

In advance of the Illinois-based company's expected announcement, some analysts had said Motorola was running the risk of alienating the carriers by offering a service which might cut them out of the revenue stream for selling music to cell phone subscribers.

Music, video and Internet services are relatively uncharted markets which the cellular carriers are determined to capitalize on as the payoff on their hefty investment in advanced wireless networks with enough speed and capacity to deliver multimedia content.

At CeBit, many visitors to Motorola's booth were asking about the new iTunes-enabled handsets.

"Do you have the phones?" a Swede asked one of the demonstrators, who shrugged and said no.

Volker Haebel, marketing director of Motorola's German division, said a launch could come in the United States within a few weeks.

"The partners have to dance together," he said, referring to the marriage of Motorola's cell phones with Apple's music platform. "You have to find the rhythm."

He said the iTunes program would work just like the version available to computer users. The software would be compatible, and people who download iTunes to their phones would then be able to transfer the songs to their computers and portable iPod music players.

Notably, making music available by phone is a big theme of this year's CeBit. Providers like Vodafone Group PLC, Orange PLC, T-Mobile Ltd. in Europe are already making songs available, but none on the iPod.

In Japan, music fans already have access to an over-the-cellular-network service through network provider KDDI Corp., the second-largest telecom in Japan with 17 million cell phone users.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

teleguy
Enthusiast

Jun 26, 2005, 11:12 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1673 views)

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Maybe finally the iTunes phone that was pulled with little or notice advance warning may be closer to reality.

What do you think about this? Is this just more hype to make the phone popular and "in demand" when it does get to the stores?

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Reuters: Cingular considering iTunes phone
By AppleInsider Staff Published: 05:00 PM EST Cingular Wireless, the No. 1 U.S. mobile service, is considering selling a Motorola's upcoming iTunes phone, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

"Motorola and Apple have been talking to Cingular about it using the iTunes phone," according to one of the publication's sources, who asked not to be named.

Meanwhile, RBC Capital analyst Mark Sue said in a recent research note that Apple and Cingular were working out final details on revenue sharing pertinent to the arrangement.

Representatives from both Apple and Cingular declined to comment on the report, but a Motorola spokeswoman said the company is on schedule to ship an iTunes phone in the third quarter.

Apple and Motorola have been working to bringing Apple's popular iTunes service to mobile phones but Motorola has delayed unveiling its iTunes device so far amid speculation about a lack of interest from operators.

According to a report in French newspaper Le Figaro, Apple and Motorola may announce the device, dubbed iPhone, as early as next Tuesday.

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Or is it ...........? Kinda need a scorecard to keep up, don't you?

Sound off and give your opinion. Are they singing your tune?

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Apple sued over iTunes software interface
By Kasper Jade and Prince McLean Published: 05:20 PM EST Apple Computer, Inc. has been slapped with a lawsuit over iTunes, AppleInsider has learned.

Contois Music Technology last week asked a Federal Court to stop the iPod maker from distributing its iTunes jukebox software and is seeking damages over an alleged patent violation by the iTunes software.

The suit, filed on June 13th in Vermont District Court, alleges that Apple's iTunes software design infringes on Contois' six-year old design patent (US Patent No. 5,864,868) entitled "Computer Control System and User Interface for Media Playing Devices."

The Essex Junction, Vt.-based Contois is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining Apple from further distributing its iTunes software in its current form. The company also asked the Court for an unspecified amount of monetary damages resulting from Apple's "copying and willful infringement" of its design patent as well as reimbursement of legal fees associated with the lawsuit.

In the 10-page suit obtained by AppleInsider, lawyers for Contois said that David Contois conceived of and developed a computer interface for playing music on an internal or external computer-responsive music device, which he then exhibited at the 1995 COMDEX trade show and the 1996 NAMM music industry trade show.

According to the suit, persons who were at the time employed by or later became employed by Apple were present at both trade shows and viewed Contois' software. The suit charges Apple later "copied" the invention and used the design ideas in the interface for its iTunes software.

Specifically, Contois documented 19 interface aspects of the iTunes software that it claims are in direct violation of Contois' patent. These areas include iTunes' menu selection process to allow the user to select music to be played, the ability of the software to transfer music tracks to a portable music player, and search capabilities such as sorting music tracks by their genre, artist and album attributes.

Contois claims to have notified Apple in writing of its patent in September 2004 but believed that Apple became aware of the patent on its own more than 18 months earlier in January 2003.

"By reason of Apple's infringing activities, Contois has suffered, and will continue to suffer, substantial damages in an amount yet to be determined," the suit reads. "On information and belief, Apple's infringement has been and continues to be willful."

Since its launch in Jan. 2001, Apple's iTunes software has grown to serve an installed user-base of millions and is distributed free-of-charge via Apple's website as well as with each iPod digital music player the company sells. The iTunes software is also the primary access point to Apple's industry-leading iTunes Music Store, which is available in 19 countries and has served more than 450 million downloaded songs worldwide.

Lawyers for Spink & Miller, PLC, the Virginia-based firm representing Contois, were out on business and did not respond to inquiries for comment by press time.

Contois is seeking a trial by jury.

teleguy
Enthusiast

Sep 5, 2005, 7:35 PM

Post #3 of 4 (1557 views)

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The saga continues on the iTunes phone. A recent AP story says in part:

A long-delayed cell phone from Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola Inc. that can play iTunes music downloads is finally set to debut through Cingular Wireless, a research analyst said.

The new phone will be equipped with software that would allow it to play songs purchased at Apple's iTunes Web site, according to Roger Entner, an analyst for research firm Ovum who said he learned of the plans from an industry executive.

teleguy
Enthusiast

Sep 8, 2005, 8:42 PM

Post #4 of 4 (1531 views)

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Motorola and Apple Launch the World's First Mobile Phone with iTunes
Motorola ROKR Available to Consumers Throughout Europe, North America, North Asia and Southeast Asia
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. and CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept 07, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Motorola, Inc. (MOT) and Apple today announced the availability of the world's first mobile phone with iTunes, enabling music lovers to transfer up to 100 of their favorite songs from the iTunes jukebox on their Mac or PC to their mobile phone*. The Motorola ROKR features easy-to-use menus, simple navigation and playback, and the ability to simply switch from listening to music to talking on the phone and back again with the push of a dedicated music key.
The new Motorola ROKR (pronounced "Rocker") is available in the following markets: -- U.S. - today, exclusively with Cingular
-- U.K. - available first with Carphone Warehouse, expected in
mid-September and then with O2, followed by Orange, Virgin Mobile, BT
Mobile and other top retailers through September and October
-- France - expected to be available by late September through key
retailers
-- Italy - expected to be available by late September through key
retailers
-- Germany - expected to be available through distributor and operator
channels in 2H 05
-- Canada - expected to be available in mid- to late-September with
Rogers Wireless
-- Hong Kong - expected to be available by late September through
multiple retail outlets and operator channels
-- Australia, Singapore and the Philippines - expected to be available
late September through early October through retail and operator
channels
-- Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and other markets throughout the world -
expected to be available in the fourth quarter

"The Motorola ROKR represents the ultimate convergence of mobile communications and music," said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO of Motorola. "Fusing iTunes with your always-with-you mobile phone, we're revolutionizing the way the world experiences mobile self-expression and entertainment."
"We've worked closely with Motorola to deliver the world's best music experience on a mobile phone," said Eddy Cue, vice president of iTunes. "We're also thrilled to be working with some of the largest wireless carriers in the world to bring this pioneering phone to market."
The Motorola ROKR features a color display for viewing album art, dual built-in stereo speakers and stereo headphones that also serve as a mobile headset with microphone. Music fans can randomly autofill or manually fill the mobile phone with playlists of their favorite music, audiobooks and Podcasts from their iTunes library via a USB connection. The Motorola ROKR pauses music automatically when users take a call and offers the ability to listen to music while checking messages** or snapping a photo.
Pricing and Availability
For more information on product availability and pricing in each market, please visit http://www.hellomoto.com . iTunes for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download from http://www.apple.com/itunes . Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase.
About Motorola
Motorola pioneered mobile technology in the 1930s with car radios and public safety radio networks, and space-to-earth communication for the Apollo program. In the 1980s, Motorola revolutionized personalized communications with the first commercial handheld cellular phone. Today, its new smart devices, networks, and software are making communications not just mobile, but seamless. Continuously redefining "the device formerly known as the mobile phone," Motorola also leads the industry in design, with award-winning products like the iconic RAZR. Motorola had sales of U.S. $31.3 billion in 2004. For more information, please visit http://www.motorola.com .
About Apple
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award- winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.
B-roll available at: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/motorola
*Total storage capacity is limited by number of songs. Storage capacity is approximate and based on four minutes per song and 128Kbps AAC encoding.
**Network and/or SIM card dependent feature, not available in all areas. Airtime, data charges, and/or additional charges may apply.