Motorola and Apple have got together to produce an iTunes compatible phone. Phone users will be able to connect their phone to their computer using a USB cable or Bluetooth connection (hope you’re not in a rush then) and transfer songs to their mobile. The new iTunes application will be the standard music player on Motorola music phones.
This makes a lot of sense because of the popularity and installed base of iTunes, plus the proven security model of the FairPlay DRM implementation.
The mobile iTunes application won’t feature the Music Store for a while, so users will not be able to buy or preview music from Apple’s online shop. Given network bandwidth limitations, this is probably a good thing.
The first handsets with iTunes will be available next year. Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, said: “The mobile phone market – with 1.5 billion subscribers expected worldwide by the end of 2004 – is a phenomenal opportunity to get iTunes in the hands of even more music lovers around the world.”
Will iPod sales be lost if consumers decide that they don’t need an Apple player but decide to use their Motorola phone? Or will exposure to the iTunes application and store encourage more people to go out and buy an iPod?