We’ve just received a sound tip that Microsoft is working on its very own phone to be branded under the Zune moniker. Our tipsters inform us that Microsoft execs are in meetings today hammering out details of the device and developing strategies and timescales for its release.
Seeing as that the development has hardly started, little is known yet about the Zune Phone, but there are some details that seem solid thus far.
This is what we know:
It will be a smartphone that works homogeneously with the Zune marketplace. It will most likely not, however, run Windows Mobile. Rather it’ll make use of an interface similar to the current Zune, an interface that I consider among the best available on audio players—I’m sure it can transition to a phone easily.
Connectivity is the major concern of the device. It is said that it will be able to sync with the Xbox 360 and stream video from the system to the phone via a wireless data connection. This would be pivotal in Microsoft’s proliferation of its media ambitions. Not only does it already have millions of 360s in homes capable of downloading movies, it’d be able to distribute those videos directly to its phones. Cool stuff.
The other detail that seems certain at this point is that the device will, if things go as planned, be available for the ‘07 holiday season, which seems like a decent time line. That gives Microsoft about nine months to get everything together, an entirely possible feat.
With the Apple iPhone is set to drop in June, and the Microsoft Zune Phone near December, this year is gearing up to be highly prolific for the cellular industry. What effect do you all think this will have on the scheme of things? Who do you think will deliver a better product (and I don’t want “just because” answers)? Rational thought here, please.
This information is as definite as tips can be.
iPhone and ZunePhone should be sold at Toys R Us because they sound to be nothing more than toys. I’m thinking of replacing my kids with a couple of Cabbage Patch Dolls. That is only if they’re going for $600, because that seems to be the going rate for a good toy these days.
@tim
“According to the same people who said you would get your iTunes replaced for free? The most recent statements deny a Zune Phone.”
there is a video of a interview done to ballmer (pre-ces i think) where he talks about a zune phone,so unless there is a direct declaration by J Allard or ballmer denying, the recent facts don´t change this.
“No, more than 12 months. And not very well. And they had older projects prior to it being apparent that PFS was a complete failure.”
from the momenth they started actually making it, that was done in 8 months, there is a declaration of it.
“WM with a Zune skin is still WM. The Zune software is just WMP with less functionality and a skin.”
Origami experience is a skin and a gui mod for umpc´s, but it is still a interface…nothing you said refutes it besides you mocking it..
“Are you out of breath? Zune is screwing over PFS partners. Zune is taking marketshare from PFS partners. Hence, PFS partners are creating closer distinct ties with Real and/or Napster. Zune DRM and PFS will not merge. Maybe they will both die though…”
Doubtful, just check the recent napter deal and the direct music deal, one will integrate to napstaer that uses pfs and one will pass from it´s own drm to PFS..
“It is currently crippled, and every device has updateable firmware. There is nothing special about Zune. Firmware doesn’t mean you’ll get these features; the fact that these features were pulled means MS has to listen to the studios. In other words, despite the promises, Zune had fewer features, not more.”
i never talked about it actual condition, i just said it can be upgraded at any time
“Nonsense.”
we will see
“Zune came out in 2006. Ballmer said he’s happy with current mobile strategy during several of his most recent interviews”
I saw the recent interviews, but they never asked him about the zune, they asked about the mobile os division.. and that is a different division from the zune.. so i reiterate the pre-ces video interview where he talks about the zune phone..
——–
I hope this replies make more sonse to you, but in any case, it is just a matter of your surfing around to find clear reference to what i am talking about…
This is classic Microsoft -
a) they completely ignore an emerging market for at least 2 years
b) desperately try to recover with unimaginative initiatives and fail miserably (another 2 years)
c) realize that their tactics aren’t working… spend obscene amounts of money to try to buy the market (1-4 years)
d) finally release a product that is competative with where the industry was 3-5 years ago
e) get completely blind-sided by the next big advancement, desperate to be seen as progressive they announce “Oh, we’re doing that too!”
f) return to a
The Zune is a joke. They are “hoping” to sell 1 million Zunes in 14 months… Apple sells a million iPods EVERY 4 DAYS! The announcment of the ZunePhone is just them realizing they screwed up again and released a product that was trying to be competative with the iPod from a couple years ago (and fails). They are just hoping if they announce that they are also doing whatever the new hotness is (the iPhone) there are still a couple people dumb enough to wait for them to come out with their lackluster competitor, which will take them several years, and – by then – there will be another completely new thing that they never anticipated. So predictable. So boring. So Microsoft.
zune phone?!
yawn…
Another copy product from Microsoft?! Now this is new. Microsoft copying an idea from Apple? No effing way!!! But MS is so….so…..original. They are so cutting egde. I just dont get it. Wait……wait…….I get it. Apple sent spies into Microsoft labs and stole the idea, then tied up them up so they couldnt release the Zune phone until after Apple had announced their phone. Thats it! bastards.
Whutta buncha copycats!! Nothing sicker then a copycat, except for all these myopic micro$oft fanatics defending every hilarious move m$ makes.
Read it and weep:
Vista=Poor attempt at copying Mac OS X, the proof is in the pudding, OS X is the worlds most advanced operating system built atop a rock-solid UNIX foundation.
Zune=Another poor attempt at copying Apple’s iPod, a device that revolutionized the music industry.
Zune Software=Yet another meager attempt at copying Apple’s amazing iTunes media organizing software.
Zune Phone=A proposed attempt at copying Apple’s jaw dropping iPhone, a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.
Once M$ comes up with an original idea, then we can talk turkey.
Microsoft has used similar pre-announcement techniques for years to chill emerging markets. The beauty of the current situation is that relatively few people care what Microsoft is doing in this space enough to actually delay a purchase decision.
zPhone. From the company that brought you Vista–five years late. Enjoy the wait!
This is what they should have done with the original zune….. I mean it was kinda obvious…
Muhahahahahahaaaaa…
MS Partners = PLAYEDforSure
Hey, both phones are not going to ship for a while so all the exact details are pretty much just guesses. So everyone take a break on all the absolutes, OK???
At least Apple has produced a working copy that is a start. Microsoft has a long history of vaporware, so I would not hold my breath. JMHO.
Eldernorm
I think Microsoft will make a better phone product than Apple will. I love what MS has done with the Zune especially its UI and glad to hear it most likely will make it’s way to the Zune Phone (plus I do not like the Windows Mobile UI). The battery life on the Zune is also great and that will hopefully carry over to the Zune Phone too.
I think the iPhone will suffer from bad battery life just like the iPod and that is a deal breaker for me (both my Samsung SPH-A900 and my gf’s Motorola Q batteries barely last a day and it’s flippin’ unbelievably frustrating). And is it just me or does Apple’s candy buttons and UIs (OS X, iPod, AppleTV, iPhone, etc.) feel a little kiddish, immature, unprofessional, tweener-ish, 12 year old girl in college, etc.? iTunes I can deal with, but the iPhone looks like I gonna get a tooth ache or cavity using. I prefer Zune’s UI, fresh, free, quick and non-pretentious
The i phone is not a very tactile device, that is its weakness… I can’t dial a touch screen unless I look at it, so I can’t drive and dial an iphone. A USB connection for charging, and data transfer is a must…
BATTERY life, if a zune phone had a super capacitor for a battery I would have a check ready.
I want a tool for a phone, not a computer, not a pda. Music/video would be nice.
my 2 scents
I am still suprised that it has taken both Microsoft and Apple so long to venture into the mobile phone arena. The future convergence of the various techs (digi cams, personal mp3 players, phone etc) has been obvious for quite a long time.
…AA.A..AAA…AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH! S-STOP YER KILLIN’ MEE…AHAHAHA!!
AH..ah…oooboy….MS FUD…I suppose MS will buy some third rate phone, make it brown, and give it some busted ass OS, (probably MISTA, er PISTA or what ever the hell it is) with 2 working features that crank anyway ’cause it’ll be AWASH in DRM which will be all but dead by next Christmas.
the only thing MS has going for it is that poop they force on hardware manufacturers that bilk money out of consumers that have better things to do than chew on MS’ chocolate.
that’s the only way MS makes it’s money. ballmer and his cronies know it and they’re all scared as hell.
apple’s next OS will probably run windoze apps natively because that’s the last barrier to getting people to switch to a mac. it will happen and the gorillas at MS know it because the open market will decide who has the best “whatever”, and it won’t be made by Micro Soft.
they cannot compete in the open market and it just makes me laugh.
hahahaha SEAN, very good… hahahahaha… MISTA… hahaha
MISTA is a great name… hahahaha MOBILE VISTA… hahahaha
M$ has to be renamed to
“Mee Too Crosoft”…
everything one launches, MeeTooCrosoft launches too.
Me too … Me Tooo
If on the next keynote Steve Jobs pulls his pants down and crap all over the stage, Bill Gates will do the same a few days later!
Problems in M$ start with the names they choose for their products. Starting with the company name…
Micro Soft, micro and soft… what is micro and soft?
micro means nothing one can see…
if one cannot see it cannot be soft…
Zune: alphabetically Zune will be in the end of the list.
Its performance is being compatible with that.
That explains why on Amazon’s electronics best seller list iPod models populate all 20 first places and Zune is on position 560… beaten by turntables, hdmi cables, boxes of blank CDs etc….
hahaha
Play4Sure – Their intention was to fool the user to think that Play4Sure means Play For Sure, but in fact the name is correct… PLAY FOUR SURE… ahhaha… Rest In Peace…
The company name is Gates. The product this guy launches is Windows. A Window is something that can break, is not secure, can get dirty and let everything from outside to enter the place.
and of course VISTA means
Virus
Infections
Spywares
Trojans
Adwares
:-)
I understand the traditional anti-Microsoft biases, but here’s what I don’t understand:
- why is everyone so happy to hate on MS for “copying” Apple’s brilliant phone idea? I’ve been using a Microsoft-designed phone that uses WMP for 3 years now. Granted, this is a different product, but is it a wholly divergent concept? No.
- why is everyone happy to point out that MS’ first version of any product will be terrible, as if Apple’s wouldn’t? Does anyone remember the 1G iPod? Does anyone remember randomly dying batteries after 2-3 hours?
- why is the standard of success for MS’ phone “something revolutionary” – that is, why assume Apple has already achieved that? What’s revolutionary about the iPhone besides the touchscreen? Oh wait, a touchscreen like the one on my 2-year old Tablet PC?
- why does everyone assume that the iPhone is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition? Releasing a phone heavily reliant on data transfer on a dog$hit GSM data network is 5 years behind the competition, not 5 years ahead.
- why is Apple “innovative” for putting out devices in the same girly colors year after year, and MS’ tactilely different two-tone player (available in more than just brown) is “crap”?
- why does MS get eviscerated for partially screwing over PFS partners, where Apple apparently gets a pass for screwing over its iPod launch partners (MusicMatch anyone?) just a few years ago?
What’s the problem with MS?!
Always stepping in toooooo late. Spending an enormous budget to make a product a succes. It’s a shame that this rich company lacks creativity.
I think it will be a deal with Nokia.
PS: Cosmic your comments are making no sense. Wake up.
The Zune is the best MP3 player in the world and Apple makes products that suck! The tablet pc joke is very good btw:) Is your name Bill???
It’s all about the Live Anywhere initiative. I honestly expect some form of official announcements this year at CTIA or CeBit. If nothing else than a ungraded versions of Windows Mobile and PocketPC Phone to include full integration into the Live Anywhere initiative.
I Zune phone was always a logical extension of this and I also have not ruled out the potentiality of a combination Zune/portable Xbox.
The ability to fully connect your Zune into your home media network (something that is still possible on the current Zune model with the proper software updates ala Xbox 360 updates) and stream your Media Center media (music, blogcasts, video) to anywhere your Zune is that has a nearby hotspot, will be priceless. Add to that the possibilities of having a 3G or even a 4G wireless transceiver built into your Zune (something that would be logical to add to a Zune phone), and you are looking at the literal ability to stream your Media Center content anywhere you can get a signal.
Talk on the phone while your are simultaneously downloading that episode of Heroes your Media Center DVRed while you were out. And then watch the episode after you hang up the call, as the Zune Phone continues to download the rest of the episode in the background . . . with nary a single hotspot within ten blocks, and not even break a sweat. The possibilities are very nice. And we still have not gotten into the oh, so addictive Friends List and Gamer Scores, that can now follow you everywhere. And what is a good cellphone without games. with the ability to be constantly connected to Live, and the power under the hood need to process WM9, that opens up a whole new world of portable smartphone gaming that very few have dared attempt. Xbox Live Arcade games on your Zune Phone.
I also see the possibility of some form of DVH/MediaFLO transceiver in the Zune Phone as well. With Microsoft bringing the full entertainment experience to the desktop and now the Xbox 360 with IPTV, why not live digital television on the go with DVH/MediaFLO? 2007 is going to see several major wireless carriers (even in the US) are going to start broadcasting live television using these technologies, and there are a plethora of cellphones that will be released this year that will have a receiver built in. So why not the Zune Phone as well?
And what about UMA? That is the wireless protocol that allows for a seamless voice/data signal hand off between your wireless carrier and any WIFI hotspot. The idea is to use VOIP as a means to save minutes on your mobile phone plan. So instead of going over your minutes, use your UMA enabled phone near an open hotspot and talk till our jaw falls off. The good thing here, is that quite UMA is quite common, inexpensive technology. Quite a number of existing PDA phones already have UMA built in – yes, quite likely the one you are using now, and you just did not know about the feature. Of course you were unlikely to know about the UMA in your PDA phone as no wireless carrier currently in the US uses the protocol. Of course that too is about to change. I know for a matter of fact that T-Mobile will be rolling out UMA nationwide in the US throughout 2007. And they intend to bring out an entire line of UMA capable phones (no longer just PDA phones) that will take advantage of the new service. Considering how cheap UMA is to implement, and the fact that every Zune will come with WIFI, I see no reason for UMA not to make it into the Zune Phone. Heck, with WIFI already in the Zune Phone, there is no reason you could not use it as Skype phone too.
My point being, the possibilities are endless. And for the most part, once you have certain hardware already in place, you can add numerous features via software. Witness the Xbox 360. Who was even thinking abut their being Media Center support, and 1080p support, and HD DVD support, and Video Marketplace support and now IPTV support? Who knows what else is in store for the future via the next batch of software upgrades? And the same thing can be said about the Zune Phone. As long as they have the proper hardware in place when it launches, then the sky is the limit to what it will be capable of even six months after it’s release. With Xbox 360 I think that Microsoft has certainly shown a very logical pathway for getting more out of less. I have a feeling they will replicate this success with Zune, and especially Zune Phone.
http://www.openmoko.com
@ Cosmic: don’t get me wrong, Apple is far from squeaky-clean and perfect. they are all corporations that have one thing in common: the bottom line.
***
why am I happy to hate on MS? after 20 years of dealing with their crap products one gets a bit frustrated. company policy & philosophy have more to do with it. they are virtually a monopoly and they have a responsibility to their consumer base which they continue to neglect. i don’t think i’ve ever seen a company that hates its consumers more. i’m pretty sure their motto is “Shut-up and Eat!” and the way they’re rolling out VISTA is proof positive.
apple on the other hand ARE consumer friendly. yeah…i can hear the collective Ms. Geek roar now…”you can’t do this on OSX, you can’t do that..” ppshhh!
the iphone will succeed strictly on the basis that it’s IS consumer-friendly. it looks good, too. the price tag won’t matter, just as it didn’t matter with the 1G ipod (remember the state of mp3 players BEFORE the ipod?? right, “oh, yeah..”)
every present complaint about what the iphone “can’t” do is FUD and will be addressed in the 18 months following it’s release. including 3rd party development (which, incidentally, isn’t that big a deal anyway. name one killer mobile app developed by a 3rd party, i dare ya!)
the iphone WILL “just work” because it’s all in the software boys and girls, it’s a proven, modern OS.
as far as the zune being a 1G product…well, MS has had years to develop a true ipod killer and what have they come up with? while the zune might have competed with the 1G ipod, it sure as shite doesn’t compete with a 5 or 6G ipod. that goes double for MISTA.
now MS thinks it can cobble together a microcomputer in less than a year that can compete with the iphone?? really? just how long has MS been in the hardware business?
it’s gonna be the Zzzzphone.
the only REAL phone maker is Nokia
What I don’t get about people saying “The Zune interface is great, and will be even better on a ZunePhone” is that nothing about the Zune interface would seem to work very well on a phone. Apple even dropped the Clickwheel for the iPhone, so what makes you think the Zune’s very heavily browsing oriented UI is going to be any good at all for entering phone numbers or doing other phone things?
Someone also said the migration from music player to phone was “natural”. Really? Then why has no-one done it before? Where is my Creative Rio phone? Where is my Sandisk Phonesa? Where is my Archos PhoneBlock? It seems rather than phone makers have added some music abilities, mostly as an afterthought – but no-one has migrated the other way, because the interface for music players has not been well suited to phones. It takes more work to be a true fusion device like what Apple is producing than people seem to realize.
I personally believe Microsoft is working on a phone, but is not as far along as they would like us to think and are attempting the classic Microsoft FUD release to take some wind out of Apple’s sails. Only it’s not going to work because Apple is the proven leader in consumer electronics, whereas the closest Microsoft has come to success is the 360 and even that’s still not making any money, and is being well outsold by the Wii at this point. People know that Apple will do pretty well with the iPhone, but they are less sure of just what a Zune/Phone might look like since there already are WindowsMobile devices that people can pre-judge a Microsoft attempt on.
Touchscreen on a video phone…. leaving smudge marks from natural oils always generated by the human hands so you can’t clearly see the video.
That’s a brilliant idea!
Camera and phone always made sense. You only want a camera when you really _want_ a camera. Having it handy and not thought of falls logically in line with use. The normal use of a camera phone is gimicky.
Mobile media device and mobile phone? Mobile media devices suffer from what all mobile devices suffer from: poor battery efficiency. People want video bigger and clearer, yet mobile video devices make them smaller (and touch screen … smudge = blur). I _need_ the phone to always have charge, and to have the longest life possible. The two don’t mesh in the natural scheme of how the devices are used and the technical limitations.
The current trend is just that: trend. Communication devices that are always on and allow access to emails, IMs, phone, etc, those are important and critical to perfect for the way information is expected to flow. Media file players are used during commutes, exercise, getting from place to place. When you’re stationary, you want the large tv, the video players, the xbox/ps/wii, etc. These are non-critical functions and don’t mesh with a needed communication device.
The market will force the evolution of these industries, but both will be limited to what type of power they can be supplied, over what period of time. Research and invest in battery industries. The iPhone is not revolutionary, nor was the iPod; iPod was the best media player and still has the most market share. Much like MS, now that it has a foothold and the name does its own marketing, there’s no reason for the sales to diminish until there’s a large problem or better product.
yea they should coat the screen with that stuff they coat handguns with that repels fingerprints. also wtf kind of name is zune? i just won one at a pub by chance and tried it out, i like my older ipod mini way better lol. ipods look cooler too, i’m gonna sell my zune on ebay.
Zune is crap (might be why its brown)..
And if anyone ever asks if they can squirt a song to me, I am calling the cops.
—————
In regards to iPhone.. Sure my Mom doesn’t need it. Geeks aside anyone over 35 probably doesn’t even use the features of their current cellphone.
I see the iPhone as an investment in a all in one device for people that understand technology and how it can help them. If was lost walking the streets of LA or SF, I’d want to pull out a device and see google maps wouldn’t you? If I was at a friends house and wanted to quickly post a blog entry or look something up and no computer was available, I’d want to pull out a device take a look and put it back. If I was a dentists office with nothing to do while I waited I’d want to watch a TV show/listen to music. I may not have thought to bring my iPod. I really can’t see any reason not to have an iPhone.
As to the whines about smudges and blurry screens… a.) a screen wiper like the one that is connected to my DS works. b.) my sleeve c.) my pant leg
Like all the other screens on our devices they’re never really going to stay pristine for very long. Its called reality.
So iPhone or ZunePhone.. Please, no contest. Apple makes devices people like to use Microsoft makes products from stolen ideas and sells them to people that like to take apart and re-make (usually to install Linux) or people who don’t know any better.
The pHune. right?
Will the Zune use local hotspots to place calls over the net using its WiFi capabilities?
Is the Zune phone a natural progression of the Zune? I believe that it is, based on how MS has been shifting positions in the consumer market. The Xbox, built for the consumer and rival to Sony and Nintendo; the Zune, built for the consumer and rival to the iPod.
Is the Zune phone a blatant copy of the iPhone? I think the short answer is yes, if it remains a Zune phone. I think what MS is trying to copy is Apple’s current dominance in the consumer consciousness: you think iPod when you hear someone mention downloading music. I believe there was a lot of teeth-gnashing in Redmond when the iPhone sold the thunder from the CES.
Where MS fails with the Zune (and presumable with a Zune phone) is in a couple of areas and both can be corrected. First the software needs to be fixed. I’ll state for the record that I’ve never seen a Zune beyond a sad looking in-store display shoved in the corner. What I’ve read is that the software is buggy and the UI is poor. The device is not intuitive and is clumsy. I’m sure that the Zune v2 will have more polish and v3 will be better, providing it lasts.
Second, is the “cool factor”. The iPod is cool and the Zune is not. That will be tough for MS to overcome, because they are a business company first and foremost and lack the skill sets to project a hip image to the public. Bringing in the Xbox group is a step in the right direction, providing they can step away from the front lines vs. Sony and Nintendo. Probably the most direct way to get beyond the cool factor is to practically give away the Zune and undercut the iPod price point. The Zune phone can help here if it can be cheaper than the iPhone.
Can the Zune/Zune Phone succeed? I don’t know… This isn’t 1995 and consumers seem to be a little more tech savvy these days and a little less like sheep. The fact that MS is willing to make products like the Xbox and Zune show that they feel the need to branch away from being just a software company. As an Apple guy, I can smirk at the stories of how poorly the Zune is doing and the lack of (initial) support for Vista. But I just smirk, because I’m older and (hopefully) wiser… I gladly use MS Office at work and play on my Xbox at home. I use a Mac and have an iPod because they’re right for me. If you’ve got a Zune and just upgraded to Vista, good for you. Just don’t involve me in your platform wars on who’s better.
But I also just smirk, because I also smirked at Windows 95, which was a blatant copy of the Mac OS. Could MS do it again? Heck, I didn’t think they could do it the first time… and it was a long, bloody and dark road for Apple to get back to the point where they mattered again.
If Iphone runs OS X,why can’t Zune run windows mobile?
Dear Gentlemen: I would be grateful if anyone could tell me what the rank of Cfn. stands for.. in the Canadian Infantry Corps tfd. R.C.E.M.E. in WWII. Thank-you.
Looks like this guy CLEARLY hasn’t seen the iPhone in action… go to the below link and watch all the way through. Then get back to us :)
“”"
- why is the standard of success for MS’ phone “something revolutionary” – that is, why assume Apple has already achieved that? What’s revolutionary about the iPhone besides the touchscreen? Oh wait, a touchscreen like the one on my 2-year old Tablet PC?
- why does everyone assume that the iPhone is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition? Releasing a phone heavily reliant on data transfer on a dog$hit GSM data network is 5 years behind the competition, not 5 years ahead.
“”"
The iPhone will shake the cell industry to its knees… be sure to watch this demo all the way through… then you’ll see what all the excitement is about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgW7or1TuFk
-
Re: JoFu – “…priced for business users…”
Read through some of the articles at over the last few weeks for some good discussion of the iPhone costs, benefits, and drawbacks.
Oops, how does one get a URL into this thing?
Google “RoughlyDrafted” for the articles.
Sorry for the dual post.
Zune phone?
*fart noises*
OS11, that’s a mighty impressive demo, and this is coming from a guy who’s sworn off of buying Apple products. But I’ll see your YouTube video and raise you one more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VieMjZYfI
Hi Guys
We are just consumers …we have to encourage competition and we are going to get max out of this..ther have to be peers available and healthy competition to get things right and to evolve in a manner we like
Great fake! Even the well-known German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” takes this fable for fact in its today issue.
But who knows: maybe holiday season 2009 we see a beautiful flash-green iPhone clone ;-)
why does microsoft need a phone based on the zune? dont they have about a dozen or more smart phones already running window mobile? i dont know their just trying to compete with apple i guess thats the ONLY reason for the zunephone.
It’s a nice little feature, connecting to the XBOX.
The Zune Phone is gonna be pritty popular, in my opinion.
Although i’m a Microsoft Fan, i do think the iPhone looks better than the Zune Phone.
It’s a fake. Look at the microphone…it’s entirely photoshopped off the iPhone. Check the Apple site…that part of this photo is entire fake! Too funny!
> MS didn’t shaft any partners mr. Click. They still supports playsforsure and there are many playsforsure devices.
> I think they went our of their way to make sure they weren’t shafting anyone by creating another music service.
If “shafting” doesn’t mean “create market share for your own mp3 player by cannibalizing the sales of your partners’ mp3 players”, then yes, I suppose it’s true that Microsoft did not, in fact, shaft their partners.
Now that I’m thinking about it, why on earth would Microsoft *want* to release a ZunePhone? What market advantage do they expect to create for themselves?
1. Increase Xbox sales through ZunePhone sales? Unlikely, unless there’s Wii / PS3 buyers out there who would change their minds if their cellphone could talk to their console.
2. Increase Windows sales through ZunePhone sales? Assuming that a Mac user isn’t going to switch to Windows just so their phone can talk to their computer (and of course assuming that a ZunePhone won’t sync with a Mac), I don’t believe that someone who *otherwise wouldn’t buy a computer at all* will suddenly decide to buy a PC.
3. Increase music sales through the Zune music store? Given the lackluster performance to date of almost all music subscription services, and given that Microsoft is almost certainly not making money (or much money) on music sales, is it likely that the boost in music subscription / sale profits will outweigh the development investment?
So, the bottom line: my bet is that the ZunePhone is FUDware. Despite what Ballmer or anyone else might say in public, Microsoft probably has no intention of releasing a ZunePhone. Rather, they are desperate to prevent any further expansion of the iPod ecosystem, for fear that such expansion will kill any remaining chance of Zune becoming a viable product line long-term.
Hilarious. How thin can they spread the Zune lameness?
exactly! you can’t even spread peanut butter that thin!!
FUD, even with the FCC application. btw, windows moblie sucks.
makes hulk wanna smash crashy phone!
this place is full of morons. its like a ms vs apple di*k measuring contest. every body take a chill pill and go to sleep. argue all you want what you say here will not make one difference. stop yapping and go to sleep
Wait til the phone actually comes out
Could the ZUNE be modified by a simple hardware or software application to function as a touchscreen?
Is the Zune a competitor of the iPhone? Mac vs Microsoft again
@Dr. Click: Do you have any data, (i.e. statistics, percentages, etc) to back up the assertion that a majority of Zune owners are former/current owners of PlaysForSure devices or people who would have otherwise bought a PlaysForsure device had Zune not been released?