Today's burning question: are Microsoft and Nokia hatching a plan to derail the iPhone's momentum? And, if a claimed cooperative relationship between the two firms turns out to be true, are reports claiming an imminent iPhone nano reflective of an Apple strategy to deal with this new threat?
We have to grant we're wandering the hinterlands of rumour and conjecture here, but this morning we learn Microsoft may be working with Nokia to cook up some kind of Zune phone...
As reported, the new plan from market-leading Microsoft involves Nokia building the hardware and Microsoft pimping the device(s) up with Zune-branded entertainment. Electric Pig reports the partners plan an "all-out assault" on Apple and its iPhone.
We'd like to observe that Nokia is set to launch its Comes With Music service later this year, which suggests it may not really need a Zune connection for song sales....
We'll see how this all plays out, but if there should be any truth at all in these rumours, then is Apple planning to accelerate plans for an iPhone nano in order to consolidate and widen its share of the market before Microsoft's increasingly desperate-looking counter-attack begins?
Before the flaming begins, this is conjecture and speculation that's inspired by unconfirmed rumour...
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Comments
very unlikely nokia has just
very unlikely
nokia has just bought qt/trolletech and is opening towards Open Source
this means a cut down on interface production, so what could microsoft do? install windows mobile? :D
it'd make hardly an iphone competitor
hahahaha! That is funniest
hahahaha! That is funniest pic I've seen in a while. Watch out Apple! Here comes the zunephone!
The rumors have been going on forever
I have been hearing rumors like this since the iPhone was announced (about the ZunePhone). Microsoft has been in the phone software business with Windows Mobile for a very long time and I don't see them hurting that business by releasing a new mobile platform or even forging any kind of exclusive deal for a new user interface. A new UI is probably in the works to compete with the Apple iPhone - I would say 80% chance of that. About the same chance for multi-touch support for WinMo. However, I doubt any of those features would be exclusive to one handset maker.
They may license the Zune brand though. Think the way Motorola handled Apple's iPod functionality just not as horribly. Probably not as well as Apple iPod integration.
"Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but..." - Dennis Miller
Windows Mobile 7 will look a
Windows Mobile 7 will look a lot like the iPhone OS X, or, one should say, the current iPhone OS X. It will be competitive and that's a good thing, and I doubt it will be a Nokia exclusive unless there are to be multiple versions of WM 7, which would be a mess.
Don't buy it. 1. Nokia are
Don't buy it.
1. Nokia are wedded to Symbian and have dabbled in Linux. They compete directly with Windows Mobile in the smartphone market.
2. Apple are cooperating with Microsoft to get things like Exchange integration.
So now someone's predicting that MS piss off Apple and try to talk Nokia into abandoning years of OS development and go windows? No going to happen.
Whoa!
A tricked out Zack Morris number (Saved By The Bell and his "brick" cell phone)!
This Zune-phone idea is
This Zune-phone idea is really stupid. Didn't the Zune itself become discontinued due to competition from Apple? I don't see why Microsoft should seek to butt heads against Apple. After all, Steve said in '97 that this was a destructive relationship anyway!
MS and Nokia team
It's true and it's going to be called iBOB.
The interface is going to prominently feature the Outook paper clip on reassignment. I was told by unnamed sources that the XP yellow dog called "Rover" will also be making special guest appearances asking if you need help when you least need it like during dialing a number etc.
Alot of people at MS are very excited about the project.
How about Motorola
It makes more sense if Microsoft and Motorola are going to team up. Nokia has got the market share and it has Symbian. Why would Nokia dump everything and fall in love with Microsoft? It takes a lot more money Microsoft to acquire Nokia than Yahoo.
On the other hand, Motorola has got enough trouble with its cell phone division. Not a bad idea to have a Zune Live Phone 360 or like.
Microsoft should team up with... Good question!
I think the strategy adopted by Apple is proving to be a winning one. Produce both the software and the hardware...
Microsoft, in order to have a small hope of being somewhat successfull (now that in the smartphone world there is a second competitor (besides RIM)) need to further integrate hardware and software.
With whom?
Nokia? I think it is unlikely, since Nokia is the leading manufacturer in the world, has bought Symbian and has the capacity to develop everything in house: including licenses for content (more on that below).
SonyEricsson? It's Sony, baby! They are good (really good in some cases) but way to stubborn to do something with Microsoft. They ALWAYS do it on their own. And one should be crazy to dilute a brand like Walkman with some Zune integration!
Motorola? Outside the US Motorola is not selling much (euphemism) and I don't think it would be a good partner.
That leaves us with two names which, in my modest opinion, could profit from a deal with Microsoft:
Samsung and HTC.
Although Samsung is a powerful brand by themselves and I don't think they want to have a Microsoft sticker all over the place.
Problem is that handset manufacturers have powerful brands and try do develop solutions on their own.
Microsoft has the problem they want to build a vertical model but do not have the capacity hardware-wise. Whereas handset manufacturers are just the opposite: they want the same vertical integration but don't have the software capacity (hence Nokia buying Symbian).
Apple has, for the time being, an advantage (big one indeed) here.
The point is, my opinion, that Microsoft will have a hard time finding someone, besides maybe HTC, who is ready to give up its brand (totally or partially) in order to compete with the iPhone.
And then there will be the problem of not "cloning" the iPhone, at least in the customer's perception. Every phone with fingers as a primary interaction "device" will inevitably be considered a clone and therefore not seen very favourably (at least in the first months).
THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT. THERE
THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT.
THERE IS NO ZUNEFONE. NO MICROSOFT WITH NOKIA. Nokia exists on it's own, and it's much more better than fukin' iphone.
eat that motherfuckers!