[davidbaldwin]

We already know that Motorola will be making a Motorola phone that will have the ability to play songs from iTunes, Sync with iTunes, and use similar software to what the iPod uses..

My question is..
Will Apple still create thier own "iPhone"? A Phone that is completley Apple's?

[Brad]

The idea of an "iPhone" is years old and has been beaten to death repeatedly around the Internet.

Basically, there's little benefit in Apple making its own phone for this purpose. Apple can't just start up its own cellular telecommunications network; so, producing such a device would require negotiations to get it to work on the various providers' networks.

Besides, where is there innovation for Apple to offer in a phone nowadays?

[morningstarrising]

Well it won't be an iPhone to say, but mosty of the work done on the Motorola ROKR was done by the same people who did the iPod..so expect it too be white and have that iPod look and a moble OS X.

Most likely THAT is what Steve will show off Monday because what developer wouldn't want to make apps for Apple's phone?

[pashi]

Originally Posted by morningstarrising Well it won't be an iPhone to say, but mosty of the work done on the Motorola ROKR was done by the same people who did the iPod..so expect it too be white and have that iPod look and a moble OS X. Most likely THAT is what Steve will show off Monday because what developer wouldn't want to make apps for Apple's phone?

Apple only contributed the iTunes engine for the cell phones Moto developed. Apple in no way designed new cell phones. They have zero knowledge of cell phone design. The ROKR is a Moto developed phone, it will have the standard Moto OS, and will look nothing like an iPod. For starters it is black and rounded and based on an existing Moto cell phone line.

People need to get the iTunes phone concept out of their head, it is simply a client on Moto phones, nothing more. You push the green iTunes logo on the phone and iTunes starts. That is it.

[morningstarrising]

[q]The ROKR is a Moto developed phone, it will have the standard Moto OS, and will look nothing like an iPod. For starters it is black and rounded and based on an existing Moto cell phone line.[/q]

If that is true, then why hasn't Moto shown it to anyone? Specially when the CEO of Moto said that the ROKR is "Apple's thing to show off" or maybe I misread what he meant.

Either way, that ROKR is still MIA and so we wait till an iTunes event happens...

[pashi]

Originally Posted by morningstarrising If that is true, then why hasn't Moto shown it to anyone? Specially when the CEO of Moto said that the ROKR is "Apple's thing to show off" or maybe I misread what he meant. Either way, that ROKR is still MIA and so we wait till an iTunes event happens...

The first iTunes enabled phone will be a new model which is an E398 that is white in color and has an extra button for iTunes. That is it, new name, new color, same phone basic phone. Pictures have been leaked for quite some time as to what it looks like, but if you can't find them look up the E398 and imagine it white. This phone is already in people's hands for final testing out in the public. I've seen it.

The phone was supposed to be shown off at an industry event earlier this year but was pulled at the last second as cell phone carriers didn't like the idea of people using mp3s not paid for thru them. For example Verizon is launching a music service for cell phones using Microsoft technology. Also Apple didn't have iTunes working yet so there was nothing to show.

The ROKR is a yet unannounced phone (coming out AFTER the above mentioned E398 phone) whose concept at one time was more elaborate than what it actually will be. Moto is now basing phones off style branches, so you have the RAZR family of phones, the SLVR family of phones, the PEBL style of phones and then some legacy flip phones design similar to the V600 family. The ROKR will be based on one of the first 3 style families and be very music friendly (beyond Apple's crappy DRM format).

Nobody has officially acknowledged the ROKR even exists, but of course many people have seen it and a few analysists have mentioned it in their investment outlooks for Moto.