Motorola Says iTunes Phone Delay Due in Part to Apple
Motorola Says iTunes Phone Delay Due in Part to Apple
by , 1:30 AM EST, March 16th, 2005
Motorola did not show any phones designed to work with Apple's iTunes Music Store at CeBIT in Germany, as some had expected, because of differences with Apple when it comes to launching products.
Motorola tends to show products months in advance, while Apple likes to begin selling new products the day they are announced. The conflicting approaches led Motorola to delay the announcement of the iTunes phones, Reuters reported Wednesday.
"The first thing you're seeing here is a merger of two different industries with different ideas of launching products," Ron Garriques, president of Motorola's mobile phone division told analysts and reporters at a news conference at the CTIA wireless show in New Orleans. "[Apple CEO] Steve [Jobs'] perspective is that you launch a product on Sunday and sell it on Monday."
Mr. Garriques downplayed reports that the delay was due in part to disputes between Motorola and cell phone providers over royalties.
Motorola plans to launch two iTunes-capable phones this year, one in the first half and one in the second.
Observer Comments
Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:51 am Subject:
Makes perfect sense to me.. there will be a HUGE run on these if the phones themselves are attractive, and with the fickle nature of the mobile handset market, you want availability when you announce. This has been one of the most frustrating and mismanaged aspects of handset manufacturers - pre-announcing a product 6-12 months ahead of release, and then keeping supply short even when its actually released by the carriers. Good for Apple for changing the nature of the game.
There could still be a problem with the carriers (note downplayed not denied), and Apple is willing to take the heat for it. Apple wants this thing to be successful, as there's more Apple prestige riding on this than Motorola prestige. I think the last thing Apple wants is to allow it to seem like the carriers are blocking iTunes.
Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:29 am Subject: Apple Limits iTunes Usage - Again
QuoteAnonymous wrote:QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
Check the facts and the fuming iTunes users:
Oh my there's a whopping 13 posts in the Apple discussion thread. No doubt the dissatisfaciton of those 13 individuals (not all of which were complaining) will seriously impact the popularity of iTunes.
Probably because Apple deleted most of the others like they've done in the past.
"Motorola tends to show products months in advance, while Apple likes to begin selling new products the day they are announced."
That's not necessarily true. I remember the PowerMac G5 being announced before they shipped, and then being delayed. I understand the logic of only announcing products when you're ready to ship them, but Apple's track record would suggest the pot calling the kettle black.
Quoteiggyb wrote:
"Motorola tends to show products months in advance, while Apple likes to begin selling new products the day they are announced."
That's not necessarily true. I remember the PowerMac G5 being announced before they shipped, and then being delayed. I understand the logic of only announcing products when you're ready to ship them, but Apple's track record would suggest the pot calling the kettle black.
Read it again. It says Apple *likes* to. It doesn't say they always have and always will do it that way forever and ever until the end of time. Quit nitpicking.
Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:56 am Subject: Sell or Deliver?
I don't remember the PM G5 situation specifically, but there is a difference between date of shipping and the date they go on sale. There have been a few products from Apple that have gone on sale, but weren't expected to ship for weeks or months after they were available for purchase. That is usually a known (or estimated) time. The problem that the mobile phone market has had is there have been some products that have been announced for a future release, but then they never make it to market. The product disappears from the manufacturers web site after a while. Apple takes advantage of the announcement by getting people to buy while they're excited about the product being announced. They are also locked in to producing that product, even if the ship date is out a ways, because they're holding people's information until that product ships (they don't charge the credit card until it gets shipped, in my experience).
Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:59 am Subject: RE: RC's cell phone
QuoteGuest wrote:
I wonder what cell phone RC uses? Probably the free one he got when he used his allowance to buy one of those prepaid cellular phones teenagers use. Then again, we're assuming his mommy would let him use the phone.
First of all, you're comment makes no sense. He uses the free cell phone he got when he bought a cell phone?
Second, it isn't just teenagers who use prepaid phones, in spite of the marketing. I know several adults, aged from the 30s to 70s, who use prepaid phones. My wife switched when we calculated a savings of a couple hundred dollars per year.
I can't imagine making fun of what kind of cell phone someone uses. Are you sure you're not a teenager?
QuoteRealityCheck wrote:
Remember when Apple reduced the number of iTunes burns allowed, now they've done it again. Using a security scare Apple tricked iLemmings into actually downgrading their iTunes software drastically reducing Rendezvous streaming. Check the facts and the fuming iTunes users:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/15/social_music/
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?13@459.O2IHaVxzRd4.0@.68a6cb91/0
Who needs to burn a playlist even 7 times? You don't have permission to burn a CD 7 times? You don't simultaniously share your CD with 5 people.
Why be angry about this - these "restrictions" are far less restrictive than a CD.
anyone recall the first mac? jobs made the mistake of letting bill gates in on the secret and now the rest is history. besides, do we really need to know about the product much before it's released? i know it hypes up the consumer base, but if there is a delay, you have consumers that are even more pissed for having to wait that much longer (recent apple supply miscalculations notwithstanding). i don't blame jobs for his product release methods, especially with products as design oriented as apple's. it leaves the competition with little to rip-off until the product is already launched.
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