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Let my mobile SING!
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This may be the year of the phone-cum-music player
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Sony-Ericsson W800 with memory stick; A phone-Walkman.
THE YEAR gone by was known for the convergence of phone and camera. But they're already saying 2005 may be the Year of the Music Phone. Why? Consider what's been happening in recent weeks at the melas that matter, of the mobile phone industry.
At the 3GSM Congress at Cannes, France, Sony and Ericsson first revealed that they would shortly launch a cell phone that would be the next version of the Walkman player. A few weeks later, they unveiled the phone — the W 800, which was claimed to be the phone-cum-digital music player-cum camera. It can hold some 150 music tracks on a "memory stick" that comes with the phone. If you feel like saying "gimme more", you have to buy a higher capacity stick.
Since 1979, over 340 million units of the iconic, original cassette-based Walkman player, as well as the late-1990s CD-Man, have been bought by the world's mostly young music lovers. And since the Japanese maker has its own music arm, Sony Music, which includes the recently acquired German label BMG, it will support the new phone-Walkman, with an online download service. The Walkman name might just work its jadoo again for a new generation of phone freaks.
Twin act
Last week, Nokia also got its own (musical) act together. "Music is the next big thing in the mobile multimedia," said Anssi Vanjoki, General Manager of Nokia's Multimedia unit. He was setting the scene for CeBit computer event in Germany, starting today, March 7, 2005 where Nokia would unveil its own phone-cum-music player, the 6230i. It will support standards like MP3, M4A and AAC and includes an FM radio. Nokia has also announced an alliance with Microsoft, which will allow mobile phone users to upload music from their PCs, exactly as they would with an iPod or similar music player.
Nokia's 6230i with stereo player
Expect Motorola to respond any day now: It is developing a mobile that mates with Apple's `iTunes' software service to download music for a price.
All these models are due to appear on shop shelves only by mid to late 2005. It is a neat strategy by these players that will make it unnecessary for buyers to carry two devices any longer: a mobile phone and a music player. The Guardian characterises it as "more of a marriage of convenience than a romantic bonding".
But whether it is a love match or an arranged marriage between the twin technologies, let's hope the union is successful and long lasting — because we're tired of paying for two pricey devices, when one can do the job.
A.VISHNU
(vishnua@hotmail.com)
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