Filed under: Hardware
Sprint to launch direct music download to cell phones Monday
Sprint Nextel has gone and done what the Apple-Motorola-Cingular triumvirate failed to do with the ROKR iTunes phone--set up the first U.S. music service allowing direct over-the-air music downloads to cell phones. Forbes reports that Sprint will launch the new service on Monday, October 31 for use with new Sprint phones from Samsung and Sanyo. Subscribers will be able to download individual music tracks directly to their handsets for a hefty $2.50 apiece. Subscribers will also be able to access the tracks from an account on Sprint's Web site for download to their PCs. (No word yet on whether the service will be compatible with Macs.) Initial offerings will be in the neighborhood of 300,000 songs from four music labels--Warner Music Group, EMI Group PLC, Vivendi Universal, and Sony BMG. Two phones that will likely be used with the music download service--the Samsung A940 and Sanyo MM9000--were spotted on Sprint's Web site earlier this week.
Speculation is brewing that the new music service is part of a planned nationwide EV-DO service Sprint is calling Power Vision.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
El Payo said 10:19PM on 10-28-2005
BWAHAHAHA. Sprint's going to make the ROKR look like a winner. $2.50 for a track? On a cell phone? This is almost as funny as Libby getting indicted.
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Leslie said 3:04AM on 10-29-2005
This new model is really great. Its features are promising.
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JJ said 7:44AM on 10-29-2005
Anyone know who's providing the music management database,etc? Is it Loudeye?
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JJ said 8:12AM on 10-29-2005
It isn't Loudeye, just did a little reading;
it's Groove Mobile.
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jbelkin said 3:41PM on 11-01-2005
Finally, it will prove once and for all that the tech-savvy cell phone user is not going to spend $2.50 when the going price is either FREE* or $.99. All you have to do is look at the number of cell phones and the active number of users of 'advanced' sevices they are already peddling - it's below 5%.
Yes, people will pay $3 for a ringtone - now ask 100 people if they're willing to load a track for editing, look for the best portion of the song for a ringtone, edit it and then find a ringtone app to convert - then figure out how to upload it or for $3 dollars, it's done for you. Ringtones are like lasagna - easy to order, not so easy to make. Mp3's are spaghetti with meat sauce - who orders that in a restaurant when you can have it at home for $.33 a serving?
Sure, they will do some business but it will fail miserably overall because people who want to listen to music on cellphones knows how to get it in there. People who don't really don't care.
THis will validate the ipod model and probably help MOto sell more itunes phones.
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EVDO Guy said 12:27AM on 10-30-2005
Looks like it will be on Tuesday November 1st 2005. Also, Sprint will be announcing EVDO, which they will be calling Mobile Broadband. Should be a fun week :)
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Aristotle said 12:58AM on 10-31-2005
2.50 USD? I guess there is a sucker born every minute. I'm guessing there will also be a data charge for downloading it too.
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kmok1 said 10:14PM on 10-30-2005
$2.50 per track??? Does that include airtime for transmission of each track? Goodness! I wonder how long this will last...
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