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04/28/2005, 8:15am, EDT

Thursday, April 28th

New Nokia phone offers 4GB music storage

Electronics giant Nokia hopes to challenge the iPod with its new N91 mobile phone. The device offers 4GB of storage space, positioning it against the iPod mini, rather than Apple's high-capacity iPods. Nokia claims the device can hold up to 3,000 songs, but would hold closer to 1,000 by Apple's measure. Besides functioning as a phone and music player, the device offers digital camera and e-mail functions. "Our research shows that people prefer to leave the house with just one device," Nokia director Bob Shallow says. The N91 claims to offer around 12 hours of battery life, about the same as Apple's claim for a 20GB iPod. The phone will allow users to download music on the go, rather than having to sync it to a computer. Nokia hopes phones that combine music playing will give a boost to slowing sales of handsets. The mobile phone industry's annual growth rate has slowed from 44 per cent at the beginning of last year to 10 per cent now. The N91 is expected to sell for $500.


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Frogmella
Loser
0
04/28, 9:22am, EDT
"The phone will allow users to download music on the go, rather than syncing it to a computer."

Uh, sounds like a brain-dead solution to me. 95% of the music on my 'Pod is ripped from CD. Anyone care to calculate how much I'd have to pay the carrier to download 4 gigs worth of music? And if I can't sync to the computer, how do I get my paid-for music back if the phone crashes/gets lost/stolen?
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ibugv4
they don't get it...
0
04/28, 9:44am, EDT
I'd love a phone/mp3/pda/game console device. problem is that every fscking carrier wants me to use their data services, which are a rip. I want a phone that, especially for $500 in cost, has a 2 year warranty at minimum... with USB and bluetooth connectivity, a 4-6GB hard drive, and a small flip-form factor. It'll never happen. Never.
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I.P. Freely
What kind of crap is this
0
04/28, 9:52am, EDT
Only thing this crap does that Treo 650 can't do is download music on the go.But if that music service is offered by the phone company, they will charge people $2 to $3 per song. Well we all know what we think about that!

Plus, I will bet the farm that format will be WMA, so it's not cross platform.

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climacs
people change cell phones
0
04/28, 10:23am, EDT
every year or two. What happens to your $2 or $3 a pop music when your phone breaks or you decide to replace it?

There may be an answer, I'm just asking.

Consumers say they want one device that does it all... well if you ask consumers, they'd tell you they want a car that gets a zillion miles to the gallon, is as big as a hummer, and costs $500. I can't help thinking of the Simpsons episode where Homer designs the ideal car. LOL!
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SomeToast
You supply the music
0
04/28, 10:54am, EDT
The N91 is designed so that you can load it up with plain, old DRM-free mp3s straight from your computer.

Now whether the carrier which ends up offering the N91 cripples this feature remains to be seen (my guess: probably).
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Faizon318
POWER
0
04/28, 11:42am, EDT
I dont want my phone to die cause I was playing Mp3's .. I dont think I will ever want a phone/MP3 player unless it uses fuel cell batteries .
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loudpedal
On the go...
0
04/28, 12:17pm, EDT
I'd love to download music on the go...from iTMS, for 99 cents, then sync it into the library on my Mac when I get home. Everybody's looking for their slice of the pie, so I doubt that will ever happen (unless Apple starts their own wireless network - .mac expanded)
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Bengt77
Nokia is NOT the bad guy.
0
04/28, 5:43pm, EDT
Does nobody know Nokia is extremely standards-compliant? Their phones support the playing of 3GPP video files and AAC audio files. Who knows? It might, for all we know, actually be compatible with the iTunes Mobile service that'll be launched soon(er or later)?!...
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technohedz
1800 and 1900 only?
0
04/29, 8:21am, EDT
The other two N series both look like series 60 as does this one. The N91 adds 802.11 b/g, which is nice w/ the bluetooth and usb support. However, it's only GSM 1800/1900. sooooo...you'll get to listen to your music a damn lot because you won't receive calls in a lot of places. I blame the carriers a lot, but this is not a winner unless they change the specs before launch and on fcc cert. Whatever they were thinking. Sorry. I love my Nokia and I use it for everything. I like having songs and ebooks w/ me, but I'm not going to sacrifice the main part "PHONE" for anything esoteric.
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spacefreak
Nokia IS the bad guy...
0
05/03, 8:27am, EDT
You've been around long enough to know that anyone who challenges the Steve-Jobs-is-God congregation is the bad guy.
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