iTunes Mobile detailed in Motorola user manual
A verified authentic draft of a user manual for Motorola's forthcoming E790 GSM mobile handset contains several pages dedicated to an embedded version of Apple's iTunes jukebox software, AppleInsider has discovered.
The E790, dubbed the "Motorola ROKR Model E1" by some Russian language Motorola documents, appears to be one of the company's first music phones. However, it's based on the E398 handset, which doesn't exactly fit the rumored ROKR phone profile.
Motorola's ROKR line of iTunes music phones are expected to span several models and designs, a few of which could debut simultaneously. Earlier this year Motorola documents revealed another unannounced iTunes ROKR phone, adorned in black and sporting the company's PEBL design profile.
In a 5-page portion of the E790 manual, Motorola describes the basic functions of the iTunes mobile software, which can be controlled largely by the handset's navigational key.
"iTunes is a software application you use to manage the music on your computer and transfer music to your phone," reads the Motorola documentation. "You can use iTunes to purchase and download music for your phone, listen to CDs and digital music, and create playlists of your favorite songs on your phone."
According to the documentation, users of the E790 will be able to launch iTunes via a physical 'iTunes' key and then use the navigation key to operate the software. From the iTunes menu interface, pressing the navigational key up or down will scroll through playlists, while pressing the key right or left will make a selection or return to the previous menu, respectively.
Once a user has selected a song, iTunes mobile switches to a display screen that will allow users to pause, rewind, and fast forward tracks by pressing the navigational key up, right and left. Meanwhile, the iTunes key will return the user to the menu interface and provide access to a 'shuffle songs' function.
All song purchases and playlist creation will take place via iTunes software for Mac and PC. Users will then be able to transfer their purchased songs or complete playlists to the iTunes phone, the document states.
Motorola, through a series of brief comments to the press, has committed to launching its line of ROKR iTunes phones during a music event to take place before the end of September.
Several photos of a pre-proudction Motorola's E790 follow:
The E790, dubbed the "Motorola ROKR Model E1" by some Russian language Motorola documents, appears to be one of the company's first music phones. However, it's based on the E398 handset, which doesn't exactly fit the rumored ROKR phone profile.
Motorola's ROKR line of iTunes music phones are expected to span several models and designs, a few of which could debut simultaneously. Earlier this year Motorola documents revealed another unannounced iTunes ROKR phone, adorned in black and sporting the company's PEBL design profile.
In a 5-page portion of the E790 manual, Motorola describes the basic functions of the iTunes mobile software, which can be controlled largely by the handset's navigational key.
"iTunes is a software application you use to manage the music on your computer and transfer music to your phone," reads the Motorola documentation. "You can use iTunes to purchase and download music for your phone, listen to CDs and digital music, and create playlists of your favorite songs on your phone."
According to the documentation, users of the E790 will be able to launch iTunes via a physical 'iTunes' key and then use the navigation key to operate the software. From the iTunes menu interface, pressing the navigational key up or down will scroll through playlists, while pressing the key right or left will make a selection or return to the previous menu, respectively.
Once a user has selected a song, iTunes mobile switches to a display screen that will allow users to pause, rewind, and fast forward tracks by pressing the navigational key up, right and left. Meanwhile, the iTunes key will return the user to the menu interface and provide access to a 'shuffle songs' function.
All song purchases and playlist creation will take place via iTunes software for Mac and PC. Users will then be able to transfer their purchased songs or complete playlists to the iTunes phone, the document states.
Motorola, through a series of brief comments to the press, has committed to launching its line of ROKR iTunes phones during a music event to take place before the end of September.
Several photos of a pre-proudction Motorola's E790 follow:
Comments
My lack of excitement may be the reason I first read the headline as:
"iTunes mobile derailed"
Can't believe that Apple did infact choose such an ugly interface for its first step in the cell phone market! Let me make this one clear here: Cell phones are parts of fashion -- not of pure technology anymore! You cannot sell a phone just by telling pleople how many features it has -- you have to sell them a phone they actually want to carry around with them all day.
Remains to be seen how far that iPod halo can actually glow!
i don't actually care for this 'itunes-phone' anymore;
next!
Care to guess which one? Hint: I've got six o'clock shadow.
i might as well get a W800i sony ericsson, fuck moto...
they've taken so long to get to this stage? and it's still not out? and this is what we've been waiting so long for? PFFFFTTT
Hmmf.
Originally posted by Louzer
Did it occur to you that the pictures of the phone, as well as the interface, as fillers until the actual phone is finished?
Yes, it did.
Either in what it does or how it does it.
What it does is "Lets you have a phone as one of your authorised computers for iTMS songs."
How it does it "Not as good as the iPod".
Originally posted by Louzer
It is a draft document. Did it occur to you that the pictures of the phone, as well as the interface, as fillers until the actual phone is finished?
all moto phones have had the same crappy interface for like 3 years at least IIRC. filler or not, that's it, i'm filing this iTunes foofarah in the wastepaper basket (ie. "the trash bin")