U2 says reports of Apple tie-up for 'iPhone 6' are untrue

Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2014
Rumors that mega-popular rock band U2 have struck a new partnership with Apple to release their upcoming album on the so-called iPhone 6 and could participate in next Tuesday's media event in Cupertino are without merit, a U2 spokesperson said on Thursday.




"They are not releasing their album on the iPhone, and they are not performing at the iPhone launch," the band's representative told the Independent. Rumors of an Apple accord first surfaced last month and came to a head earlier this week after the band was seen shooting a smartphone-focused commercial in Dublin, Ireland.

It would have been the first collaboration between the Irish rockers and the American handset maker since 2004's U2-edition iPod. In 2009, U2 signed a sponsorship agreement with Canadian smartphone maker Blackberry, a change that frontman Bono said at the time arose from Apple's unwillingness to grant the band access to its product development process.

That has not stopped the two from working together on a personal level, however. Apple sells numerous products supporting Bono's Product (RED) charity, raising more than $75 million for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

In addition, Apple design czar Jony Ive and fellow industrial design star Marc Newson contributed a number of one-of-a-kind pieces, including a red Mac Pro and a bespoke Leica camera, to an auction benefiting the charity.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    mhiklmhikl Posts: 471member
    Well do not let words from the mouth of an authority end your dreams.
    Where there is rumour, there is hope. ;)
  • Reply 2 of 20
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Rumors get reported, rumors get shot down. Lather, rinse, repeat. This is why sites like AI are not ‘news’ sites, nor are their owners ‘journalists.’ Most websites these days are run by click-whores looking to make a fast buck. Why else do you think we see Microsoft and Samsung ads on AI from time to time?

  • Reply 3 of 20
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    This is one of the downsides of social media and 24/7 news culture. A rumor starts and travels so fast it becomes fact before it's ever confirmed as fact or not. :rolleyes:
  • Reply 4 of 20

    Can we please FIRE THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR CLAIMING THIS, now?

  • Reply 5 of 20
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Well except they are obviously true since the person who first heard about this had no interest in saying Apple was in it (it's a U2 fan who was following them).
  • Reply 6 of 20

    Nope

  • Reply 7 of 20
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member

    It was a highly suspect rumor from the beginning.

     

    More likely would be a sneak preview for Beats Music subscribers before general availability to other retail channels, or possibly exclusive extra content to Beats Music customers.

  • Reply 8 of 20
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    I'm very glad that the pre-loaded album thing is not true. That would be approaching Android- and Windows PC-style style crapware where the device maker sells your screen to third parties! (An MP4 would at least be more harmless and easier to delete, and Apple has done things like that before--my first Mac came pre-loaded with a Barenaked Ladies video as a QT demo--but it's still a tacky idea.)

    If the iTunes store and U2 want to give out free codes or something, that's business as usual, but don't go pre-loading non-Apple material!

    The rumor of U2 being part of an ad might be true still.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    In 2009, U2 signed a sponsorship agreement with Canadian smartphone maker Blackberry, a change that frontman Bono said at the time arose from Apple's unwillingness to grant the band access to its product development process.

    u2 wanted access to apple's product development process? i wonder what that was all about . . .
  • Reply 10 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Can we please FIRE THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR CLAIMING THIS, now?


    No.   All the rumors are precious. :)

  • Reply 11 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    lkrupp wrote: »
    Lather, rinse, repeat.

    Lie, redact, repeat.
  • Reply 12 of 20
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member
    That was for an iPod and once was enough.
    Besides a rap artist would be more apropo like Kanye.
  • Reply 13 of 20

    Remember: You don't pre announce if you are part of an Apple Event.

    - Costed Dr Dre 300 Million to pre-tweet their deal.

    -  how many people/capabilities have been removed from Keynotes/announcements by leaking stuff before Apple 

         - gizmodo;-)

         - ATI (http://daringfireball.net/linked/2014/05/23/ati)

         - McGraw Hill (http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/27/mcgraw-ipad/)

     

     

    The 1st rule of apple announcements is you do not talk about the content of apple announcements  

    The 2nd rule of apple announcements is you do not talk about the content of apple announcements

     

     

    How bad of a beatdown are they hiding behind those glasses?

    and where did The Edge get that jacket?

     

    Not Sayin'... Just Sayin'

  • Reply 14 of 20
    Ok, does anyone even listen to U2 anymore????
    So many new bands!
  • Reply 15 of 20
    U2 are not a mega-popular band. They receive about 2 months of MASSIVE hype every few years when they release an album, but beyond that they're totally off the radar.

    The only thing 'mega' about them is the ego of the giant turd who sings for them.
  • Reply 16 of 20
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Ok, does anyone even listen to U2 anymore????
    So many new bands!

    I liked The Joshua Tree and that's about it.
  • Reply 17 of 20

    Who writes stuff like "Mega popular". Besides, haven't listened to U2 in twenty years and I asked my wife about U2, she didn't even know them! Oh well, asians. ;-)

     

    For me: I'm glad. Thanks Apple & U2.

     

    PS: Nothing against U2 of course. They sure are a fine people.

  • Reply 18 of 20
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    I wonder what U2 did with that access to Blackberry's product development process.

  • Reply 19 of 20
    Ok, a spokesperson lied to cover up their tie-in to the event. Shocker!
  • Reply 20 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Can we please FIRE THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR CLAIMING THIS, now?


     

    I sure didn't think it would be true. The dialog certainly was a bit awkward between U2 and Tim Cook.

Sign In or Register to comment.