iTunes Phone Rokr

August 31, 2005 11:55 AM

Apple iTunes to launch a phone. Made by Motorola nd will be available via Cingular. It will be called, 'Rokr'. Just goes to show how much Motorola dislikes 'E' s. (Razr & Rokr)
posted by benkolb (46 comments total)

Is there anyone actually excited about this? Even the standard Mac fanatics are saying "meh" and hoping the Sept 7th announcement is something else that's good.
posted by smackfu at 11:57 AM on August 31, 2005

(The sound of Rawker furiously dialing 411 for a lawyer.)
posted by hal9k at 12:00 PM on August 31, 2005

How cool would it be if the official spokesperson of the Rokr is "The Rawker" from the previous post.
posted by parallax7d at 12:01 PM on August 31, 2005

Why didn't they pitch it as an MP3 player that also is a phone...it could be named:

"Callr"
posted by tpl1212 at 12:02 PM on August 31, 2005

I think this is just a poor attempt to hold everyone over while they develop the video iPod.
posted by benkolb at 12:03 PM on August 31, 2005

There will not be a video ipod.
posted by docgonzo at 12:06 PM on August 31, 2005

The Motorola link is misspelled, and instead goes to a popup-laden search portal.
posted by box at 12:07 PM on August 31, 2005

iYak... for those who want to rawk and talk at the same time.
posted by hal9k at 12:08 PM on August 31, 2005

four letters, starts with an R. But motorola also has the PEBL, so really they only hate the second vowel.

Either way, their branding sucks BALS
posted by delmoi at 12:09 PM on August 31, 2005

Also, there's no 'e' in 'razor.'
posted by box at 12:09 PM on August 31, 2005

Apple iTunes to launch a phone.

I knew this would happen when Apple made iTunes sentient in v4.9.

(PS Is there anyone who actually wants a video iPod?)
posted by cillit bang at 12:10 PM on August 31, 2005

American's won't get that excited, but it'll sell huge overseas (where people walk and take public transit and don't want to carry 20 different devices everywhere).
posted by Tlogmer at 12:10 PM on August 31, 2005

Oh bloody hell. Apologies for the apostrophe.
posted by Tlogmer at 12:11 PM on August 31, 2005

"With 25-song cap, iTunes Phone may underwhelm"
posted by strikhedonia at 12:13 PM on August 31, 2005

Mr. Burns calls Lenny into his office to fire him:

Mr. Burns: "O.K. let's make this sporting Leonard. If you can tell me why I shouldn't fire you without using the letter e you can keep your job."

Lenny: "Ah, O.K., Um, I'm a good...work...guy..."

Mr. Burns: "YOU'RE FIRED!"
posted by growli at 12:17 PM on August 31, 2005

box, that was funny!

I don't want a video iPod unless it plugs directly into my optic nerve so I won't have to squint at that tiny screen.

How soon until there are fake versions of this? The Mockr, the Flockr, the Talkr and the Stalkr (for people who like to stay in touch while hiding in the bushes).
posted by fenriq at 12:18 PM on August 31, 2005

Wow, are there other corporate plans I should know about?
posted by Outlawyr at 12:22 PM on August 31, 2005

(for people who like to stay in touch while hiding in the bushes) I thought that was you!
posted by R. Mutt at 12:29 PM on August 31, 2005

I've seen rumored pictures of this thing, and it is underwhelming. Basically, a candybar shaped phone, like the Sony Ericsson 637 but with little speakers on the sides. Then some iPod software, but cell phone navigation around (ie tiny joystick)

I don't understand how hard my idea would be to slap together:

step one: take a white (or pink or green or silver), rectangular flip phone
step two: add a GB of flash memory, or more, (but not removable, this is Apple, come on)
step three: on the closed face, add a second LCD and a click wheel interface.

result:

when closed, you have an iPod. When opened, you have a cell phone, with regular numbers, regular cell phone navigation, etc.. This could easily be the size and basic feel of an iPod mini, I think, even if it only had the capacity of an iPod Shuffle, but with a screen. You could add a camera, if you wanted to, but you'd wind up with too many of those annoying side buttons, I think. Sell it. Profit.

Jonathan Ives, call me.
posted by sdrawkcab at 12:30 PM on August 31, 2005

Will this mean I have to delete my Flickr account?
posted by Rothko at 12:30 PM on August 31, 2005

iRawlfed.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:36 PM on August 31, 2005

where people walk and take public transit and don't want to carry 20 different devices everywhere

Sweet! I live overseas! And I didn't even have to leave New York!
posted by papercake at 12:43 PM on August 31, 2005

So, when are we gonna get apple.metafilter.com?
and google.metafilter.com and flickr.metafilter.com...
posted by DakotaPaul at 12:49 PM on August 31, 2005

Anyone who wants a combined mp3 player/phone can buy a Treo today, can't they ?
posted by rfs at 12:50 PM on August 31, 2005

It seems like it would be really easy to make a nice phone with an iPod-like interface, solid state memory, and good battery life. However, you only need to look as far as the current Creative-vs-Apple patent situation to realize that the idea is about as quaint as thinking you can just go find a patch of land that nobody's living on and build yourself a house.
posted by mullingitover at 12:56 PM on August 31, 2005

iShittypost
posted by mr.marx at 12:57 PM on August 31, 2005

"Rokr" is just stupd.
posted by fungible at 12:59 PM on August 31, 2005

As pointed out in strikhedonia's link, this announcement has been anticipated for a year. Motorola was supposedly announcing it at its recent annual meeting (end of July, I believe) and didn't. So maybe it'd be better to hold off on posting this until the product actually appears? (And then we can decry it as PepsiBlue. But at least it won't be just rumored PepsiBlue.)
posted by me3dia at 1:05 PM on August 31, 2005

Anyone who wants a combined mp3 player/phone can buy a Treo today, can't they ?

Or a Sony Walkman phone. 'Meh' is right.
posted by blendor at 1:12 PM on August 31, 2005

There has been a tacit acceptance here (despite repeated grumbling) about every latest-and-greatest product announcement from Apple showing up in the Blue. It's not in the spirit of MeFi, but we're an Apple-heavy group, and people like to talk about Apple.

If you're going to further this unpleasant-but-accepted behavior, please at least have the courtesy to wait until the product is ACTUALLY FUCKING ANNOUNCED before posting here.
posted by mkultra at 1:43 PM on August 31, 2005

Either way, their branding sucks BALS

yeah, you can thank ogilvy for that
posted by slogger at 1:49 PM on August 31, 2005

wait until the product is ACTUALLY FUCKING ANNOUNCED before posting here

... yes, because there are consequences if we don't.
posted by bhance at 1:53 PM on August 31, 2005

This post would have really sucked balls if it didn't have those nifty links to Motorola and cingular's sites. Who knew large, well-known, almost ubiquitous corporations with huge marketing budgets had websites?
posted by signal at 1:57 PM on August 31, 2005

Rokr??
posted by Robot Johnny at 2:54 PM on August 31, 2005

Weird. I had an mpx200 from motorola a couple of years ago with a couple of 512mb sd cards. Played music and movies. Why didn't they just get awhite version with some more buttons?

I'm currently using the spv c500 with 512mb - small neat phone that actually works with yahoo unlimited music.
posted by Mossy at 2:57 PM on August 31, 2005

Hey: that's not a link to Motorola! It's a link to Motorla!
posted by mr_roboto at 2:58 PM on August 31, 2005

Now more mtrosxual than evr.
posted by NewBornHippy at 3:10 PM on August 31, 2005

Hey: someone pointed that out already. !
posted by cpchester at 3:10 PM on August 31, 2005

And also: the moto and cingular URL were extremely helpfull -- thanks! Not.
posted by NewBornHippy at 3:11 PM on August 31, 2005

The beauty of the iPod is that, well, it's an iPod. The beauty of my phone is that it's a f*cking phone. Why in God's name would I want something that potentially does two things poorly.

And I named my kid "Jobs" fer chrissakes!
posted by jalexei at 3:24 PM on August 31, 2005

I still don't understand why Apple would partner with Motorola, who makes some pretty crap phones with terrible user interfaces, instead of someone like a Nokia.
posted by gyc at 4:35 PM on August 31, 2005

And the Sony Ericsson W800i will still outsell it.
posted by riffola at 5:13 PM on August 31, 2005

Nah.


Call it Holla.


What a butt ugly design.

design? Feh. Looks like an electric sweater pill remover. A handset? Yikes, how retro.

Needed a good laugh tho. fek.
posted by alicesshoe at 5:51 PM on August 31, 2005

Sweet! I live overseas! And I didn't even have to leave New York!

Island off the coast of Europe.
posted by Tlogmer at 10:06 PM on August 31, 2005

It'll suck until Steve Jobs announces it, just like every other rumored Apple product. see reality distortion field.
posted by clyde at 11:18 PM on August 31, 2005

meh. and also fi.
posted by rikabel at 8:02 AM on September 1, 2005