Say hello to the Motorola E790 Apple iTunes phone
posted July 3rd 2005 3:37PM
This is the moment you've been waiting for: obviously we can't tell you how we got 'em, but after months of pining away for this, we've finally scored some actual live shots of a cellphone running Apple's new iTunes Mobile software. It might just be an engineering or a production sample, and we can't guarantee whether this will actually be the first iTunes phone or not, but we do know that we're looking at a pearly white E790 and that synchronizes with iTunes 4.9 (and has the same autofill menu options as the iPod shuffle—see below). Not sure how much internal memory the phone has, but we do know that this sample shipped with a 128MB TransFlash card that sits opposite the SIM and under the battery and supposedly sounds every bit as good as a full-size iPod and has "excellent bass response".
[Big thanks to our anonymous tipster, wherever you are!]
looks like crap. like a motorola
What a disappointment if this is THE phone. Who cares about the interface, looks just like regular iPod interface, that's what we expected. What we all want is a little Apple industrial design savvy for our phone. This is an old Moto design and it sucks.
How embarassed I will be for Steve if that is what he has to hold up on July 7 and say it's going to change the world.
I CALL FAKE! FAKE FAKE FAKE!
Take a good look at these photographs and you will see how easily they can be created in around 2 minutes using widely available resources.
Pic 1: This display looks just like the interface when running Salling Clicker or Romeo.
pic 2: This is the real giveaway. If this is meant to be a menu, why then is the time, date and the options "Ph Book" and "Message" still appearing. I'll tell you why: this "menu" is an image whipped up and put onto the phone's display as a wallpaper.
pic 3: This one may or may not be genuine. It certainly wouldn't be hard to fake.
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I think that there has to be something remarkable/distinguishing about the phone other than iTunes synching to help avoid market erosion with other phones. I know 80% of the market gives Apple and thus Moto an advantage, but there are reasons that people see future phones as a threat long term to the iPod.
Also haw does Cingular get money out of this phone?!?!?!? huh, smart guys!??! If it is only synching to a Mac, Cingular gets nada. Where is the screen with iTunes browsing?
Surely this is not the finished version of the iPod Phone. This does not have Steve Job's design seal of approval anywhere on it. As a Mac and iPod guy myself, I know they would NEVER release something that looked so sterile and bland. Remember, this is not Microsoft.... :-) We will surely see the real phone on the 7th. All the other unveilings have happened in the last couple of weeks. It is time for the iPod Phone.
Look folks this is just a java app. It wont be long befor you can put iTunes on any phone.
Am I the only idiot that took Brett (#63) seriously? Am back to millions of colors now : > )
F**K Moto/Apple. I have a $ony Ericsson K750i with a 1GB memory stick that plays MP3's and AAC's and it sounds as good as my ipod. Just insert the stick and drag and drop files from itunes. Plus it has a 2.0 megapixels camera. And it kicks A$$. So skip the moto, their UI's are always clunky and hard to use **Razr**
I think everyone's expectations for the Motorola iTunes-compatible phone are way way way too high. For Apple to even be allowing a third party to interface with iTunes is a big deal, they're not going to want to cut into their market. I think this may be the first of many of this type of phone and yeah I do believe it only has the 128 or 256 transflash card. Otherwise it would start competing with the iPod Shuffles. You people need to realize that this phone is simply a novelty and meant for the general public, 95% of which are not gadget freaks that read this site. All of "us" know that the specs on this phone are nothing special, the ONLY thing special is it's ability to interface with iTunes, nothing more.
As for the person inferring that this phone is a natural progression of the E398, I wouldn't get your hopes up. The V551 would seem to be a direct upgrade from the V300/V400/V500/V600 (triplets) series, but it runs different software and you can't just flash your old phone to EDGE capabilities etc. I certainly hope you are correct, because E398's are dirt cheap..but I wouldn't run out and buy one under the assumption it will be iTunes compatible with some software tricks.
#91-- Brett's trick worked fine on my computer (an ibook). Maybe it only works on Macs, or you are doing it wrong -- remember look for the podcast icon in the preferences panel, not in the itunes side panel.
Memo to everyone saying that this can't be an apple product because apple would NEVER make an ugly product. Uhhh. . . . . . first of all, this is not an apple product, and no one claims that it is. It is a moto product that runs itunes, just like the millions of wintel boxes that run itunes, but nevertheless don't look like imacs. Second, apple has made some ugly products in the past, and sorry, i love my ipod but its design hardly wowed me when I first saw it.
It's real, I was playing with one recently, sadly without the extra memory iTunes won't start. Externally it's identical to the E398 apart from the extra music button. The 790 also records video, probably very poorly, knowing mobile phones.
Ok hold on, to all THOSE who say that we shouldn't be disappointed for it to not look Apple-ish or super elegant... You think Apple would spend two years working with Motorola and 1) not try and slip in just a little of their design skills, which are probably the most popular in technological history and 2) would ever let Motorola come out with THAT!? I mean look at it, it's as if the designers at Moto turned to each other and said "Hey, I know what people want, let's make a cheap plasticy phone that looks ten years old and watch our sales plummet just for a laugh!".
Almost certainly just a model for testing out the software. Expect the iPod Phones from Motorola to be heavily iPod inspired and bearing some kind of click wheel to be released on the 7th.
Yixian,..98% of Quicktime software runs on Wintel boxes. You think Apples designers should be slip in just a little of their design skills into HP & Dell boxes?
iTunes software is just that; software. Apple's not going to farm out their best designers for a static hardware they'll get no revenue on. MS designs crap software; still sells. Motorola sounds like they design crap mobile; still gonna sell+plays iTunes. As for the time that has past, that's probably political,..much like the work that goes into a iTunes store per country. and why would Apple release a competing iPod/iTunes phone on the 7th against a partner Motorola?
I think its a cool idea, but think about this: You have all your iTunes on a phone, your phone breaks for whatever reason, then you have no access to all your music. Isn't this the same as having one of those old time TV/VCR combo's. If you VCR broke, you had no TV (or vice versa)while the whole set was in the repair shop. I would not want to have all my songs at risk (if I did not have them stored anywhere else). But, I think it is good marketing for Apple if it does happen.
This must be the MOST HORRIBLE piece of design ever let loose by Apple, if of course its real........................Surely the Apple 'phone would be just as well designed as all the other products me thinks.
I don't know why you all don't like this phone I think it looks great I just want a phone that looks like a normal phone with iTunes support I dont wan't something fancy if it is Motorola will hike up the price like they did with the RAZR
http://dl3.rapidshare.de/files/2868101/34031456/790.rar
link is apparently the flash and flex required to turn a e398 into the e790.
wtf?! imo, the phone in the pictures is just a regular e398 w/ the tmobile button! they just edited the menus and changed the icons. they even removed the "e398" label located at the bottom of the phone in the 2nd pic. and for the extra button, tmobile made some e398s with extra buttons so when you press it, it will act as a shortcut to their wap site. the guys who made the picture just replaced the symbol on the button with a note symbol.. imo, fake pics...
UGLY!!!!!! Why not the PEBL (whatever it is called) or the Razor design....Come on! something whith a bit more apple style....And yes! design is as important as function....if not, why not use a Window's music player program.....
Yea. I think that it is just a testing model.
You wouldn't want the FIRST iTunes enabled phone to look like that!!!??
And the features are just about the same as my phone (e398)
The FIRST iTunes enabled phone should have features something like n91 and design inspired by apple.
apple should have went to sony ericsson with itunes, they make better and more compatable phones than motorola.
You know what?
Everyone's whining over how the damn _phone_ looks.
How about thinking for a moment: Remember how iTunes locked you to so many devices?
What happens if you drop your phone into a bucket of water on accident, and have to get it replaced? Does Apple care enough to release that phone from your profile, so that you don't go over your hardware limit?
And what happens when, a year or two down the line, you upgrade to a better, more capable phone? If you forget to remove that, what happens then?
Justin:
If that happens, you just email apple support and they release the device from your profile. Last year I did that. In fact, because I had a couple retired devices I just asked them to delete everything I had so that I could just re-register the two live devices. Apple did it in under 24 hours.
FIRST of all, the e398 is awesome, i don't see how you all hate it, if half of you had actually used one you MAY think different of it.
SECONDLY, clearly apple would not have a hand in the design of the phone, they are simply PROVIDING the SOFTWARE! And as someone said earlier . . why would they provide their designers to work on something that they won't get much revenue from??
IN REPLY to gary (#109) the Sony part of Sony Ericsson, is a competitor in the Audio Players industry of Apple (MiniDisc vs iPod) . . so why would apple go to their competitors with this deal. On the other side, why would Sony want to use their competitors software. If they did, it would clearly state "Hey people, our software sucks so we think you should use Apple!"
IN REPLY to Sebhelyesfarku (#88), what, did you expect an iPod with phone features?? When Apple signed the deal with Motorola, how could you expect it to not look like a Motorola Phone??
To Andre Da Costa (#83),
That would be pretty cool . . but imagine the price tag that came with it. In Australia the V3 RAZR is still $600 out right . . throw in iTunes and watch that go up to the $800-ish mark.
I can't be bothered replying to the rest of you perfectionists who need the iPhone or whatever its called to be perfect right off the mark! There is this thing called . . what is it . . EVOLUTION! Where the first one only gets improved on!
PS it is good to see that not everyone had 'iPod-with-phone-feature' expectations.
When does the iMobile launch? Apple and Motorola. Great combo. iMobile-great name, if that's what they call it?
hi DJ *112*
never though about that, your right, (but at the end of the day "sony" and "sony ericsson" are 2 separate businesses and ericsson will have a big say on things too). still think the SE phones are the best on the market and the K750i is awesome.
nice! but... hasnt this been done before?
got to agree the sony erricson phones are great, i use the p910i
Hey it's just an E398 with i-tunes software.
I allready have an itunes phone (Modified E398 with i-tunes) records video, takes photos, plays full length movies, has external stereo speakers, has about 20 games and has voice record.
The modified i-tunes enabled E398 still has a few bugs to be sorted but a conversion manual and monster pack will be available for download shortly.
Don't wait for Motorola or Apple to do it make your own. Get an E398 ( The black one looks heaps better) a 512mb transflash and maybe even a spare battery.
Read up about modifying your E398 on the net, it's not that hard to do and your options are alomst limitless. Download an Apple skin for your new i398 and presto you have yourself an itunes phone.
GET OVER IT. This is JUST a phone that happens to play songs (like my Nokia does now). No need to go whacko crazy about this thing- either good or bad. It will be in a trash can in three years anyways. Don't take things so seriously folks.
Hey Gary, *109 & *114
Personally I reckon an E398 mixed with an SE would rock. I'll be the first to admit that Motorola do lack some features that SE have. But I honestly prefer the look and usability of my E398 (the keys on the K700i are a bit confusing and hard to get used to).
And continuing from i398's post (*117),
You can download that MonsterPack by becoming a member of http://www.MotoModders.net/ an browsing to the "Shoey's i398 Monster Pack" thread and clicking the link (there is also a walkthrough somwhere)
BE WARNED: IT IS ONLY IN BETA AND THEREFORE IS NOT 100% STABLE!
Have fun guys,
DJ
*edit for above:
You need to browse to the "E398" section and then "Shoey's i398 Monster Pack" thread
I predict it will have a camera phone.
Hmmm been using my i398 for a while now. Got iTunes with 25songs limit (Sucks!) but it sound much2 better than the old crappy mp3 player that come with e398. Go get Shoey's monster pack and flash your e398 into i398 (video recording, voice recording, iTunes, java in t-flash! and tons more!)
Ok, this is the soon to come iTunes phone but it will not be the only one (I hope not). So don't be disappointed if you were looking forward to the "perfect phone". There will be more (again, I hope)