Cingular announces MobiRadio streaming music service

Following Sprint's recent rollout of it's Sirius-over-Vision option, Cingular has announced that it too will begin offering a streaming music service, to be known as MobiRadio. Cingular is partnering with MobiTV (who also provide a wireless video service) and Music Choice to give customers 40 stations of pretty standard fare that they can listen to on their Nokia 6620 or Sony Ericsson S710 and Z500a. Better sign up for an unlimited data plan if you're interested in MobiRadio; if not, you have to pay by the kilobyte in addition to the $7 monthly fee.

[Via PocketPCWire and Reuters]

[magneto man @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Looks interesting, but if you have a Windows Mobile phone, you can already listen to radio from around the world streaming on the internet...

http://www.radioshowlinks.com/mdisplay.aspx?cid=c1
http://www.radioshowlinks.com/mdisplay.aspx?cid=c4

If I have that, why would I want MobiRadio?

[sunz @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

how frickin ridiculous. pay money on top of money for service. why wouldnt they make it just $7 for the service or even $15? You have to pay airtime charges too .. so in theory it actually costs $67/ month. how much is sprint's service?

[ET @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

overpriced. make it $2.99/month, and the subscriber count will skyrocket. besides, it's a freakin cellphone for heaven sakes.

[Matthew B @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Just got it, it's amazingly awful.... the sound quality even with my headphones sounds worse than REAL over a 2400 baud modem.... I am cancelling at this moment...

[Nutmac @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Cingular's Internet access plans are a bit confusing.

$19.99 is for cell phone only Internet access (with voice plan).
$39.99 is for "cell phone as a modem" Internet access (with voice plan).
$59.99 is for "PC card modem" Internet access (without voice plan).

So to add this service to your cell phone, it will cost about $27. Still not worth it, but just to clarify.

[Samuel Lago @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Stuff that, all you need is http://www.pandora.com/, if you've got a connection your set, not sure if it works with mobile devices but its free and good for desktops!!!

[flamer's grill @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Sprint's Power Vision has three tiers - the lowest ("access pack") being $15 per month. For that price, you get:

> Unlimited web/data that doesn't count as airtime
> Sirius satellite radio (twenty music channels)
> ABC News Now, an apparently 24-hour live news channel

Add five bucks, $20 a month, and you get more channels, such as NFL Network live feed and Fox News live feed. Also unlimited picture/video messaging. Five MORE bucks, $25 a month, and apparently you get some more channels, like ESPN content and TLC and stuff.

Fifteen bucks for Sirius and unlimited data that doesn't count as airtime? Sounds good to me.

[flamer's grill @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Sprint's Power Vision has three tiers - the lowest ("access pack") being $15 per month. For that price, you get:

> Unlimited web/data that doesn't count as airtime
> Sirius satellite radio (twenty music channels)
> ABC News Now, an apparently 24-hour live news channel

Add five bucks, $20 a month, and you get more channels, such as NFL Network live feed and Fox News live feed. Also unlimited picture/video messaging. Five MORE bucks, $25 a month, and apparently you get some more channels, like ESPN content and TLC and stuff.

Fifteen bucks for Sirius and unlimited data that doesn't count as airtime? Sounds good to me.

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#5 Nutmac -
I'm not trying to be rude, so don't take it that way, but you're a bit off on the data plans. $19.99 gets you unlimited on the phone only. $39.99 gets you unlimited on a PDA phone (Treo 650, Siemens SX66, Audiovox 5600). $44.99 gets you unlimited on a BlackBerry. $59.99 gets you unlimited on a laptop card WITH a voice plan $39.99 on the same account (can be with or without separate number). $79.99 gets you unlimited on a laptop without a voice plan. If you want to tether your phone, TECHNICALLY you're supposed to be either on the $59 or $79 plan. The salespeople (myself included) typically won't sell the device without the correct plan and most care reps won't change it either. However, a $19.99 plan works great on an EDGE card. But you have to have a BlackBerry plan for BlackBerry email and you have to have the correct unlimited plan to get your rebate!