Is Creative serious about a possible "ZenPhone"?

iPhone, ZunePhone and ZenPhone, oh my! With Apple's iPhone still causing seething "gotta have" mentality among its ardent fans way before release, the Microsoft "Zune phone" that is circling the rumor camps hard has nothing on the Creative ZenPhone. That joke aside, maybe all the top DAP makers and ODMs will design a functional cellphone / DAP unit soon, although we're not sure about the RF prowess of DAP makers. Anyhoo, this potential two-piece odd looking phone / easy chair massager controller device (the Xmod) is being chalked up as the Creative "ZenPhone" right now. Creative, who predicted they would attack Apple's DAP market share and fell off that wagon just a tad before settling, may indeed unveil a ZenPhone in the future. That being said, it's hard to say if this first peek is for real from Creative -- or some Singaporean's fantasy right now.

[Thanks, Vizion]

[akintz @ Mar 6th 2007 3:11PM]

My question would be does Creative have a powerful enough brand to jump into a market like this? Of course neither Apple nor Creative have "phone" experience (that I know of)... but Apple has such a well known name/brand/image, that they might be able to make their phone work (if even for a niche group).

What does Creative have?

[Dan @ Mar 6th 2007 3:44PM]

Quality.

[Scabies @ Mar 6th 2007 3:48PM]

...I certainly hope this is a mockup; having two devices to make up a PMP/Phone combo, why not have a dedicated PMP and a dedicated Phone?

[The Infamous @ Mar 6th 2007 3:54PM]

That is the creative device for enhancing audio signal and tricking you into thinking its better quality...not an mp3 player

[Mikey @ Mar 6th 2007 4:12PM]

soooo...is that the paddle for playing pong on your phone?
i think i kind of want a dedicated pong paddle for my phone.

[beast @ Mar 6th 2007 5:30PM]

is this like when, back a few years ago, when there were no cameras on phones, and then all of a sudden every phone has to have a camera.

maybe now all mp3 player makers have to have their own brand phone?

[PEZ @ Mar 6th 2007 6:23PM]

Next thing you know Nokia will start making cellphones.

[Techthug @ Mar 6th 2007 7:21PM]

I would have to agree with you on the issue of preferring Creative over Apple. The whole itunes thing compared to Explorer integration is just total trash....

[Robertmf @ Mar 6th 2007 10:44PM]

I would have to agree with Kevin with regards to Creative Labs. Whenever I wanted great audio on my PC, Creative Labs sound cards would always be my preference.

If Creative can come up with portable multimedia devices, putting a telecommunications capability is not something that is impossible to do... in fact I believe it would be relatively easy for them to do it.

[Dragod @ Mar 6th 2007 9:50PM]

Please, Dear God, No...

[DM @ Mar 6th 2007 11:00PM]

Well, the more the merrier. Anyway, Creative may not be as popular as Apple or Microsoft but they do make great quality products and as far as the experts know, the Creative Zen Vision: M is still the best DAP out there. I should know, I own one.

[Jimmy Bean @ Mar 7th 2007 12:09AM]

Personally, I think Creative is on this personal vandetta to compete with Apple, and they will sink themselves trying to do so. If the Zen phone is as reliable as their MP3 players, we are all doomed.

[DM @ Mar 7th 2007 2:50AM]

"we are all doomed."

speak for your self apple fanboy.

[dcny @ Mar 7th 2007 12:14AM]

I got Microsoft even beating Creative