Amazon music, movie downloads coming to T-Mobile G1?

Amazon's always looking for creative new ways to distribute digital media -- and in light of its recently-launched Video On Demand service and the decent head of steam AmazonMP3 has managed to build, it'd probably just love to shoehorn its way onto a high-profile mobile device right about now. VentureBeat is reporting a juicy rumor of a G1 that made an appearance somewhere in San Fran's seedy underbelly over the weekend bearing an Amazon music and video app designed to dole out media for cash, suggesting that Android's first commercial hardware might come out of the gate ready not just to lock horns with the iPhone's WiFi App Store, but also to straight-up beat it by throwing in movie and TV download capability. Then again, no 3G network -- particularly one with as small of a footprint as T-Mobile's -- is mighty enough to effectively do feature-length movie downloads over the aether, so it remains to be seen exactly how this would all play out. Get a good night's sleep this evening, folks, because if everything goes according to plan, we'll have some solid answers in just a few short hours.

[se30chris @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:12PM]

Some exciting news that's not the iPhone for once.

[Shea @ Sep 23rd 2008 2:20AM]

You didn't *seriously* just refer to the iPhone as "exciting news" did you...?

[sinai @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:13PM]

for the day before launch, there sure isn't much commotion going on.

[Samuel Wat @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:13PM]

kewl

[omoks @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:13PM]

I guess I'll find out in a couple hours but does this device have a media player and can it play WMA files?

[TheAzureKnight @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:15PM]

God that is one ugly phone...

[HOOPER @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:27PM]

I–I think it's kind of nice. There. I said it.

[TJ @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:56PM]

I've seen that photo a million times and have thought the same thing. Why on earth would they have something as potentially iPhone deadly as Android on a hideous brick slider such like this?

Le puke,

TJ

[OnlyShawn @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:37PM]

no, that's one ugly PHOTO. hold judgment past that until you see real photos and hold it in your hand.

[steven @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:45PM]

I think it looks nice, but they should have had the area around the keyboard and the keypad white.

[Wes Steele @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:23PM]

Hopefully this isn't ridiculously expensive. With T-mobile 3G coming to Atlanta, I'm very interested in getting this device. I have been contemplating switching to ATT for months now, but I'll definitely stay with T-mo if this ends up being a great deal.

[Magallanes @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:26PM]

Two words :DRM FREE.

[kaimonkey @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:36PM]

:D
nuff said

[Sokka @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:28PM]

Lemme tell you, I've seen iPhones and I Love 'em. It has a rock solid OS, so does Android. I think that android will somewhat takeover the cellphone/smartphone market. These phones will be flying off the shelves when they come out!!

[Dan Davis @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:12PM]

Not to hate, but you know Android is "rock solid" based on what? A v.0.9 SDK?

I think most people plan on taking a "wait and see" approach here.

[Todd @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:28PM]

"...VentureBeat is reporting a juicy rumor of a G1 that made an appearance somewhere in San Fran's seedy underbelly over the weekend bearing an Amazon music and video app designed to dole out media for cash."

I hope they are not referencing this lame thing from Amazon called "Window Shop":

http://windowshop.com

Apple fanboys commence with the "That looks like cover flow!"

[dnyyanks62 @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:30PM]

Ugly or not (It's really not that bad, just people are too spoiled), it's coming to T-Mobile and it will be their best option for any customer looking for something new, and trust me, I am after 4 years of RAZR (which served me well). Doesn't seem useful unless there is some on board storage (I'm sure there is but not much). Amazon does have great service though and that's where my purchased music comes from. All in all, tomorrow should be a good day to be a T-Mobile customer.

[TN @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

I just want to know if it can stream Pandora and other radio stations like the iphone does. If so, i found a new music player.

[yoyodude64 @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

wifi is a possibility then. especially with t-mobile.

[SkyKing @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:08PM]

man, it's ugly phone...

[David @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:11PM]

Amazon should develop a version of their "MP3 downloader" for WinMo that works over 3G/WiFi as well. Seems like it'd be easy enough to do. I know, I know, the Zune interface for WinMo/Zune phone has been talked about, but I prefer having choices.

As far as the G1, I'd guess the software would be cool but the phone is ugly as Fuck.

[projekt84 @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:35PM]

For the love of god please stop using that leopard background picture!

[Michael Scrip @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:36PM]

Or you can use Amazon MP3 on your computer... I don't see what the big deal is.

[jtizzlefurizzle21 @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:36PM]

amazon mp3 on an htc touch pro (or the Xtreme FUZ3 since i have at&t) and a 3.5 mm jack would be heaven
what a disappointing article because it will never happen (i hate you t mobile customers, never thought i'd say that)

[Sparr @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:59PM]

3G not beefy enough for feature length movies? Bulls**t. At a mere 1Mbps (~100 kilobytes per second, considering overhead and such), it would only take two hours to download a 700MB file, which is the typical size of a well compressed 90 minute movie.

[vijay @ Sep 23rd 2008 12:10AM]

Highly unprofessional design and no ratio in design!!! Get is redesigned by dabber design folks.

[gad get @ Sep 23rd 2008 6:32AM]

Well, it's certainly more professionally designed than your comments.

[hadi @ Oct 14th 2008 7:47AM]

ghfd