Zune rumors heat up, MS getting ready to launch Zune software on phones?

Yeah, something is definitely up in Zuneland. Not only did images of the Zune HD leak out late last week, today AdWeek says that Microsoft's auditioning three major ad agencies for the launch of a new mobile service called "Pink" -- which is the project codename for Zune software on mobile phones. No, this doesn't mean any of those Tegra-powered Zunephone rumors are coming true -- it's far more likely that Microsoft is finally gearing up to re-launch Zune as the preferred media software and service for Windows Mobile, a plan Steve Ballmer's been hinting at for ages now. Remember, Microsoft has to keep its large stable of Windows Mobile hardware manufacturers happy, and launching a hyped new phone of its own with a Zune-based OS would basically be perceived as stabbing a billion-dollar business in the back -- not something you want to do when most of your partners are also deep in the Android game. On the other hand, you don't audition three huge ad agencies just to launch a Zune app on busted ol' WinMo, so there could be something big cooking -- if you forced us to throw caution to the wind and just guess, what we'd want to see is that $500m Danger acquisition pay off in the form of a reskinned consumer-oriented edition of Windows Mobile that integrates Zune services, running not only on a touchscreen Zune HD, but a variety of phones from third-party partners. Wishful thinking? You bet -- probably even crazy thinking -- but it would certainly shake things up, and that's never a bad thing. We'll see how it plays out -- care to share your dream Zune strategy in the meantime?

[Via CNET]

[DeoWulf @ Apr 14th 2009 6:35PM]

Holy crap!

[DeoWulf @ Apr 14th 2009 6:37PM]

Then again it doesn't apply to me much. I'm not paying premium for a smartphone plan when I could just have a PMP and phone as separate devices. But I'd be excited to meet all the new members of the Social!

[Jonathan @ Apr 14th 2009 6:53PM]

Ahh, yes. The classic "quick comment to be FIRST! followed by a reply to the quick comment after reading the post."

[DeoWulf @ Apr 14th 2009 6:55PM]

Hey, I've never had a first comment before! At least I didn't flaunt it.

[Neil @ Apr 14th 2009 7:24PM]

LOL....yeah!! I hope they'll put it on Windows Mobile 6.5 and drop the craptastic Windows Media Player.

[mynk @ Apr 14th 2009 10:59PM]

omg this is your first first?
this is such an accomplishment
your medal is in the mail
meanwhile, treat yourself to a cookie.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Apr 14th 2009 11:40PM]

DeoWulf,

Really? You'd rather carry 2 devices rather than 1? I understand some convergence devices don't do anything well, but that's not the case with smartphones. It's not hard to get a smartphone and elect not to pay for a data plan.. that way you end up with 2 devices in one, and only pay for a normal cellphone plan.

[Félix @ Apr 15th 2009 6:48AM]

Yeah yeah yeah 1 device is better than 2....

Wake me up when your smartphones can play 55 hours of audio, have 32gb+ memory and support flac, ogg, Xvid,DivX .mkv .flv H.264 etc etc..
Yeah I know the iPhone is as "awesome" as the iPod touch, kuddos Apple, but your overpriced device doesn't play my files, and lacks battery life so... (+ my HATE of itunes ofc...)

Although Palm Pre + Cowon S9 should be nice all in one I'm pretty sure it will take 5 years to have decent all in one devices.

[James @ Apr 15th 2009 10:36AM]

I'd rather carry two devices than one when the two devices can do their respective jobs better than the single device can do both jobs, and when it saves me $60 a month.

[DeoWulf @ Apr 15th 2009 3:46PM]

@UnixSystemsEngineer-

I have Verizon. To own a Smartphone, you HAVE to subscribe to a minimum $30/month data plan. At that kind of rate, the thing would double in price within half a year. Instead I renewed contract and got a free phone (with media capabilities) on a standard plan. It's a Juke, so it's pretty dang small, and I have big pockets. So the right pocket is taken now, and I have my left one for the Zune HD when it comes out. Regardless of how much the HD costs, it will be cheaper than a smartphone within a year.

[Adil @ Apr 14th 2009 6:37PM]

I hope they release zune software for the symbian s60 v5, since the nokia 5800 music player is dull as hell

[Mark @ Apr 14th 2009 9:21PM]

And giving up the potential advantage WinMo may or may not have? Yeah right.

[Shank @ Apr 14th 2009 11:44PM]

Bottom line comment to silence all.
Notice how every windows mobile smartphone carrier ,still has to carry an ipod or mp3 separately in other pocket.
How pathetic n weak that wm phones cant even replace an ipod.Exactly truth is out n it hurts.
I speak the harsh realities n dont like to sugar coat the truth.Agree?

[jakem @ Apr 15th 2009 3:57AM]

No I disagree. There's plenty of good MP3 software for Windows Mobile including Pocket Player. I see no reason why you would need to carry a separate MP3 player unless you want dedicated hardware buttons/massive amounts of storage.

[poke @ Apr 15th 2009 4:05AM]

Hey Shank

I bet you feel superior walking around with your one device that "does it all"

pathetic really

Its just good to here about other devices now and again and the impending competition across the board. The game is just beginning and is by no means over.

[chefgon_ign @ Apr 15th 2009 9:16AM]

I used to carry a WinMo phone and it also functioned as my main music player. It had A2DP so I could carry some nice collapsible bluetooth headphones in my pocket and have a truly portable all-in-one experience.

Since then I have switched to a G1 and I'm waiting for the A2DP support to get pushed out. In the mean time, I have a flash zune and wired headphones. WinMo worked better for me as an all-in-one than my new, more modern smartphone does.

[rock99rock @ Apr 14th 2009 6:38PM]

Now we just need a NA version of the TouchHD and then, it will all make sense.

[Brad @ Apr 14th 2009 8:49PM]

Eh, my 16GB Touch Pro does the job just fine. I would much rather have the physical keyboard. Sure, a TouchHD running zune software would be a great media device, but it wouldn't be the phone for me. I could see the value for the "I want an iPhone form factor" crowd, though.

[rock99rock @ Apr 14th 2009 10:51PM]

Hence, my comment :) I suppose a Touch Pro2 would suffice. The screen size is what I am most focused on. I had the SE X1 for all of about a week and had to return it. Great screen res, not enough real estate.

[PRC. @ Apr 14th 2009 6:39PM]

Your wishful thinking makes too much sense. So unfortunately it probably won't happen!

[Eptin @ Apr 14th 2009 6:43PM]

My dream Zune strategy? Zune software on OS fricken X. Come on.

[sinai @ Apr 14th 2009 6:49PM]

and that is why you don't run a multi billion dollar company

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 14th 2009 7:04PM]

I'm sure Microsoft is excited and working so hard on satisfying 5% of the OS market...

Having said that, it is never a bad idea, only if they have some extra money and time (not a priority). I would love to see them add more capabilities to the device itself than add support for a rare OS.

[Jonathan @ Apr 14th 2009 7:19PM]

5% of computer market isn't the 5% of the mp3 market, so even if only a fraction of Mac users bought a Zune it would still be a lot in Mp3 player percentages. Every bit counts and it's not even a lot of work on Microsoft's end.

[WixosTrix @ Apr 14th 2009 8:00PM]

The whole point of the Zune is to take marketshare from Apple. Sure it'd be nice for Mac users who want it but it isn't gonna help Microsoft sale Windows. I can understand Linux or so support, but OSX is kind of a threat to Microsoft for consumer users.

[ishism @ Apr 14th 2009 8:13PM]

How about the zune app on iphones and itouch. Instant ztouch

[FoxKenji @ Apr 14th 2009 9:12PM]

@ Saad Rabia

"I'm sure Microsoft is excited and working so hard on satisfying 5% of the OS market..."

Well Microsoft is pissing their pants in preoccupation with Apple's 9 to 10% of the US computer market as evident via those new TV commercials. So why wouldn't Zune on OS X not be part of the same strategy? Even if I, a Mac user, wanted to try out the Zune, there's no chance I can.

[Saad Rabia @ Apr 14th 2009 9:21PM]

Well, then here is hoping that Microsoft listens to you OS X users and make something available with the next launch. It is not a bad idea at all.

[Shank @ Apr 14th 2009 11:47PM]

Bottom line comment to silence all.
Notice how every windows mobile smartphone carrier ,still has to carry an ipod or mp3 separately in other pocket.
How pathetic n weak that wm phones cant even replace an ipod.Exactly truth is out n it hurts.
I speak the harsh realities n dont like to sugar coat the truth.Agree?

[Joshua Walters @ Apr 14th 2009 6:46PM]

Im pretty sure the Zune HD images got debunked. Maybe Engadget should go back and actually read what the comments said when the ZuneHD.net domain article was posted.

But still, Im excited to see Zune come to Winmo, if that whats going on. Maybe we can hope to completely ditch WMP on Windows as well, and replace it with Zune. Its better software as it is.

[Nilay Patel @ Apr 14th 2009 6:47PM]

We're pretty confident the images of the Zune HD device are the real deal -- it's the website that was always suspect.

[L.M.L.Y.P @ Apr 14th 2009 8:13PM]

from what ive read, MS purchased zune.net before the device was released few years ago and had a 3rd party hold it until it was officially announced. Could be the same technique.

[Totalfixation @ Apr 14th 2009 6:47PM]

Im glad they went this direction. Ive been advocating this for a while for Microsoft to do this.

[DeoWulf @ Apr 14th 2009 6:58PM]

Same here. In order for the Zune to succeed, it needs to be a platform open to multiple devices. Openness will always beat closed environment, I think.

[VanillaSpice @ Apr 14th 2009 9:00PM]

But so far, closed proprietary environments have completely dominated over open ones. Windows and OSX versus Linux, iPhones and WinMo versus Android, et cetera. I think an open environment *could* be better than a closed one, but it won't happen just because it is 'open'. It will only be because it is better on many other points as well.

[SKI @ Apr 14th 2009 10:53PM]

He means be open to more devices. Like Windows vs. Macs (even most Mac fanboys will tell you they run Windows in bootcamp) and Winmo vs. iPhone (one device versus an OS with multiple phones on every carrier).

[Brian @ Apr 14th 2009 6:52PM]

i have a zune 80 and a fuze itd be nice to sync up music in zune software to my 8 gig card for the gym definetly

[WixosTrix @ Apr 14th 2009 8:04PM]

Windows Media Player on your PC can sync your Zune DRM music to your WMP on your Fuze. It works, on every WinMo phone. Even subscription music, it can all be played in synced in WMP and WMC.

[Shank @ Apr 14th 2009 11:50PM]

Bottom line comment to silence all.
Notice how every windows mobile smartphone carrier ,still has to carry an ipod or mp3 separately in other pocket.
How pathetic n weak that wm phones cant even replace an ipod.Exactly truth is out n it hurts.
I speak the harsh realities n dont like to sugar coat the truth.Agree?

[FNG @ Apr 14th 2009 6:55PM]

so what's the record for most linked posts in one post? this post has links to 8 different posts.

Please click all these linked posts! Love Nilay

[martin @ Apr 14th 2009 9:58PM]

its actually nine, "deep" and "in" are separate links.

[bob e @ Apr 14th 2009 6:56PM]

This is crazy...
Zune HD, Zune phone, Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows 7 all landing in the next 6 months.

[MaX PL @ Apr 14th 2009 7:00PM]

there wont be a Zune HD and a Zune phone. if anything it'll all be in one package.

[Shank @ Apr 14th 2009 7:03PM]

Sounds like apple days are numbered





Not!!!!!!!!!

[DeoWulf @ Apr 14th 2009 7:09PM]

Max PL- I wouldn't be so sure. I'm quite confident there will be a new Zune PMP which bears a resemblance to the photos previously leaked. I also don't think that device will be a phone. Think about it-- by creating something which a is a phone and releasing no standalone device alongside it you limit sales-- something Zune definitely does not want to do at this point. However you cut it, a significantly diminished percentage of the already small Zune market share would feasibly be on the same network, and an even smaller percentage of that would even want to buy and pay for a smartphone and its accompanying data plan. I think Bob e is right; there will be a Zune HD PMP, a Microsoft phone (which may look remarkably similar) running a media-centric skinned WinMo released with 6.5 (which will replace WMP with Zune), and of course Windows 7 which will hopefully follow suit and combine WMP, WMC, and Zune.

[ashan @ Apr 14th 2009 7:41PM]

How is windows 7 landing in 6 months? The new product fairy will stop by Microsoft and grant all their wishful thinking? ZuneHD still hasn't been announced, so how do you know when it will be shipped?

You know what i think will ship in the next 6 months? Winmo 6.5. Thats it.

[ifalldownstairs @ Apr 14th 2009 8:08PM]

@ ashan

why wouldn't Windows 7 come out in 6 months? I'm assuming you haven't used the beta

[Josh @ Apr 14th 2009 8:25PM]

Acutally - this is aimed at "SHANK"

Seriously? Not?!?! Is this 1993? Who says "NOT" after something anymore?

Were you frozen for the past 16 years?

Alright, if that's the case- lets try this..."Great comment Shank....NOT!!!"

OMG!! THAT WAS SO COOL WHAT YOU DID THERE!!! NOT!!!

You are so original...NOT!!!

Wow. That was kind of fun. :-)

[sacapuntas @ Apr 14th 2009 8:29PM]

Thanks for the blast from the past Josh...

[Shank @ Apr 14th 2009 11:54PM]

Bottom line comment to silence all.
Notice how every windows mobile smartphone carrier ,still has to carry an ipod or mp3 separately in other pocket.
How pathetic n weak that wm phones cant even replace an ipod.Exactly truth is out n it hurts.
I speak the harsh realities n dont like to sugar coat the truth.Agree?