Watch out, iPods ' there's a new multimedia music device on the market.
Cell phones come equipped with everything from an alarm clock to Internet access to picture and video capabilities. Many companies are beginning to incorporate MP3s into their products
Junior marketing major Chase Hale uses a Sprint Samsung a920 cell phone with MP3 abilities. His phone contains a TransFLASH card insert that can be upgraded. His standard-size card holds 20 to 25 songs, but his brother has the largest flash card available, which holds 80 to 100 songs, he said.
The cool thing about MP3 player phones is you can get cool ring tones
he said.
Wireless company Cingular offered the first music phone, the Nokia 3300, in July 2003, said regional public relations director for the company Tara Traycoff.
Since September, Motorola has launched three MP3 cell phones: the Motorola ROKR E1, the Motorola SLVR L7 and the Sony Ericsson W600i Walkman phone.
The ROKR E1, introduced in September 2005, was the first cell phone to include iTunes. The phone works the same way as an iPod. Patrons buy songs from the iTunes Music Store or upload their own music, connect the phone to the computer via a USB port and upload the songs onto the device. The SLVR L7, which holds roughly 100 songs, was introduced in January and also uses iTunes, Traycoff said.
Spokesperson for Motorola Monica Rohleder said both the ROKR E1 and SLVR L7 models have been well accepted in the consumer market. The company plans to produce a ROKR family. The ROKR E2 is a newer version, but availability in the United States has not been discussed yet, she said.
The company is very excited to drive global music Rohleder said. Motorola puts the quality of the phone first to ensure crisp phone calls and reception and add features such as MP3s and video later. It made sense with the company to add more features to its phones, she said.
Your mobile device is one thing people don't leave home without Rohleder said.
Traycoff said the phones with MP3 abilities are growing in popularity because of the youth market. It's convenient to listen to music then just hit a button to switch to the phone in one device.
Hale said he thinks cell phones with MP3 players will gain popularity because of the better functionality of them. If every wireless phone provider doesn't already have an MP3 option, they will in the near future, he said.
Retail prices for all of the cell phones with MP3 players vary depending on the provider and whether they are purchased with a wireless plan.
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Caitlin Price
