With so much talk about the convergence of mobile phones and mp3 players in today's market, are we finally in a position where you only need one device instead of 2? This article attempts to explore benefits and drawbacks of having separate or combined mobile phone and music devices, in an ever more competitive world.
With the introduction of the Nokia N81 and Sony Ericsson W960i, music players on mobile phones have become ever more sophisticated. Gone are the days where the ipod was the only mp3 device worth having. Capacity has increased as has the sound quality, to a point where you can now store more than enough music and podcasts on your mobile phone to last you for days. At the time of writing the music focussed phones can store approximately 8gb of music, a quantity that is set to increase over the coming year.
The downside to the mp3 mobile phones is the lack of support from manufacturers and the lack of available content from your mobile phone. The ipod comes with itunes, a very sophisticated piece of software with a vast library of podcasts, music and even tv shows and films. This kind of support is simply not available to the average mobile phone user. However Nokia is fighting back with its planned intention to release a music download platform this year, offering music lovers the chance to download tracks direct to their mobile phone. The key to Nokia's success will be in the pricing model they choose to adopt. Only time will tell if they get this right.
Overall the technology for mp3 mobile phone devices is certainly available. Handsets such as the Nokia N81 and Sony Ericsson W960i prove this. What remains to be seen is whether or not the manufacturers can support these devices with a large enough catalogue of data that is cost effective for the end user. That is the challenge they face.
