Windows Zune Phone still in the works?

By on Jul 24, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Rumor July 24, 2008

The Zune Phone has been rumored for about as long as we can remember, but Microsoft has been doing their best to squash any and all rumors related to it’s possible existence and/or development. Just today, however, the company’s CEO Steve “I Heart Beer” Ballmer made a subtle reference to a possible change of course that could result in some form of Microsoft branded handset. In an all-points bulletin sent out to Microsoft employees, the CEO said:

“We’re changing the way we work with hardware vendors to ensure that we can provide complete experiences with absolutely no compromises. We’ll do the same with phones—providing choice as we work to create great end-to-end experiences.”

Hmm. Nothing explicit about a Zune phone in here, but it’s certainly a marked shift from the company’s current software-only attitude towards handset development.

[Via Gizmodo]

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24 Comments

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  • Mike5411

    GPRS icon in the corner… :(

  • dondgc

    Wow – reading anything about a Zune phone into those remarks sure takes a lot of stretching.

    But it may be just the glimmer of hope the Zune guy needs to hold onto those tattoos a bit longer.

  • TareX

    Oh my God…. I hope this is NOT true.

    Maybe when WM7-8 comes out…. but now, MS need to fix their software first, before venturing into the hardware market.

  • bagacocks

    this is taking what was said in a different light.

    what i believe to be taken from his mention is the further development of the danger/hiptop os from their recent purchase of said company (ref: http://www.bgr.com/2008/04/16/microsoft-to-danger-pwned/)

    i dont believe in the zunephone microsoft makes windows mobile and now has danger amongst many other things they dabble in. it would not take this long to come out with a “zune phone” if they wanted to create such a device / product.

  • Fahad

    the comment is being stretched way out of proportion … he most probably means better software for phones .. instead of hardware and software …

  • argonnj

    A Zune phone would be as popular as the the Zune MP3 player.

  • Jeff B.

    I’m going to agree with argonnj but who knows maybe this will be the first thing Microsoft does right. C’mon, it has great potential of being another iPh…Tilt copy.

  • boogalooboy

    They should fix/improve what is currently on WM devices before they even dream of a Zune phone.

  • pheer6224

    Don’t forget that the Zune is made by Toshiba, and there’s also the fact that Danger could have a hand in it. Plus, the Zune no longer runs it’s old, lamented WinCE UI, so what makes you all think it’s going to be a winmo phone?

  • Shawn Roberts

    Why???? Do people even own Zunes? I thought Microsoft just gave them away with software.

  • http://www.blackberryurban.com FARBES

    what the joke?

  • maxpayne79

    On Jul 24, 2008 @ 3:53 pm, Mike5411 Said:

    GPRS icon in the corner…:-(

    —

    hahahaha…thats awesome.

  • Aaron

    Is this the same Ballmer laughing at the iPhone concept in this video?

    If this guy were helming my corporation, I think I might start to worry.

  • Evilhomer

    I thought Zune’s were packaged as the toy surprise in cereal boxes? Don’t tell me people actually paid real money for those!!

    I agree with above poster that MS needs to make WM worth having before they venture into another market. If it’s anything like their mouse and keyboard hardware, I’d take a pass.

  • nbarksda

    This is simple…
    Microsoft has no choice but to come out with something comparable to the iphone.
    They’re in the market already and the iphone is a threat.

  • RAS

    Turning a butt-ugly mp3 player into a butt-ugly phone is not a strategy. It’s a recipe for disaster. Fortunately MS has deep enough pockets to indulge these harebrained schemes of Blamer. What is MS doing, consulting with Palm?

  • Zune

    Happy Zune customer here. Also run WM 6.1 on my Touch. I don’t understand what all the complaints are about. I’d happily pit my Zune against a comparably price iPod. Same goes with my Touch. Anything an iPhone can do my Touch can do better.

  • http://www.caliscape.com Brandon N

    I really think this article was posted without any solid fact but liquid speculation and longing.

    My educated factual guess is that they might be referring to a change in the sidekicks since microsoft recently bought out Danger INC (www.sidekick.com).

  • Korey

    I also own a gen one Zune, It works great with the exception of video but the UI is so much better then iPod.I also have a WinMo 6.1 Apache and thats way better then an iPhone cause I have had 3G all along plus a huge physical keyboard so If those two had a baby it would be excellent Danger has the skills and Microsoft has the ideas

  • phonephanatic

    I imagine that the zPhone might become a reality with the purchase of Danger. The next step I believe would to be for Microflaccid to go out and buy a handset maker. There are a couple out there that are salvageable like Palm or Motorola. I know people will disagree with that but, These handset companies are one good product from turning it around. Both have looked for buyers in the past. I do think this all is in the realm of possibility.

  • airmanchairman

    It’s not THAT far a stretch to suggest that a Zune phone is in the offing.

    What Ballmer said may suggest that the debate is raging within Microsoft, and may tilt in favour of having a Zune phone, regardless of the Zune’s lack of market inroads against the iPod.

    What will be really interesting to see is if Microsoft once again “shafts” its partners by developing Sidekick software for the zPhone, leaving them all stranded on Windows Mobile and locked out of new applications and UI features developed solely for the zPhone.

    A case of history repeating, that would be…

  • mrHiDefinition

    LOL. Hahahahaha at the idea of having a Zune Phone in the market place.

  • TMAN

    LOL…What a POS.

    Face MS, you failed to get to market soon enough. If they do make a zPhone, they should try to get an exclusive with Sprint LMAO!!!!

  • bougreaux

    i don’t know how many of you know this… but Microsoft actually invested in apple a few years back and kinda own it now… well Microsoft is a co-owner of apple. so really the iphone is no threat at all. the zune and ipod/iphone are just a money devises that line the pockets of the same people.

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