Zune music player heading to Windows Mobile

Filed under: Audio, OS Updates, Video, Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Zune music player heading to Windows Mobile

by Brad Linder Oct 2nd 2008

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has all but confirmed that Microsoft is working on an iPhone competitor with a Zune phone. That's not to say that Microsoft will build and sell the hardware. But in an interview with CIO Magazine, Ballmer stated that the Zune isn't just hardware, it's also software. And that the Zune software will be ported to run on other devices including PCs and Windows Mobile devices..

In other words, future cellphones running Windows Mobile could ship with Zune-style media player software instead of the mobile versio nof Windows Media Player. It's also possible we could see devices where the default look and feel of the devices is built to suit the Zune UI rather than the typical Windows Mobile interface with its old fashioned start menu paradigm.

And before you ask, the image is from wmpoweruser, and I'm pretty sure it's a mockup created by combining the Zune and Windows Mobile user interfaces. Ballmer may be willing to talk about the future of the Zune software, but to the best of my knowledge Microsoft has yet to release a screenshot.

[via Engadget]

Tags: steve-ballmer, windows-mobile, zune, zune-phone

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bob said 9:02AM on 10-03-2008

Awesome, Finally that great player on my mobile. It was about time MS! Thx guys

Greetz, Bob

http://www.dignova.com

Quikboy said 9:56AM on 10-03-2008

I really hope that's a mockup. WinMo needs a UI redesign, and the first place they should start is killing the 2-paned menu design. There is little ease of use in that. The Zune UI is nice, but I'm not sure how that could work with all the elements of a phone. I hope its seemless with the WinMo UI, rather than a different Zune mode UI in contrast with the WinMo UI.

Mobile device makers will need to include more built-in storage so that's it not a weak music player. Touch input would be nice, or a big button that looks like a green Windows Mobile orb could act as a touchpad on the surface, with a lit-up scrollwheel on the edges, and if you hold down on it, it goes to the home screen. I wonder if current WinMo users can update.

Jash Sayani said 9:57AM on 10-03-2008

Just like iPod app on the iPhone....

Zune isn't a very great music app, but certainly looks better than Windows Media Player.......

I hope there is a Zune version for my WinMo 4.1 !

sohail said 1:54PM on 10-15-2008

thnks

Deborah Ramsey said 10:20PM on 10-20-2008

Can have this app on my myspace?

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