New range of handsets, subscriber music service, and new offerings from Nokia intended to compete with upcoming launch of iPhone…
London — Vodafone Group PLC, the world’s largest mobile service provider, Monday said it would launch 15 new ‘third-generation’ (3G) Internet phones and give U.K. customers access to an unlimited and exclusive music download service in Britain as they prepare to take on the Apple iPhone.
“MusicStation, Vodafone’s new all-you-can-eat mobile music service for £1.99 a week actually sounds pretty good.”
Vodafone has signed an exclusive deal with British music firm Omnifone that will give customers an unlimited number of tracks from a catalog of more than 1 million songs from all the major labels to their mobile phones for a weekly fee of £2 ($4).
“Even better is the fact that the users would be able to download the songs wirelessly.”
Omnifone’s MusicStation will allow consumers to download music while they are on the move and it will be available on new Vodafone UK handsets as well as existing 2.5G and 3G mobiles, meaning most customers would not need to upgrade their phones.
This launch is also important considering Apple recently announced that iPhone would soon be able to purchase and download songs from the Apple iTunes using Wi-Fi internet connection.
“I am sure the iPhone will have appeal but we think what we are offering here with MusicStation is a very good, customer-centric, all-you-can-eat offer,” Vodafone Chief Marketing Officer Tim Yates told Reuters.
“Today’s announcement is a first for music on the mobile in the UK and means a fundamental change to the way people experience music on their phones,” added Yates.
In a bid to boost its Christmas sales, the group also unveiled additions to its handset range, offering what it said was its widest choice of Internet-ready mobile phones with high-speed, 3G broadband access.
Vodafone, which has been building out its 3G network across Europe in the past year to provide music download and Internet services, will sell multimedia phones from manufacturers including Nokia Corp, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson and the majority of devices will support access to Web sites such as eBay, MySpace and YouTube.
Vodafone has also signed an exclusive deal with Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony Corp and Telefon AB LM Ericsson, to sell its V640i “candy-bar” phone.
Mobile-handset makers and network operators have been investing heavily in music in recent years to boost revenue.
Nokia, the world’s largest cell phone maker, unveiled an online music store last month, and will roll out songs selling for $1.37 each and, Yates said, Vodafone would feature the N81 and N95 Nokia handsets in its store and allow customers to decide which music service to use,
A spokesman for Vodafone Group said that some 19 devices in total will be launched for the Christmas trading period. Fifteen phones have 3G mobile Internet access. The company will also offer two BlackBerry devices from Research In Motion Inc.
“While Apple’s latest “must-have” gadget, the iPhone, is due in Britain by the end of the year.”
Analysts had expected Vodafone to secure an exclusive, pan-European deal to sell the iPhone, but media reports suggest Apple has chosen other partners to carry the product.
The MusicStation service will offer more than a million tracks from Universal, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner, as well as leading independent labels.
From November existing users with 2.5G and 3G mobiles will be able to download the application from the “Vodafone Live service,” or it will come supplied on new handsets from the mobile firm.
Songs will come in the “e-AAC+ format” and will use digital rights management to stop users sharing them illegally.
Favorite tracks, and any cued tracks are stored locally (the amount depends on your phone’s memory). A Last.FM-like recommendation service will tip you off to music you might enjoy — based on other users’ listening patterns, plus you can share playlists and tracks. Your whole profile is stored centrally.
Tim Hadley, PR director at MusicStation’s parent company Omnifone, said that users are not locked into a lengthy contract as it can be ended at any time.
However, ending the subscription, users would not be able to access downloaded tracks, unlike a pay-per-song service such as iTunes.
Hadley said that transferring music to other devices is not allowed because of the built-in DRM, but promised a desktop version available for PCs in the future.