Apple Dials Cingular

Dallas Morning News writes about Apple and Motorola working with Cingular to offer the new Rokr phone. Analyst Hugues de la Vergne at Gartner Inc. said the firm is "very bullish on music-enabled phones. We think this is going to be the next big thing."

Mr. de la Vergne stated other manufacturers and carriers would be entering the market soon. "The partnership with Apple definitely moves Motorola ahead of the competition. But we expect strong offerings from the major consumer electronics players such as Samsung and also expect to see a strong offering with Nokia with their new N91 phone." In addition, "by obtaining an exclusive on this device, Cingular is able to further expand its portfolio of handsets as it tries to differentiate itself from its major competition," Mr. de la Vergne said.