The Zune Phone

Currently, there is a question mark associated with the Zune phone. While the Apple iPhone is almost a palpable reality scheduled for availability in the first half of 2007, the Zune phone fails to deliver a similar consistency.

In fact, the only official hint pointing to the possibility of a Zune phone is an affirmation appertaining to Chris Stephenson, GM for Zune, made during a press conference back in September 2006: "A Zune phone is definitely part of the future of this brand."

It is becoming increasingly obvious that, with Zune, Microsoft is under a continuous pressure to keep up with Apple, in order to shift a market segment from iPod toward the Redmond Company's own digital media player.

Additionally, the Zune device is constructed in such a manned that permits Microsoft to add functionality, features and capabilities via software and firmware upgrades. In this context, the fact that Microsoft and Toshiba decided to integrate the iMX31 at the media player's heart, a processor that is specific for cell phones, is an indication of what is in store for Zune.

"What is interesting is that the iMX31 is a processor that is used in many cell phones, and the design parameters of the iMX31 is completely consistent with a very high-end, small and compact cell phone which would retail for a few hundred dollars, assuming no carrier subsidy. However, the Zune tries to pack this high-end processor into a low-cost device, which probably necessitated some trade-offs to be made that disfavor size over cost," commented Andrew Huang for Digital Media Thoughts.