[3GScottishUser]

Vodafone has presented itself as the exclusive partner of an ambitious rival mobile music service, MusicStation.

Vodafone does deal for downloadsIt had looked like a potentially humiliating Christmas for Vodafone.

With O2 tipped as the winner of the heavily contested deal to provide Apple's iPhone in the UK, the mobile giant had risked the embarrassment of being forced to sit back and watch legions of its 17.4 million UK cusomter base switch across to its rival.

Instead, in a masterstroke only days before Apple's expected announcement, the mobile giant unveiled itself as the UK partner for a rival service, MusicStation.

The MusicStation brand may not yet have the resonance with consumers of the Apple iPhone brand.

But analysts deem the subscription service, with its innovative flat-rate fee and ability to enable consumers to download thousands of tracks on the move, a serious contender in the mobile music war.

Notoriously promiscuous mobile customers are not restricted to one handset - they can keep upgrading their phone and still retain access to the service.

The impact for Vodafone will be all the greater because, for the time being, at least, the deal is on an exclusive basis.

Arun Sarin has once again demonstrated his fightback ability and guaranteed that Apple will have a fight on its hands.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-1283554,00.html

[Ben]

Unfortunately I think MusicStation is likely to fail. Music rentals haven't been big so far, and I have no reason to believe that they will be now. I tried Napster, music rentals for the PC, and it failed to impress long-term.

The service may well have limited appeal to 3G Walkman users.

[Hands0n]

With O2 tipped as the winner of the heavily contested deal to provide Apple's iPhone in the UK, the mobile giant had risked the embarrassment of being forced to sit back and watch legions of its 17.4 million UK cusomter base switch across to its rival.

I very much doubt the liklihood of that becoming apparent. Who, using Vodafone's network for any length of time, would be wanting to go onto O2's creaking and leaking notwork? After spending the better part of £500 on a handset and locked into a lengthy and expensive airtime contract the forums will be incandescent within weeks as the Customers find out what they've let themselves in for.

O2 may have won the Apple contract for the iPhone - but that is less than half of the battle. They have to win the appreciation and goodwill of their buying Customers who will be asked to adopt a mobile phone proposition that only exists in America to date. We have yet to see if the O2/Apple combination can persuade the public to subscribe to this completey foreign paradigm of fully unsubsidised handset and full-price airtime contract. Groundbreaking in UK 2007.

The expectation from the Customer, having laid out so much money initially and made such a time/monetary commitment, will be for a service that is excellent above all else. Unfortunately, with O2 they will find it severely lacking in any number of aspects.

For sure, the Apple iPhone is a bit of a technological marvel in terms of the UI, but really that is all it is. Beneath the gloss and razzamatazz is a below-average handset by todays standards for a "smartphone".

There is a misconception on the go that everyone wants to chuck their iPod/MP3 player in the bin and do it all on the mobile phone handset. Great idea, and maybe it will be viable when they install Nuclear Fusion cells in handsets. Given the capabilities of even the most basic iPod my money is on people keeping the two technologies separate. The key technological enablers for true "Convergence" into a mobile device are not in place yet.

Vodafone have nothing to fear from O2 and the Apple iPhone. Some will migrate just to get the handset, but I'd wager that Vodafone (and the others) will not experience anything more than the normal levels of churn.

[whatleydude]

But I believe the music station is going to marketing alongside the (from what I hear) VFUK Exclusive N95 8GB.

...and also - iphone on o2 with no 3G?
Shocking...

I made a few calls on my friend's Vodafone iphone the other night - that was quite amusing.

[Ben]

Why was it amusing? Or is your sarcasm very dry? :p

[whatleydude]

It was amusing because there was a bunch of us with iphones..

And one guy had just got his and thought he was the first so was:

"Oo no, you can't make calls on it - these iphones are unlockable."

I passed him the one that I had just called my buddy on and said: "It's for you"

His face was a picture!

:D

[3GScottishUser]

Vodafone seem to be supporting the N95 8GB even although it has Nokia's Mobile Music Store on-board.

Rather than delisting the handset Vodafone appear to be offering it with something to compete.

Seems like the best option for prospective customers.

[Ben]

We'll see. It's not exactly uncommon for Vodafone to cripple handsets in order to have them better fit within its corporate vision.

[miffed]

But I believe the music station is going to marketing alongside the (from what I hear) VFUK Exclusive N95 8GB.

...and also - iphone on o2 with no 3G?
Shocking...

I made a few calls on my friend's Vodafone iphone the other night - that was quite amusing.

What method did you use to unlock yours mate ?

[whatleydude]

I didn't personally unlock it.
My friends at Truphone did.

It's relatively easy I hear though - I got twittered through the 20min process by a mate the other night!

:D