iTunes Phone: The Apple Phone That Came Before The iPhone
A few years before the iPhone was first launched, Apple and Motorola collaborated on the release of a phone called the Motorola ROKR a.k.a. the iTunes Phone. The iPhone has come a long way since the first model was announced in 2007. Notwithstanding the advancements in technology, some things have remained unchanged such as a touch display.
Apple is not new to working with companies that are also rivals. Its biggest contender in the smartphone segment is Samsung, but for years the South Korean tech giant has made parts for use in Apple's smartphones. Apple was also a competitor of IBM for decades, but in 2014 the companies formed a partnership to improve iPhones and iPads for enterprise users. On the other hand, there are those who used to be partners but are now rivals. An example is Intel whose chips have traditionally powered Apple computers but have now been replaced by by Apple's own silicon.
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The Motorola ROKR was announced in September 2005 as the world's first phone with Apple's iTunes. The integration of the iTunes software meant users got the same user interface as the iPod. The aim of the collaboration was to provide the iTunes experience on a phone, allowing owners to load their iTunes library, including audiobooks and podcasts, on the device. In Steve Jobs' words during the launch, the Motorola ROKR “is an iPod Shuffle right on your phone”. The partnership also had a third player — Cingular — which was the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. at the time and served as the exclusive carrier of the iTunes Phone. The phone had a price tag of $249.99.
The ROKR was an average phone by 2005 standards. It had a tiny 1.9-inch display that sat above an alphanumeric keypad, and
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