Nokia music service launch not supported by mobile firms

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 03-Oct-08, 11:30

LONDON - Nokia is set to launch its digital music service 'Comes With Music' later this month but the UK's four big mobile operators are not planning to sell it in their stores, according to reports.

Vodafone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile are not expected to stock Nokia handsets featuring the 'Comes with Music' service in their high-street stores in the lead up to Christmas, according to the FT.

Instead, Carphone Warehouse looks set to be the main supplier.

Nokia's music service, which was unveiled last night, offers one year of unlimited downloads from Nokia's music store for customers purchasing compatible handsets.

At the end of the 12-month period, the user can keep all the music on their phone.

Two handsets featuring the service will be launched on October 16. These include the 5310, which will be available on pay-as-you-go deals, and the N95, which will be available on a monthly contract.

The 5310 will set customers back £129.95, however pricing details for the N95 have not been released.

Nokia remains positive that it will receive more support for its 'Comes With Music' handsets over time.

A Nokia spokesperson told the FT: "We are optimistic we will have several operators on board by the end of the year."

Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music and EMI have all signed as suppliers for Nokia's music store.

The company's long-awaited 5800 XpressMusic mobile, designed as a rival to Apple's iPhone, was also unveiled in London yesterday.

The 5800 is compatible with Nokia's 'Comes With Music' program but this version of the phone will not be available until early next year.

A 5800 without the 'Comes With Music' program will cost €279 before tax. This version will be available in a few weeks' time.

It comes with a 3.2-inch touch screen, 8GB of memory and a 3.2 megapixel camera. It lets users film, edit and upload video as well as surf the internet, including sites with flash content. It also features GPS.

Comments

Stuart Aplin - 03/10/2008

it's at CPW on PAYG, the exclusivity probably meaning that they're covering some of the costs of the service. Presumably these'll work on any network too as you're theoretically buying an unlocked handset only. Will certainly be interesting to see how this all works out for Nokia