Music-playing phone fails to rock iPod fans

Local iPod fans are even less impressed with the long-awaited mobile phone incorporating Apple software than overseas consumers as the model available in Hong Kong can only hold 50 songs - half the capacity of that sold in the US.

The Rokr E1, the much-hyped Motorola phone that uses software licensed from computer-maker Apple, mimics the functions of the hugely successful iPod music player. It was launched in Hong Kong, North America, parts of Europe, and Singapore last week and sells for $1,980.

While it received a less-than-enthusiastic response in the US because the number of songs that could be downloaded from a computer to the phone was limited to 100, Motorola officials confirmed the version being sold in Hong Kong had a capacity of just 50 songs.

In contrast, an iPod can hold thousands of songs.

Motorola said the reduced capacity of the Rokr was due to a licensing issue involving Apple.

'It's because people in Hong Kong cannot buy songs for their iPods through Apple's iTunes music store,' a spokeswoman said, referring to the computer-maker's hugely successful online music download service, which accounts for 85 per cent of music purchases on the internet.

In addition to transferring songs copied from bought CDs to their iPod, people in North America, parts of Europe and Japan have the option of buying music from the iTunes store for transfer to their music player of choice.