Handpicked Software

Well, the suspense is over. Apple today announced the new iTunes phone, the Motorola ROKR E1. The phone, offered exclusively by Cingular, is $249.99 (with a 2 year contract). The ROKR will hold up to 100 songs on the included 512 MB flash card. I didn’t see anything about being able to buy tunes through your phone; looks like you’ll need the new iTunes 5.

A fun site to promote the phone, at makemedance.com, let’s you demo the phone by making one of eleven characters (including your own image) dance to one of seven song clips. The ads are pretty imaginative, too, with dancing shadows following people as they walk.

Oh, and Apple also introduced the iPod nano, available in 2GB or 4GB models ($199 or $249). The 1.6-inch by 3.5-inch by .27-inch nano weighs a mere 1.5 ounces and lasts 14 hours, yet boasts a 1.5-inch color display. The “nano” moniker seems a bit ambitious; it’s probably just a matter of time before we have iPods the size of postage stamps (the iPod subatomic particle?).

The phone looks tempting, but I think I’ll wait on the nano (I’ve got an iPod and an iPod shuffle already). If I pull the trigger, I’ll let you know what I think.