So then, it seems ever more likely that the launch of Motorola's long awaited and much previously reported iTunes enabled mobile phone will take place this week. Not only have Apple announced a 'music related' press conference for Wednesday, but Motorola have revealed details of the star-studded ad campaign they have planned to promote the phone. According to those plans, the campaign to promote the Rokr phone will feature Madonna, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix and the Notorious BIG, with negotiations apparently ongoing regarding the involvement of The White Stripes, Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, Alanis Morissette, The Bravery, and Green Day's Billie Joe.
Meanwhile, there are reports in The Business that Microsoft have entered into a partnership with Orange to sell its own music-player-come-mobile phone which will allow music fans to transfer music from their PC to their mobile. The new phone will be sold in flagship HMV stores, possibly as early as next month, leading to some speculation the mobile will use a version of HMV's own bespoke digital music player, which, of course, uses Microsoft technology.
The Business quote Microsoft spokesman Jason Langridge as saying: "The mobile digital music market is about to take off. Porting digital music on to mobile phones represents a massive opportunity for Microsoft. While Apple has sold about 10m iPods worldwide to date, a quarter of the world's population own mobile phones, which Microsoft software can turn into digital music players".