Sony Ericsson will launch a mo
Sony Ericsson's Play Now Plus, which will be available solely through telecoms
operators, will provide subscribers access to millions of songs, and users can
keep up to 300 songs after their 6-18 month contracts end.
The service is due to launch commercially with operator Telenor in Sweden in
the fourth quarter of this year, with further roll-outs around the world
beginning in 2009. A special edition of the Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman phone
including the PlayNow plus service will be the first phone to be launched.
Sony Ericsson will include, as part of the service, 1000 of the recent most
popular digital songs, with each Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman with PlayNow plus
for Telenor in Sweden. Pre-loaded music offers are also planned for subsequent
PlayNow plus-enabled phones.
Users of Nokia's Music service, which will begin on October 17 in Britain, can
download and keep unlimited amounts of music for a year. The service is
expected to cost up to 70 pounds extra on top of the phone price.
The Play Now Plus service will cost 99 Swedish crowns a month.
Cellphone makers are seeking additional revenues from outside the maturing
handset business, where price battles are getting tougher and consumer demand
is slowing.