FCC APPROVES MOTOROLA
iTUNES PHONE

The FCC has approved the sale of a new Motorola cell phone that will include a mobile version of Apple’s iTunes, according to the FCC's Web site and reports.

Both Apple and cell-phone enthusiasts have been buzzing about the imminent arrival of an iTunes-compatible phone for months, but this seems to represent the first public proof that such a phone is really on its way. Apple and Motorola have said before that they planned to produce such a phone, but plans have been delayed repeatedly.

Motorola CEO Ed Zander recently said his company would have an iTunes phone on the market by the end of September.

Documents posted on the FCC site include an owner’s manual for the new phone, known as the Motorola E790, indicate that it will include a cell-phone version of iTunes accessible by a dedicated music button, will have stereo speakers, run on expandable flash memory and include Bluetooth for communicating with other devices.

“You can use iTunes to purchase and download music for your phone, listen to CDs and digital music, and create playlists of your favorite songs on your phone,” the manual states.

According to CNET, Apple’s latest iTunes release, version 4.9, includes several hidden references to cell-phone features in its code. These features will presumably be activated as iTunes-compatible phones enter the market.