Nokia dismissed rumors that its new N91 smart phone will feature Apple's iTunes music service. "There is no commercial agreement between Nokia and Apple to integrate iTunes into the N-series devices," said Kari Tuutti, spokesman for Nokia's multimedia division. The company said the rumors are not true, but did say that since the N91 is a smart phone that it could potentially run any number of mobile music services, possibly even iTunes, if the service is compatible with the handset.
Many insiders, however, do not think Apple will make a version of iTunes for the N91. Apple designed iTunes not as a profit center but as a way to drive more sales of its iPod handhelds and as a way to fuel content distribution and curb the recording industry's worries about music piracy. Critics of these rumors claim that Apple has little incentive to port its iTunes platform to products that will compete with the iPod. Despite this, many insiders still expect to see Apple and Motorola launch a much-hyped iTunes phone later this year.
For more on the end of the N91 iTunes rumors:
- read this report from Dow Jones