There Might Not Be a Zune Phone After All

Last year, Microsoft launched the Zune, a multimedia player to compete with the Apple iPod. That caused some to wonder if the company would release a Zune/phone combination, to compete with the iPhone, which was only a rumor at that point.

In answer, Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune, said, "A Zune phone is definitely part of the future of this brand."

On the Other Hand

But Stephenson made his comment months ago, and the situation seems to have changed in the mean time. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer was asked recently about the Zune phone, and he threw cold water on the idea.

"It's not a concept you'll ever get from us," is what he said, according to CNET News.com.

Instead, Ballmer referred to the operating system the company makes specifically for running on mobile phones. "We're in the Windows Mobile business."

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