INQ to make Spotify-branded phone for Telia
updated 04:25 pm EDT, Thu October 8, 2009
Spotify-branded, INQ-made phone coming to Telia
Online streaming music service Spotify will soon begin offering a self-branded handset in its home country of Sweden, says a Thursday TechCrunch report. Spotify has reportedly teamed up with the country's telecommunications and cable provider, Telia, which will bring the handset and new Spotify-branded services for TV and computers.
Spotify already offers an application that lets iPhone and Android-powered handset users access its service, as well as those using Symbian S60-powered devices. The Spotify handset would be built by handset maker INQ, and should be released at an unspecified date in the future. Spotify, which is just over one year old, has about a third of Sweden's music sales market.
Spotify offers a downloadable music player that gives users access to many streaming songs from major and independant label. Users can opt for a free, ad-subsidized model or an ad-free, subscription-based setup. It has recently added an offline mode for paid subscribers that lets them listen without having to authenticate all the time.
