ROKR sales less than inspiring


Bloomberg reports that the ROKR, aka the iTunes phone, is on the verge of flopping. In the month since its launch, reviewers have panned and lampooned the product, and could be the first notable failure of the iPod franchise.

"There's an overall disappointment with the product," said American Technology Research analyst Albert Lin. As many as six times more customers are returning the Rokr phones than is normal for new handsets, he continued.

"Beyond the flash of the iPod name and the newly proud Motorola marketing machine, you'd be hard-pressed to say the Rokr is a good product," said Paul Sagawa, an analyst with Sanford C Bernstein & Co.

ROKR holds 100 songs and costs $250 with a two-year contract from Cingular.

Editor's note: This news makes the need for an Apple-designed and branded iPhone all the more pressing.

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