SANTA MONICA, Calif.-Universal Music Group will partner with SingleTouch Interactive to offer a music-focused phone with both pre-loaded and downloadable content such as ringtones and wallpapers.
The handset, called MoveU Mobile, will include prepaid wireless service provided by SingleTouch on the Sprint PCS network. The companies said phones will start at $100 and will be available through national retail chains by the holiday season.
A handful of selected ringtones will be included with the phone; more music clips will be offered between $2 and $2.50 per download. In addition, the companies are considering selling a monthly subscription for about $10 a month for unlimited access to content.
Content offerings will be expanded to include full-track downloads once issues including digital rights management and handset memory are addressed. LG Electronics Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. are among the likely manufacturers of MoveU handsets, according to a SingleTouch spokeswoman.
SingleTouch also will produce branded phones featuring content from UMG artists similar to a Hilary Duff-branded phone the company already markets. Earlier this month, UMG said it invested an undisclosed amount in Amp’d Mobile, a youth-focused mobile virtual network operator scheduled to launch this fall.
