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CUPERTINO, Calif.—Rumors of an “iPod phone” gained further traction after an Apple Computer Inc. executive hinted at an iTunes-friendly handset during a conference call with analysts Wednesday.
Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, when pressed by an analyst to respond to Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P.’s success with its Walkman music phone, said Apple is “very excited about what we have in the product pipeline,” according to a transcript of the call posted on SeekingAlpha.com.
Oppenheimer said the company thinks the iPod is the best portable music player on the market, “but over time, that is likely to change, and we are not sitting around doing nothing.”
Meanwhile, Research in Motion Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie refused to answer questions from a Reuters reporter regarding a rumored “AppleBerry” phone that couples wireless e-mail service with the iPod’s music functionality. Canaccord Capital analyst Peter Misek speculated on such a partnership earlier this year after RIM said it planned to market a more entertainment-focused BlackBerry.
Balsillie would not discuss the rumors and declined to say whether RIM had discussed such a venture with Apple.
Motorola Inc. currently sells iTunes-capable phones, but speculation continues to mount that Apple will build its own wireless music device.
