I might be more inclined to use my phone for music if it were actually intuitive to get the data to my phone. Oh wait, that's not the problem... I have Verizon... I can't do anything cool with my phone.

Does this analyst even realize that, until the iPhone, no-one has had a phone that's also an iPod?

iPhones will be FILLED with music. Just like iPods are. This is another case of an analyst stupidly interpreting a new technology like it's an old one. Might as well say "swords are worse than clubs because you have to keep sharpening them."

Hrmm. Most people aren't playing music on their mobile phones. Why could that be, why could that be? If one of these analysts walked into a mobile phone store and tried out the music player apps on most phones being sold, I think it would be pretty obvious. I've got a Treo 650 myself, but I've played around with the music players on phones from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc. Almost universally, they seem really kludgy and slow to use (even the Verizon LG Chocolate phone which is promoted as music centric.... don't even get me started on the UpStage). They are very poor user experiences in general.

Even without having used an iPhone in person, just seeing the videos of the music playing functionality, it's in a wh ole other league.

Really, this is one of the stupider things I've seen come from analysts (and that's saying something); a lot of mobile phone owners don't play music on their phones because the music playing functionality is junk on most of them, not because they inherently don't want to.

Just because it has a play button doesn't mean it works well. That's the difference between the iPhone and other phones. This is just more FUD-mongering.

Earbuds.

Ok? Get it?

...most people aren't using iPods to make phone calls, therefore the iPhone isn't likely to change things much.

These are the same folks who thought the iPod would be a flop, and who thought that ousting Jobs was a good move for Apple management.

The iPhone is a nano-level capacity iPod as well as a cell phone. It syncs with iTunes just like an iPod. If anything, with CoverFlow, it's even easier to select music than on the tradition iPod.

Why on earth wouldn't people use it for music?

I dont think it has as much to do wth the phone.. I think it's more of a sync issue. Itunes + iPod = EASY! iTunes + iPod + iPhone = EASY

Any iPod owner who buys an iPhone will certainly put music on it to replace a device.

Let's not forget that with previous music phones, people would still carry an iPod around with them too. Why? As previously stated, it has a better interface; you easily sync with YOUR music on your computer for free, and you could carry so much of it with you. Not to mention REAL video capability. Phones couldn't do that. The iPhone would, for many people, eliminate the need to carry that extra player around with you, not to mention internet access and other amazing, actually usable features.

Now you just have to wonder if any of these comments ever reach the purported "analyst" and whether or not they'd ever consider revising their statements...

Probably not. That would make them seem unsure ;-).