Telecom reinvents the wheel, launches mobile music store

By Benedict Wee

Telecom has launched their mobile music store which claims to be have the biggest selection selection of music tracks (3.2 million) offered in New Zealand. Of course since there is only one other competing mobile telco (Vodafone), that doesn't really mean anything.

So what's new with the music store? Telecom mobile customers aren't required to pay data charges when browsing and previewing a track and Kiwi artists will be featured on the music homepage which is pretty cool as it'll showcase local talent. Just access TWorld (Telecom XT's internet portal) via your mobile and you'll only be charged when you download a song. Each track will cost $1.99, the same price as Vodafone's store and the middle point for iTunes which sells tracks between $1.79-$2.39.

Currently, the phones capable of downloading music are:

• Nokia 3120
• Nokia 6120
• Nokia 6600
• Nokia E71
• Samsung F480T
• Samsung 5220
• LG GM310
• Sony Ericsson W705
• Samsung S8300T
• Sony Ericsson C510a

Note that there is only one phone in that list that is branded as a music phone (SE W705). The store is of course targeted at people who cannot wait till they get home to download music and have to get the latest song while on the move which I'm pretty confident isn't a big number.

If you've been waiting for a mobile music store from Telecom XT (all three of you) then good on ya. If not then move along, there's nothing to see here.