Music Phones to Erode iPod Growth?

Music-capable mobile phones could start making a dent in the market dominance of Apple's iPod, particularly in the low-end, flash-based market.

Apple’s iPods have certainly defined the market for portable music players, but, according to participants in Reuters Global technology, Media, and Telecoms Summit in Hong Kong, sales of music-capable mobile phones are rising sharply, leading handset makers to speculate they can compete with Apple, particularly at the lower end of the music player market, dominated by lower-capacity, flash-based music players.

While music-capable music devices aren’t expected to cut into sales of high-capacity, high-end media devices, industry watchers are predicting music phones will more easily move into market positions occupied by simpler, lower-capacity devices.

Experts cite the convenience factor