Zune Phone On The Horizon?

Microsoft says it’s “not unreasonable” to think it will introduce a Zune phone to compete with the iPhone.

By now many people are probably heartily sick of reading about the iPhone and its phenomenal success. If you’re one of them, you might want to coveryour eyes now.   Speculation is rising that Microsoft might be considering a Zune phone, based around its digital mediaplayer, to go head to head with Apple’s latest success story.   “It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think at some point there might be some integrated thing,” Mindy Mount, chieffinancial officer of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, told investors at Citigroup’s global technology conference.   To be fair, the company has flip-flopped on its positionregarding a Zune phone. When the player was introduced last year, the company said the device was definitely among their plans. Earlier this year they said they wouldn’t be pursuing it.However, that was tempered by the statement that it could add music and gaming capabilities to its Windows Mobile platform.  Windows Mobile has been one of Microsoft’s fastest-growing licenses, although it’s aimed largely at the business market. But if workers want business and personal capabilities on a singlehandset, a Zune phone would seem like a natural progression.