Apple Axes ‘iRingTones’ Project

Apple has scrapped a project to sell ringtones via the iTunes store, although the reasons are unclear.

“iRingTones”, as we’ll call it, integrated ringtone downloads into the iTunes Music Store, and would have allowed users to remix ringtones before beaming them to the phone via Bluetooth.

It may have been controversial, as the story suggests, but I doubt that would stop Apple. The story suggests it would have put Apple in direct confrontation with mobile carriers, but no more so than other third-party ringtone providers (although admitedly, Apple is a lot bigger). Steve Jobs hasn’t backed away from appearing antagonistic to carriers in the past, but maybe an incipient launch of a wireless iPod is making him rethink the situation.
Of course, if Apple was pressured into abandoning the service rather than giving it up voluntarily it’s equally as likely that the labels had something to do with it.

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