Not all tech products succeed once on the market, and some are killed off with little warning. Flashback looks back at failed tech products to see what we can learn by studying their demises.

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    #16: ROKR: The iTunes Phone

    April 8th, 2021 · 52 minutes

    A year and a half before the iPhone was introduced, Apple took the stage to announce a very, very different product: the iTunes phone, built in partnership with Motorola and Cingular.

    This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

    • Technology Untangled: Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains.
    • Command Line Heroes: Epic true tales of people revolutionizing the technology landscape. Season 7 is out now.

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    Download: MP3 (48.58 MB)

    Links and Show Notes

    The ROKR E1 – 512 Pixels
    Apple's First Phone Sucked - YouTube

    Quinn's video on the ROKR.

    Apple Special Music Event (2005) - YouTube
    Motorola Rokr E1 (AT&T) review - CNET
    Motorola ROKR E1 Review - Mobiledia
    IPod Phone Isn't Perfect, but It's a Start - The New York Times
    Apple Music Event: Hidden Goodies - Digital Music Playlist
    The Motorola ROKR E1 was a dud, but it paved the way for the iPhone - GSMArena.com news
    iSync: Supported mobile phones in Mac OS X v10.4, 10.5, and 10.6
    Motorola Slvr - Wikipedia
    Motorola ROKR E6 review - CNET
    Will it Sync? The Original iPod and macOS Catalina - YouTube