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Recent trademark filings by Apple is leading to speculation about the iPod maker's plans regarding the cellular phone market. Last week, Apple filed four applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the term "Mobile Me." According to the filings, Mobile Me relates to a number of goods and services, including "telecommunication services for the dissemination of information by mobile telephone, namely the transmission of data to mobile telephones" along with "music players," "digital video players," "MP3 players," and "software related thereto."

In September 2005, Apple and Motorola introduced the long-awaited ROKR alongside the iPod nano. Although the phone had been built up heavily in the 13+ months between its announcement and release, the actual product was a downer. The interface was distinctly un-iPod-like, it held a paltry 100 songs, and there was no way to purchase music through the phone.

At last week's CES, Motorola officially dumped Apple with its new ROKR E2 phone and its new iRadio digital music service. The ROKR E2 actually has some respectable specs, including support for 2GB of SD memory. In so many words, it's closer to what folks were hoping the first ROKR would be. Also at CES, Verizon launched its new V Cast Music service, which allows users to download music over Verizon's network, albeit for US$1.99 per song.

After the ROKR's lackluster launch, speculation abounded that Apple was saving the "good" iTunes phone for itself, and the new "Mobile Me" trademark lends credence to that line of thinking. At this stage of the game, it looks like Apple is moving in the direction of launching its own cellular service complete with its own lineup of phones (or phone, as the case may be).
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Read More / Source: Ars Technica