Zune Coming to Windows Mobile: Ballmer

In an interview with CIO magazine, Microsoft CEO confirmed what has been rumored for some time: that Zune software will be coming to Windows Mobile. While not exactly saying that the end result will be a ZunePhone (which would obviously be an iPhone competitor), when asked why Microsoft had developed Zune, Ballmer said:

At the end of the day, one of the big trends is that all content is going digital. And if we don’t have the software and services that are useful, helpful and valuable for the consumption of music and video, we are sort of not really a player.

Now, we built the Zune hardware with the Zune software - and what you’ll see more and more over time is that the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc.

While Ballmer has hinted at a possible ZunePhone in the past, this is the first time he's really come out and dished what seems like solid information.

Of course, just as Zune can't dent the iPod's market share, while Windows Mobile has shipped tons more units than the iPhone, it's the iPhone that's considered the hit --- and it's doubtful adding Zune capability to what many consider a clumsy mobile OS is going to stave off the iPhone's onslaught.

And, this is likely to be something for the next release, Windows Mobile 7 ... which has slipped into at least 2H09 and possible 2010. By then, who knows what Apple will be up to? Flip-style iPhone, anyone? Slider-keyboard iPhone?