Microsoft: 'iPhone is Apple's challenge'

Robbie Bach, director of entertainment and equipment at Microsoft, said Apple Computer will face a lot of challenges if it decides to pursue iPhone development.

Microsoft officially launched the Zune digital music device to compete with Apple Computer's "giant" iPod. Shortly thereafter, the world's No. 1 software firm said it was considering developing a device to combine Zune with mobile phones.

" But that's just a topic put on the discussion table, not our number one goal today ," Bach said.

Meanwhile, many analysts hope the executive chairman and founder of Apple Computer Steve Jobs will officially launch the iPhone today (January 9) at the Macworld Exhibition.

According to analysts, it is likely that Apple will sell the iPhone along with its own virtual mobile network service MVNO. However, it does not exclude the possibility that Apple will only sell the iPhone and users are free to choose the mobile network service provider.

" According to the latest information we have heard, it will probably be an MVNO phone. But you know that MVNO has not achieved much success ," Bach said. Because MVNO phones have problems in compatibility with other mobile networks.

Not only that, combining a mobile phone with a digital music player also poses a lot of questions for the field of design such as how the screen will be arranged, how the battery .

An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the information.

Hoang Dung