I agree that UI is important. It will be increasingly more important as we continually add new features for the phone. Without it, I think it will start to seriously alienate subscribers as well as turn off a whole lot of newbies.

Regards,

Eric.
Mobile Slate (http://www.mobileslate.com) — Blog About Mobile.

I had the chance to test drive a Motorola e380. While Moto did a good job of improving the speakers and sound for music, I received complaints about the voice quality of the phone. The comment was: “you sound like you inside a tin can.”

Your comments on the UI are on point. There’s another piece of data that I’ve pondered with respect to music purposed devices like the iPod and phones with music. What sort of device turnover occurs with mp3 players? Are mobile phones viable long enough for third parties to bring great accessories to market? Like speaker docks, or snap on ampliphers? Third parties add lots of value.

I think the question most users will be asking themselves is: “Do I need a music device or do I need a phone that can play some
of my tunes on occassion?”