Tags: Apple, Apple iTunes, Cingular, Nextel, RealNetworks, Rhapsody, Sprint, Sprint Nextel, Verizon

Sprint Nextel launches direct-to-phone wireless download service

Move over Apple iTunes, Sprint Nextel has launched a digital music web store for the mobile phones! They are the first web-based service to offer direct-to-phone wireless downloads. They are offering songs for $2.49 each. This is quite expensive compared to what the Apple iTunes charge for their downloads. However, Apple iTunes does not support mobile phones even though they have a mobile phone loaded with Apple iTunes application.

Even the RealNetworks’ Rhapsody charges pittance when compared to what Sprint Nextel is charging for each song. For now, the service is supporting just two new Sprint phones, which sell for $230 and $250 after rebate and contract. In addition, the customers are also required to invest in a data plan for their cell phone service, a $15 to $25 a month add-on.

Without this, the customer would be charged 2 cents a kilobyte for data transfer, so one song download could end up costing $22.50 in purchase and data charges. Quite an expensive deal in the long run. Even the market experts believe that this is totally overpriced when compared to alternative solutions. With competition to come in the form of music stores from Cingular and Verizon, things should improve by next year.