Before the iPhone, There was the Motorola ROKR E1, the World’s First Official ‘iTunes Phone’

Back in 2005, Apple, the mastermind behind those legendary iPods, wanted to get into the phone game with the Motorola ROKR E1, nicknamed the “iTunes Phone,” an interesting (yet much needed) experiment that paved the way for the iPhone’s epic arrival. It wasn’t a true smartphone, but it showed Apple’s early mobile ambitions.

Apple teamed up with Motorola and Cingular Wireless to launch the ROKR E1, announced on September 7, 2005, at an Apple Music Event in San Francisco. This wasn’t a smartphone as you know it today because there was no app store, no touch screen, or even a robust operating system. Instead, it was a music-focused feature phone with iTunes integration, a first-of-its-kind attempt to merge Apple’s music ecosystem with mobile hardware. “We’ve worked closely with Motorola to deliver the world’s best music experience on a mobile phone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the original press release. “We’re also thrilled to be working with Cingular, the largest wireless carrier in the US, to bring this pioneering phone to market.” The promise was simple: carry up to 100 of your favorite iTunes songs in your pocket, alongside standard phone functions.

Physically, the ROKR E1 screamed early 2000s Motorola. It sported a candy-bar design, a 1.7-inch color display, and a numeric keypad—no QWERTY keyboard or touchscreen here. Its aesthetic leaned heavily on Motorola’s RAZR-inspired look, with a chunky plastic body that didn’t exactly scream premium. Available for $249.99 with a two-year Cingular contract, it came with stereo headphones and a USB cable for syncing. The phone featured a modest 512MB of storage, a VGA camera, and dual stereo speakers, plus a dedicated music key to toggle between phone and music modes. “This innovative product represents a world-class handset, connected to a world-class network, delivering a world-class application,” said Ralph de la Vega, Cingular’s chief operating officer.


Functionally, the ROKR E1 aimed to blend iTunes with mobile convenience. Users could sync playlists, audiobooks, and podcasts from their Mac or PC via iTunes, much like an iPod. The interface, however, was clunky. Navigating menus felt sluggish, and the 100-song limit—imposed to avoid cannibalizing iPod nano sales—was a head-scratcher. Why cap storage when the phone could theoretically hold more? Syncing required a USB connection, a process that could take up to an hour for a full library transfer. Wireless downloads from the iTunes Music Store? Not an option. The phone paused music for calls, a neat touch, but the overall experience felt like a compromise. Critics called it “evolutionary, not revolutionary,” and even Steve Jobs seemed lukewarm, reportedly looking disinterested during the keynote demo.


Behind the scenes, the ROKR E1 was a learning curve for Apple. Teaming up with Motorola and Cingular was a bumpy ride, exposing the headaches of split design duties. Apple poured its energy into the iTunes software, while Motorola’s hardware gave the phone a clunky, un-Apple vibe. Clashes over song limits, branding, and looks—some called the prototype “ugly”—dogged the project, with Steve Jobs himself labeling it an “experiment,” per Jon Rubinstein, then iPod division chief. This stumble convinced Apple to seize total control, birthing the iPhone, and by September 2006, the ROKR was dropped as Apple chased its own vision.



Why’s the ROKR E1 barely a blip? It was a stepping stone, overshadowed by the iPhone’s 2007 game-changer with its multi-touch screen and polished ecosystem. The ROKR’s modest sales and lack of Apple’s signature flair couldn’t steal the spotlight from the iPod nano, which stole the show at its launch event. Its failure hammered home a key lesson for Apple: to craft a legend, it had to own the whole package—hardware, software, and soul.