Report: CES will come & go without a Zune Phone

All those hot rumors about Microsoft unveiling a Zune Phone at its CES keynote in January? Forget 'em, says gadget blog Gizmodo, although "Zune-like services" might make an appearance.

The Gizmodo bloggers got a hold of Zune exec Brian Seitz, who scotched the Zune Phone rumors—sparked (or rather, re-sparked) by this CNBC story—with a quick, decisive quote: "No Zune Phone at CES."

Of course, rumors about a Zune Phone aren't new—I blogged about them as recently as last summer, after whispers that Microsoft was holding "interdepartmental meetings" about a phone based on the sleek, easy-to-use Zune interface. Personally, I think a Zune Phone (whether built by Microsoft or a third party, like Samsung) would be a great idea—although it sounds like we won't be seeing one anytime soon.

The latest buzz comes in the wake of this article from CNBC, which claims Microsoft is prepping a new device, codenamed "Pink," that would "combine the company's Zune and technology from Microsoft's purchase of Danger, Inc., the company that brought us the Sidekick flip phone." The Pink prototype might be unveiled early next year, according to the CNBC story, either at CES in January or later on, in February.

However, Gizmodo's Brian Lam contends that CNBC (along with other wireless analysts predicting an imminent Zune Phone) "have the details slightly skewed." His evidence? This ZDNet post about … yes, Pink, described here as "a set of consumer-focused premium services … for Windows Mobile." Or, as Lam puts it, "a platform of services that could allow Zune-like services to run on Platforms like Windows Mobile."

So, might we see Pink—as in a set of "premium" mobile services, not hardware—at CES after all? Maybe, writes ZDNet writer Mary-Jo Foley (who first broke the Pink story), although she cautions that Microsoft won't confirm that Pink even exists.

Related:
Rumor Smash: No Zune Phone at CES [Gizmodo]