'Free' music phones

Nokia will be releasing its first mobile phones with free access to music in the UK.
The Comes with Music package is hoped to rival iTunes in the online digital music market and will allow users to keep all music downloaded in the 12 months they are subscribed, according to The Carphone Warehouse.

Deals have been signed between the Finnish company and three major music labels - Universal, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group.

David McQueen, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, commented: "Comes with Music and other bundled services, should they succeed, offer a lifeline to the music labels which have seen revenues decline sharply in the digital age."

MoneyAM.com reports that officials at Nokia are confident that the phones will be sold by telecom operators.

Those who cannot wait until October for a music phone may wish to try the Nokia N70 Music Edition, which features a two-megapixel camera and a key dedicated exclusively to music.

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