Cell phones will be able to play songs downloaded from iTunes.
Softbank, Japan's third-largest cellular carrier, and Apple Computer have reached a basic agreement to develop cell phones that can play songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store, according to local press reports.
The two companies reached the agreement after Softbank President Masayoshi Son met with Apple CEO Steve Jobs, said the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper in its Saturday morning edition. Softbank recently entered the wireless business when it acquired Vodafone Group's Japanese unit.
The first phones to come from the partnership are expected to be 3G (third-generation) models that play downloaded songs, the newspaper said. Like current iPod music players, these handsets will play music downloaded via a personal computer. However, a second range of handsets that can directly access the iTunes Music Store and download songs is also being planned, the report said.
The first phones from the partnership will appear next year, said a Kyodo News Service report on Saturday.
