Cingular Gets A Slice Of The MySpace Pie

A little over a week ago I wrote that, with Helio's exclusive contract with MySpace expiring all too soon for the MVNO's liking, other network operators would be wanting a piece of the social networking pie.  In response, Helio is planning a dedicated app for its subscribers that will make MySpace interaction faster and cleaner.  Today, with the news that Cingular will be the first competing carrier offering MySpace on its cellphones, it might want to get that software out the door asap.

For $2.99 on top of a regular monthly package, Cingular subscribers will be able to upload photos taken on cellphones, read and respond to MySpace e-mails, update blog entries and view and search for friends direct from their handset.  Running as a Java app, with 30 popular handsets compatible on launch and a further 20 supported in the following few weeks, Cingular will also be adding online video support sometime in 2007.  MySpace has already put the boot in, claiming that Cingular's version will be "more expansive" than Helio's offering.

Call me a crusty old cynic, but how many people actually interact with MySpace via their cellphones, and how many would want to do that?

Cingular to offer MySpace on cellphones [Reuters]