Interview with Robbie Bach. He is in charge of the Xbox, Zune, and Windows Mobile- all of those ultra competitive consumer devices. In this interview the question of whether or not we would see a Zune phone was brought up.

At first Robbie touts the fact that Windows Mobile devices will continue to outsell the iPhone and the Blackberry. But then he goes on to state that, “We don’t make phones ourselves. We don’t have any plans to make phones ourselves.” He goes on to explain that Windows Mobile is currently in the position to take advantage of their belief that, “…a phone is a very personal thing. Different people want different types of phones.”

While this rules out the possibility of a Zune branded phone, it may not rule out the Zune as a piece of software or service on a windows mobile device. When discussing the MP3 player market Robbie goes on to state that Microsoft has a broader goal not just including hardware but also software and services. He states that, “…software and services, at least in theory, can be used on a lot of different types of devices.” This I think is a ways off, but it does show the future of the Zune brand.

So what did he have to say about the Zune “Touch”?

While Robbie does not directly confirm the Zune touch he confirms it in a side step media interview way, allowing a proper unveiling when they are ready to officially announce it. “Take the device independent for a second and just assume that over time where there’s a screen, touch will be part of it. It’s not going to matter what the product line is. You’re going to see it be a cornerstone of the work we do.” So it’s a statement of inevitability, almost as if you were to ask, “Are computers going to get faster?”. So when can you expect a touch screen Zune? Likely, right around the corner.