Microsoft executive shoots down Zune Phone rumors -- again

LAS VEGAS -- OK, can we all move on now? During an interview today at the Consumer Electronics Show, I asked Microsoft Entertainment & Devices president Robbie Bach to address the recurring speculation that Microsoft is working on its own Zune Phone -- a mobile phone from the company based on its Zune music player.

As you may recall, the company in November was reported to be poised to unveil a prototype of such a device as early as tonight's CES keynote, or possibly a bit later in the year.

Um, not so much, as it turns out. Here's what Bach said when I asked him if Microsoft plans to come out with its own Zune Phone.

"In general, I don't make a habit of commenting on rumors," he said. "I will, just because this one is so persistent. ... We don't have plans to do a Zune Phone. Windows Mobile is focused on a breadth strategy. ... We're not going to try to produce one phone. We're going to produce the software and services that power a broad assortment of phones."

Bach noted that he's made that statement definitively before, but people don't seem to want to hear the answer. The latest round of rumors came after his earlier statements to that effect.

"You can report it as something new if you want," he said, laughing. "But it isn't."

To be clear, that doesn't mean Zune functionality won't end up in phones. Microsoft has made it clear that it's aiming to expand Zune features to Windows Mobile-based devices, which are made by a wide variety of companies.

But in terms of a singular Zune Phone, along the lines of Apple's iPhone, this would appear to kill the speculation for now. Until next fall, of course, when the rumor mill will no doubt start grinding away on this one again.

Coverage note: Stay tuned for a full Q&A with Bach, addressing questions including last week's Zune meltdown, and the impact of the economic turmoil on revenue and spending in his division.