[_djo_]

That's incorrect, the first cellphone with MP3 playback functionality was the Siemens SL45, introduced in 2001. I used to own one, it was a fantastic phone for its day.

The Samsung SPH-M100 (aka, the 'Uproar') was the first cellphone that could play MP3s from internal memory, as the SL45 required a MultiMediaCard, but it was beaten to the market by Siemens.

That said, this all comes down to FRAND vs non-FRAND patents all over again. I truly believe that this distinction is something that needs to be clarified or even completely removed if we're going to make any progress on patent reform.