Irish rock band U2’s falling out with Apple and subsequent partnership with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion was spurred by the former company’s unwillingness to work with the band on a more intimate level, according to a new report. Citing Toronto-based radio DJ Alan Cross, the Globe and Mail reports that when asked about the new partnership with RIM, U2 lead singer Bono said, “I’m very excited about this[.] Research In Motion is going to give us what Apple wouldn’t — access to their labs and their people so we can do something really spectacular.” After Cross asked Bono whether this might entail a special U2 BlackBerry application that would help the band interact with fans on their upcoming tour, the singer responded simply, “You’re not far off.” Apple originally introduced the special edition U2 iPod in October of 2004, upgrading it to add a color screen, and introducing a new version based on the fifth-generation iPod in 2006.
The U2 iPods were cross-promoted with U2’s album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and a downloadable video called Love U2. Apple has since released the iPod classic without a version specific to U2 or any other band, while U2 has released an album with comparatively mild promotion from Apple.
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