MusicStation Max

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Omnifone unveiled a handset called MusicStation Max.

The unit allows consumers to download unlimited music — from major labels — onto their phones for 12-18 months.

Once the unlimited download period ends, consumers must buy a new MusicStation handset to keep downloading. Personal libraries, playlists and address books will be saved on Omnifone servers.

Omnifone signed all four major labels onto the program. Users can keep the music once the program expires.

Handset makers will build the cost of the MusicStation Max plan into the devices and sell them to carriers, who resell them to consumers with a plan that covers music, voice and data.

Ars Technica suggests the goal is to keep the cost of music veiled to consumers, while making the program attractive to carriers.

A similar model, dubbed the "total music" plan, engendered government critique because of its lack of clarity. Universal Music Group leads the total music camp, which enables labels to pre-load music onto portable music players. The cost of music is built into the unit.