The dismal reception of the ROKR E1 has not dampened the spirits of Motorola or Cingular, as they have announced plans to create a superior successor. Motrola is already manufacturing the SLVR L7, styled more after the RAZR which has had stunning success. The ROKR was an iTunes-compatible device that we talked about here just a few months ago. Due to various issues, such as a 100 total song limit, resulted in sales way below what was expected. Motorola and Cingular have responded though, and a newer "iTunes Cell" service is in the works, though many of the former nuances will remain the same.
"The L7 is really in what we call our 'self-expression portfolio,' where design and style is the key premise behind the product," said Steve Lalla, vice president and general manager for mass-market products at Motorola.
Then again, 'style' is entirely what Apple sells their products as, and are hugely successful at it. For music playing, probably most people are going to prefer an iPod or other standalone player opposed to a cell. The newer ROKR will be around $200, but I can't imagine the difference will be night and day enough to convince people.