Motorola is getting nearer to launching its iRadio service for cell phones, and has released fairly complete details about how it works. Though announcements are hitting the wires this week (CES week), all you can sign up for presently is a mailing list to be notified when the service is available in the U.S.

iRadio seems to be a side-loading playlist service. That is to say, you do not receive a radio transmission or online stream; instead, an iRadio-enabled phone loads new music for your selected stations whenever the phone is charged. Since charging happens via USB cable, the phone is charged and relaoded with music simultaneously. When listening, music is automatically paused when a call comes in, then resumed. A Bluetooth adaptor makes the thing work with most car stereo systems.

The rundown of genre stations is impressive. The total station list numbers nearly 450, and a glance at the Classical breakdown is startling and refreshing. Most new-paradigm station providers make short shrift of classical music, typically furnishing three selections--general classical, opera, and light classics. iRadio offers over 40 subgenre classical stations, an eye-popping selection for the classical lover.

One crucial point remains unexplained. iRadio-enabled phones will have a Wish List key on them, designed to be pressed when you hear a track you like. Here's what the marketing language says about it: "The next time you connect to your PC, iRadio will automatically provide you with info about your Wish List artists and tracks."

Eww, that sounds lame. Info? Who wants info? That sounds like a sales pitch, or the notoriously ineffective "Buy this CD" button that used to (and still sometimes does) appear in Internet radio modules. With XM and Sirius both rolling out track-saving functionality in their portable devices, iRadio will stumble if it doesn't compete. It needs a Save This button. Then, when recharging, the saved tracks would be loaded into the phone and playlisted separate from the stations. But it doesn't sound like a planned feature, and I expect iRadio to take a competitive hit because of it.

The main selling point seems to be that the cell phone is the most constant of all our walk-around devices, and therefore is the device that should hold our music. It's not a new argument, and Motorola will not be the last provider to roll out a portable listening service. Now we need more information about the phones and the cell companies that will support them. And Motorola will need to overcome consumer resistance and confusion. Get this: "All you need is an iRadio-enabled mobile phone, an iRadio subscription, a PC running Windows XP and a broadband Internet connection." Oh, is that all. On second thought, I'll just listen to the car radio.