T-Mobile takes the fight to iTunes

At a glance, this screengrab looks like iTunes. But look again, because that isn’t the iTunes Store. It’s Amazon. And, although it’s hard to tell from our pic, the device showing up in the panel isn’t an iPod or an iPhone. It’s Google’s Nexus One.

That’s because this isn’t iTunes. It’s doubleTwist, a media management library that works with hundreds of phones and PMPs. It counts BlackBerry, Palm, Android and Sony’s PSP among its friends. And, unlike so many other iTunes-alikes, it’s clean, easy to use and uncannily familiar looking.

It’s not exactly a household name, mind, but that could be about to change. TechCrunch is reporting that a deal with T-Mobile will be announced tomorrow, with in-store branding and pre-installation of the software on some of the network’s Android phones.

For the legions of non-Apple campers, this could usher in a welcome new age of widely compatible, user-friendly and good looking software. If things really take off, it could challenge Apple’s media player dominance in the long run.

Of course, we’ll probably see a new version of iTunes launched next week if Apple’s much-rumoured iSlate tablet materialises. Let the fight begin.

Would you consider ditching your iPod if it wasn’t for iTunes? Let us know in the comments.