Mwc2009
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HTC exec promises Hero successor in 2010, debut at Mobile World Congress
Yet another reason to love the Swedes: they give us juicy details. Former LG Sales Manager turned HTC Sweden exec Patrik Andersson has dropped word that a sequel to HTC Hero is coming next year. We know what you're thinking: an upgrade to the company's successful multi-carrier flagship Android device? You don't say! The real interesting point here is when it'll make its debut, and that's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this February. Happy Valentine's, indeed, and if you get to the press conference early, save us a seat?
Alcatel follows the pack, shows cheap touch and QWERTY sets
Alcatel's not known for its high-end fare, and we wouldn't get our hopes up here, either -- in fact, the full touchscreen set is so low-end that there's nothing "full touchscreen" about it. As you can see here, the QVGA display on the OT-707 actually only takes up about three-quarters of the front, the remainder treated to a listless matte black plastic. Good news is it'll only run about 100 euros ($127), but you'll have to put up with GPRS -- yes, GPRS, not EDGE -- to use it. Moving one tiny rung down the luxury ladder at 95 euros, the OT-800 is a portrait QWERTY phone that'll be available in a variety of fun colors at launch; it seems that the keyboard's surprisingly usable, and the quadband EDGE radio means you could theoretically take it stateside if you were so inclined. No word on release dates or carriers, but these would make great prepaid offerings, wouldn't they?
ZTE's fancy concepts at MWC 2009
None of these look particularly easy to use, but ZTE showed off some wild concept devices at Mobile World Congress this year. There were a couple of wristwatches in the mix that unbuckled to become USB modems, but our favorite has to be the "Xer," a handheld "inspired by family theater." It's not clear how you'd hold it effectively if you wanted to type on the QWERTY keyboard, but we suppose that's what makes it a concept instead of a production device. Also shown was the "Pure," featuring a "globoid keypad design" that looks only marginally more usable than the Xer -- or, as ZTE puts it, a "novel key-pressing experience." Click on for the full gallery.%Gallery-45641%
Microsoft gets big support for Mobile Broadband enhancements in Windows 7
Just in case Microsoft hadn't locked down enough support for Windows Mobile at MWC last week, the company also managed to shake hands with a slew of PC makers in order to extend support for Mobile Broadband enhancements within Windows 7. It's still quite unclear what all this means, but we're guessing that the likes of Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Fujitsu will happily support WWAN modules from Huawei, Option, Qualcomm, Sierra Wireless and ZTE. The writeup also gives us reason to believe that WWAN connections will be more tightly integrated than before, possibly even showing up alongside potential WiFi hotspots when looking for a wireless connection. At any rate, we're all about getting a signal regardless of location, so we'll take this as a definite positive despite the glaring dearth of details.[Thanks, Jacob]
The Engadget Interview: Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility
We had an opportunity to sit down with AT&T's Ralph de la Vega last week -- one of the most influential individuals in the wireless world today -- at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for a nice little chat covering all the topics that have been burning in our minds the last few months: Android, the Pre, LTE, and more. Read on!
SIM Technology's U1 runs Android at VGA resolution, sort of
Complementing TechFaith's and General Mobile's offerings, SIM Technology came to MWC with a very, very rough remix of its Windows Mobile-based U1 running Android. Before you blow it off, check it: you're getting quadband EDGE plus tri-band HSDPA, 3 megapixel primary and VGA secondary cams, AGPS, WiFi, TV-out, microSD expansion, and a 2.8-inch VGA display. Almost perfect on paper, isn't it? It's not the prettiest handset in the world, but if these guys are the first in town to come to market with a fully functional VGA Android device that works unlocked on North American bands, we know a few hundred dollars that are just waiting to find a good home. Right now, the device is strictly a proof of concept -- the touchscreen doesn't exactly "work" yet -- but we're sure they'll have something ready to ship shortly.%Gallery-45578%
General Mobile: "Mini And Sweat In My Hands"
The big news out of General Mobile at MWC was that Touch Diamond-alike DSTL1 running Android and a pair of SIM slots, but to think that's all they brought to the table would be... well, downright foolhardy. For one, they brought along the pictured DST 250, a "Slider" and "Double SIM" mobile phone of the world, which may or may not cause your palms to sweat depending on how you hold it. They also brought along a couple Nokia Supernova knockoffs, an 8800 rip, and a few anonymous bars and sliders (or rather, "Sliders") that look ready to do battle in the tricky low-end market. Fortunately, they were located several halls away from Espoo's outpost, so the odds of a tussle were kept to a minimum.%Gallery-45576%
LG shows off solar phone, battery cover at MWC
Proving (as usual) that it's not too big for a little tit-for-tat with its crosstown rival, LG showed its own concept solar phone at MWC this week to match up with Samsung's Blue Earth. The prototype LG handset doesn't have a name -- takes a whole team of high-priced consultants to christen a product like that, we'd wager -- but we do know that the slider can eke 3 minutes' worth of life out of a 10-minute charge in natural light. The thing looks like it was thrown together in a week, but hey, as long as it works, we know LG can take care of the design side of things by the time production rolls around.%Gallery-45516%
Bye bye Barcelona and Mobile World Congress 2009
Another MWC is done and we're on one hand happy we were there to cover it for y'all, sad to see it gone, but relieved we can start eating normally and sleeping again. So what did we see? Well, so many things that made us laugh, smile, and scratch our heads that we can barely remember them all. Notable things from Barcelona this year include Sony Ericssons' first 12 megapixel camera phone, Windows Mobile 6.5's launch, Palm Pre for the GSM market, A smile pile of Android unveilings -- including Vodafone's HTC Magic launch -- INQ's INQ1, Sonar, and a really creepy mannequin that never failed to freak every single one of us out as we walked by her. If you're finding the list of links overwhelming, check our daily podcasts from the show and hear all about it instead of reading all about it. Check the links below for a quick rundown of some highlights.Read - Sonar hopes to power social featurephones, we get a demoRead - Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android rightRead - HTC Magic is official, bringing Android to Vodafone sans keyboardRead - HTC Magic first eyes-on!Read - Nokia N86 hands-on with video!Read - Samsung OmniaHD hands-onRead - First hands-on with the HTC Touch Diamond2 (with video!)Read - First hands-on with the HTC Touch Pro2 (with video!)Read - Nokia E55 hands-onRead - Windows Mobile 6.5 walkthrough with Engadget (now with video!)Read - INQ¹ wins "Best Mobile Handset or Device" at MWC, golf clapsRead - Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!Read - Amosu hands-on: pink, pricey, and plenty of diamondsRead - Toshiba TG01 hands-on and video walkthroughRead - modu hands-on with the set, jackets, and some far out visions
LG affirms that 12 megapixel cameraphone is in the works
Here at MWC, the only cellphone maker to actually come forward with proof of a 12 megapixel phone was Sony Ericsson. Still, you know that everyone else is apt to follow suit as quickly as possible, and it seems that LG will be one of the first. In fact, said company "absolutely" has a 12 megapixeler in the works. That's according to Jeremy Newing, LG Mobile's head of marketing in the UK, who also proclaimed that the KS360 would be LG's first Android phone. In his words: "We'll very much be releasing a 12MP cameraphone. However, it's important that people realize when taking 12MP images, they'll be using huge amounts of data, and it will be more difficult to do things like send such files." Honestly, we're a bit tired of the megapixel race -- get an optical zoom onto a slim cellphone, and then we'll talk.[Thanks, Jimb]
Vodafone pulls a mini KDDI, launches 5 sets
Aside form the Android powered Magic, Vodafone also launched a pretty big handful of feature phones this week: the Vodafone 835 (from top left), 736, 735, 235, and the 135. The 835 is Voda's first set for consumers with GPS added specifically for its Find and Go nav, 3G, and a 2.4-inch display. The 736 shines by being affordable, also features a decent 2-inch display, 2 megapixel camera, Google Maps, and will ship in rose, white and silver with its twin the 735 getting black and only on pre paid. Rounding out the offering are the 235, a 2G set with things like FM radio,a 1.5 -inch color screen, and the really low specced, but rather nice looking 135, with a 2-line black and white display meant for emerging markets. Huge gallery of them all posin' like they really mean it after the break.%Gallery-45359%
Sonar hopes to power social featurephones, we get a demo
As with any trade show, flashy, high-end products have a tendency to steal the lion's share of the spotlight at MWC -- but the fact is, featurephones still outsell traditional smartphones by an order of magnitude. Companies like INQ are betting the farm on the belief that today's ultra-connected generation of Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook users are ultimately going to pick fashionable, cheap, easy-to-use handsets over the complexity of an iPhone, G1, or Omnia. There's something to be said for that -- most people don't know the model of their own phone, after all, and have no interest in learning how to download and install an app, let alone learn an entire mobile operating system. Plus, for the youngest members of this profitable group, there's a lot of price sensitivity -- smartphones are typically out of reach.If startup Sonar has its way, that's where its new platform comes in. The idea was to fundamentally rethink the way average consumers -- you know, the ones who are plugged into three, four, or fourteen social networks and don't know a G1 from a P1i -- use a phone to communicate, and they're ready to show off their efforts for the first time here at MWC. We had an opportunity to sit down with Sonar's founders this week for a tour of the system, and we're pretty stoked about what we saw. Read on.%Gallery-45307%
INQ¹ wins "Best Mobile Handset or Device" at MWC, golf claps
INQ's social networking monster took away top honors at MWC with a win for best mobile device or handset at the show. Taking a gander at the competition, it is the who's who of high end stuff including the T-Mobile G1, BlackBerry Storm, LG KS360, and Nokia's E-71. So why, you ask, could the admittedly middle tier set win out against what seems like some pretty serious -- well, Storm aside -- competition? INQ won because of how they've enabled Facebook deep integration, focus on your contacts as living, breathing, and ever-changing entities, great pricing, and a compelling user interface. We'd set a meeting to catch up with INQ at MWC hoping to see how things are moving along post-launch and talk about the future. Down the road was the bit we were most interested in, and lucky for us, INQ was willing to share some secrets. Let's just say with QWERTY confidence, the future looks absolutely stunning, both in form and potential. Congrats INQ, way to win an award. Gallery of the newly-crowned INQ¹ after the break.%Gallery-45328%
LG Renoir KC910i gets refreshed, and we get it on camera
So out of the blue we hear that the LG Renoir KC910 has become the KC910i. A quick inspection of LG's booth shows this as true, so we just had to find one off the tether to compare with the original -- and a kindly employee's own KC910 was donated for the cause. So what's new? Well, so far as we can see, the housing's changed the tiniest bit in the mechanical iris that protects the lens is no longer there, the handsets is now very black, and if anything, the newer is a hair thinner. Those aside, see if you can't spot some differences in the pics and vid that follow the break, think of it as a game.%Gallery-45269%
Elektrobit's satellite-GSM hybrid smartphone reference design in the flesh
99.99 percent of the population has no "need" for a phone capable of switching between GSM and satellite reception on the fly, but let's be clear: that has absolutely nothing to do with us wanting one. We checked out the reference design for Elektrobit's satellite-GSM hybrid smartphone powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 today, and here's the thing: it's not the best-looking device in the world -- nor the thinnest -- but when you consider the raw radio firepower it's packing, your mind should be fully blown. Unlike Iridium-based handsets that require huge, unsightly external antennas to connect you to outer space, Elektrobit's device connects to TerreStar's entirely IP-based network, meaning voice is sent over the interwebs and you can get relatively high-speed data even if you're in some lean-to in Wyoming just seconds away from being consumed whole by a grizzly. When you're closer to civilization, you've got HSDPA and WiFI, so this is basically the total package as connectivity goes. On the downside, the keyboard's mushy and uncomfortable with little dimples in the middle of each key -- and, you know, satellite service isn't the cheapest stuff in the world -- but hey, Elektrobit says there'll be a Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade available later in the year. Sold.%Gallery-45218%
LG GD900 eyes-on, now with video
We did our best to get the LG GD900 (on many, many occasions) out of its enclosure into the not so fresh Mobile World Conference showroom air, but nothing doing. LG seems content to keep it in its glassy cage for the time being, though, they'll need to let us see it and its mysterious keypad at some point, right? The "show" here is that the keypad is crafted, poured, or whatever from some sort of clear plastic material and then we assume something like a thin transparent membrane is applied on top of that to register the key presses. Whatever the case, you can get a feel for the magic with a video replete with blinking lights and electronic sliding action. Enjoy this little slice of Vegas after the break.%Gallery-45272%
Palm Pre's Touchstone charger requires matte, soft-touch battery cover
We've got this image burned in our brains of the Pre as this slick, black, streamlined, ultra-glossy pebble of a phone, and by and large, that's an accurate image -- unless you spring for the Touchstone. The inductive charging accessory -- which seems like an almost automatic purchase for any Pre buyer with a single geeky bone in their body -- needs magnets in the Pre to hold it in place when it's attached, but it turns out that the standard glossy battery cover doesn't have those magnets. Instead, the Touchstone will include a replacement cover that has the magnets and loses the gloss for a stickier matte soft-touch surface, ostensibly to help secure the phone against the charger's slanted top. For some, the soft-touch is going to be perceived as an upgrade -- but others are undoubtedly going to be bummed that they won't be able to see their own reflection against the shiny Palm logo dead center. What's more, if you want the matte without the Touchstone, you're out of luck (at launch, anyway) -- it won't be available separately. Whatever; it's not like you weren't planning on getting this thing Colorwared anyway.%Gallery-45300%
Yahoo! to distribute, cheer for Opera Mini
Maybe we're just imagining things, but it sure seems like a lot of deals are going down here in Barcelona. The latest partnership to arise from the middle of nowhere is this one, a tie-up between Yahoo! and Opera that will see the search engine company distribute and pimp the Opera Mini web browser to its many Yahoo! Mobile users. Under the deal, Yahoo! is expected to begin distributing Opera Mini via Yahoo! Mobile (gratis, of course) and also as a standalone download from Yahoo!'s mobile Web sites in the near future. A curious matchup, yeah? Should be interesting to see where this leads -- we get the feeling this is just the beginning of something much, much bigger. Or maybe just bigger.[Via phonescoop]
Samsung's pricey wall of prototype OmniaHDs at MWC 2009
Alright, look, Samsung, this is excessive. All we want is one OmniaHD -- one, for cryin' out loud -- and here you go showing off your whole frickin' wall of 'em. We think the "!" shape these 3.7-inch OLEDs form is a particularly appropriate choice to represent the reaction the OmniaHD's display has garnered from passers-by this week.Oh, and if you're curious, we count 97. Video after the break.
Samsung SCH-M830 hands-on
While perusing the Samsung booth for something fresh and fun we happened upon this, the Samsung SCH-M830. The M830 is a WiBro (mobile WiMax) and HSPA set, WiFI, Bluetooth, 3 megapixel camera, a 3.3-inch LCD, memory expansion with microSD, and runs Windows Mobile 6.1. The interface and all the UI elements were in Korean (see that Anycall branding? That's the hint) so if there were any special goodies in there we definitely didn't catch them. Impressions? It felt great and was really solid, but as to performance we can't add much there -- though just that big display had us smiling. Lovely gallery and a quick video flip-through follow the break.%Gallery-45266%
