MWC day two: a new hope
By Nilay Patel 
posted February 17th 2009 8:20PM
posted February 17th 2009 8:20PM
- We went hands-on with the Magic and Android's Cupcake update and found it to be pretty great, although the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack and US 3G bands didn't exactly pull at our heartstrings.
- The Toshiba TG01 got our blood racing, though -- the stripes interface is actually super-slick on the huge screen, and Snapdragon's fast as hell.
- ATT Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said Dell's building a smartphone. Then he took it back.
- We got to play with a few Tegra prototypes, one of which was running Android and the other doing 1080p video. It was all very impressive, but we didn't see any working phones with the chipset, and that's the only way into our jaded hearts.
- The GSM Association decided to standardize on microUSB chargers and set a target date of 2012 for it to happen. They could have been 90% there if they'd just gone with miniUSB. Sigh.
- Samsung will be building "more than three" Android phones in 2009, as well as a LiMo Foundation Linux phone. Of course, this is also what Sammy said last year at MWC, and with no hardware to show, it's just vapor for now.
- Acer wrote us a secret Android love note with a promise of two phones this year. We checked "maybe" when they asked us if we liked them.
- We also checked out Acer's boring Tempo WinMo 6.1 phones that look like they're running Microsoft Bob and its maybe not-so-boring other phones that weren't powered on.
- LG promised an Android set by June (we're guessing the KS360) with at least two more by the end of the year. We also learned that Orange customers will be the first unfortunate lucky enough to buy the G910 Watch Phone and spent some time with the S60-based KT770.
- We got to play with the OmniaHD's 720p video camera. There were some framerate issues, but if they get sorted out by launch like we hope this thing'll be a beast.
- We also spent some time with the other big S60 launch at MWC, the Nokia N86 -- it has an amazing OLED screen and solid camera, but the form factor is wearing thin, and that T9 keypad just isn't enough.
- Everyone's getting in on the WinMo skinning game, including Gigabyte, whose Smart Zone interface on the S1200 wasn't half-bad.
- Hyundai decided that the next step in phone form factors are the watch, the pocket calculator, and the 4G iPod. Note to Apple fanboys: aren't you happy all those mockups were just that?
Yep, those are the bigs -- check out our full MWC 2009 coverage for all everything else that went down. Overall, today seemed to be distinctly more Android-focused, but we're dismayed at the lack of actual devices shown running Google's OS -- mostly we just got a lot of nonspecific promises. We'll see if we can squeeze some dates and specs from people tomorrow, keep it locked!
P.S.- Remember, if you're not loving all the MWC news, there's a special RSS feed just for you. Seriously though -- this stuff is pretty sweet.
All these new phones are making it harder and harder to choose which one I'll get in June.
I think the Sony Idou will be the hottest one to get, then i would probably pic either the omnia HD or the HTC phone with the keyboard. The Toshiba one is not for me.
Am I the only one that is excited over the LG Arena? It just seems so smooth! Am I alone. It seems engadget isn't that excited about it. hmmm
Honestly, all LG phones look kinda childish to me. Also, none of the phones this year have really stuck out at me. I mean, there's always the OmniaHD but I expect the price tag to be in the N-Series area- to expensive. I guess I like the Touch Pro2 and the Diamond2 but those zoom bars seem a little weird to me. I don't know, I've been pretty disappointed so far.
Nik, I feel the same way, that HTC is so far the most outstanding one, but the strange zoom in/out bar just plain useless in all essence to me, it looks like a waste of space.
I guess the Sony Ericsson's Idou is going to be hefty in price, thanks to the 12M cam, but those nifty icons and smooth UI are irresistible, some good will hacker must port them to other S60v5 cellphone, I wish my NOKIA 5800XM could have that kind of UI...
I kno same here, my T-Mobile contract is up in July and Im torn between the NOKIA E75 and N97 or the G1, or wait to see if this will be our G2 and play with that. Im picky when it comes to phones, but I really love my NOKIA's and I really like android, I wish the two would come together, damnit
YEah!
1 Android phone announced vs 25+ WM phones and 25+ Symbian phones...
Agree, I am anxious to get an Android phone, but I feel let down by what I see.
I heard things like "2009 will be the year of Android" and suggestions that MWC was going to be dominated by Android. And with comments like that I patiently waited for MWC. But now that it is here I feel let down.
None of the Android announcements look promising, a number of them may end up as Vaporware. The Android stuff I see is all, well pretty ugly.
The G1 is not the prettiest thing in the world, but I would get it because of all of its features. However, the bugs and issues that accompany the G1 have turned me away.
Why or why can't someone make an Android phone like that China O-Phone thing. That thing looked great.
I am starting to consider purchasing another Blackberry and givinh Android another year or two. It would suck, but if something doesn't materialize soon I have to move on.
seems like none of the good ones are coming to the US, at least by June (didnt HTC say the Touch Pro2 was coming to the US later in the year?)
that was supposed to be a reply to nik
Yeah, I am excited by a couple of the phones... OmniaHD, F1, F900, M900, G01... but I'm not sure any of them will make it to the US or with a compatible 3G system.
So what else do we have to look forward too at MWC? Dell phone announcement? Any Verizon phones ?
a new hope? i one day hope that engadget posts non-biased articles.
blahblahblog.
On the last line about Apple cell phone mockups...
LOL. Yep. Apple's REALLY not going to a cell phone. Yep.
It would be helpful to know which carriers each phone could work on. Could that be part of each posting?
I know that doesn't definitively tell me which will go to who, but a guy can dream (Especially a guy on Verizon who likes the network, but is tired of the perpetual "last generation" list of phones).
Not to mention the 50 Windows Mobile Phones LG is going to make..
This is a sad story!
im liking the title naming convention here! what a random coincidence that it worked out! i know what im putting my money on for tomorrow's headline!
the return of the android!
Does Palm plan to have a press conference? If so what day?
On Android we're just hearing non-confirmation confirmations! It is really a sad day for Android, be that as it may, at least we're not exactly empty handed, a promise to launch new phones porting Android is always better than a flat NO!
Good Luck Android, OR alternatively RIP Android!
Waiting to hear about some Tegra devices already... The tech looked so far into development several months ago, yet no more news. What gives?
yep. We know for a fact the hardware and UI was available 12 months ago (last MWC), where are the phone demoes?
The only good news was Tegra coming to Android.... everything else Android: FAIL.
I hate the "Magic". So they didn't hire designers for it, but not even spend more time on a less corny name? What's next? The HTC Awesome, and the HTC WOW?
lol... I posted that comment below before I saw yours... you must have posted that while I was typing mine... I'll have to go back and look over the posts again, cause I definitely missed it.
The HTC Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
Day Three: The Apple Strikes Back
You know what killed me yesterday? Apple Insider's article saying how the show was ruled by the iPhone.
I love my 3g, but these two days of phones made me cry my own tears. Fuck the iPhone.
I still haven't seen my Perfect Gadget.
The combo of Phone and Media and GPS and Camera and Web and Email and App Store and Cool User Interface with everything right.
Lots of phones do some of these things great, but no one is offering the whole deal. I look the Sony Idou and it's got a great camera and a nice media player, but then... then I want the Pre UI and the Apple App Store and the Garmin GPS. Bits from each.
But I am only going to carry one phone in my pocket. I am not going to swap phones as my needs and mood change. Maybe next year. A year of the Smartphone concept maturing and maybe my dreams will come true.
I want the Pre's Synergy and Universal Search with Android's 3 desktops, on a Touch HD screen, a tilting Touch Pro 2 keyboard, all on a Tegra-equipped phone.
What TareX said +1, and it wouldn't hurt to have 16GB+ onboard storage and/or MicroSDHC expansion.
Lets not forget to add HDMI out and every wireless standard under the sun plus USB charging and mass storage and none of the proprietary bullshit. A nice complete bluetooth stack and memory expandable with microsd and a 3.5mm head phone jack that pumps out decent audio, 8 mpx cam with xenon flash and 720p recording and a decent lens.
If you can squeeze a coffee maker into that, I'm sold.
Ill take an Apple UI and form factor without the Apple politics. An 8mp+ cam with xenon or better flash for photos of my kids on the run. And of course be totally open source so I can do whatever the "F" I want with it since my money i used to buy it is being used for whatever the "F" they want it to. Oh and please be 3G or better on T-Mobile.
Wait, day one was Win Mo, day two was android?
What about S60, it certainly was the highlight of the conference! Idou and OmniaHD!
Im glad to see people finally open their eyes on android. It's failing miserably, been laying stagnant too long. Been out for 7 months n only really on 1 phone in USA. Very few apps so far open source is a bust, n closed source is dominating n the way of the future (iPhone os sdk 20k apps!!),get with the times android . Too much talk n no action.
Hey be nice... it has an intense analog clock. (see picture above)
Ahhhhhhhhh only five minutes to respond ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Apple really have shaken up the cellphone market and whether you're a fanboy or not, that's got to be a good thing
If an innovation spurs competition (and thus, more innovation) and price drops, then I'm all for it.
How did Apple shake up anything in MWC 2009, Nokia N86 does not look like the iphone neither does the iPhone have a keyboard like the touch pro2. Also it aint have a 8 megapixel of the samsung or the 12 megapixel of the Sonyericsson idou.
So tell how Apple changed MWC 2009?
I too am disappointed by the lack of Android announcements. Right now, I think the biggest thing holding Android back is the lack of available devices running it. HTC was the first manufacturer to release an Android phone and the hardware was a pile of crap compared to it's WinMo offerings. Almost a year later and the best they can come up with is what I consider to be a slight tweak of the G1. I think they actually made it worse. Sure, it's a better screen and it comes with Cupcake, but there's still that ugly chin, no 3.5mm headphone jack and now there's no physical keypad of any sort. Why can't they put Android on the Touch Pro 2, Touch Diamond 2, or Touch HD hardware? Right now, Android seems like the redheaded stepchild of the cellphone OS family.
i work for vodafone technical and we just got 3 beta versions of this hanset in today to play with and i have to say im very impressed with it, its a tidy little device, my few bugbears would be the lack of standard micro usb charger connecton and no headphone jack (same connection as charger) also the camera lacks a little clarity although that may be sorted in the final version, other than that this device is responsive and fuctions very well, as someone whos never used android before i found it as easy to use as the ipohne when i 1st had a go on that, the simple intuitive layout makes it very simple to use and i look forward to recieving very few support calls on this as its praticly idiot proof, personally for me i will will be hanging on for the palm pre as i want a physical keypad, but its nice to see more companys producing simple and intuitive software for mobile handset as the setup process i have to go through with customer on some devices is rediculous, as a non android user i am under the impression that you can only use gmail with this device which would be a slight drawback for me but i dont belive it would be too much hastle for me to create a few google acounts and transfer details for my variouse needs
beta version score 8/10
look forward to trying out the finished item =o)
beta version score 8/10? lol what could have expected from someone that works with Vodafone.
Please some1 care to call me back on Android when it comes in HTC windows mobile hardware or running either snapdragon or tegra
hey bjay incase you hadnt noticed my comment include the fact that im pleased several manufatures are workin on better ui's and just because i work for vodafone doesnt mean im gonna promote the device, believe me if had windows mobile on it my review would be allot different as win-mo sucks balls and the new ui is just a rehash.
i gave my honest 1st impressions of the device so if ya got nowt better to say then for all our sakes dont bother!
ciao
p.s. this is the most complete beta ive ever used and works very well it was only missing a few options and whatever links vodafone are going to put on the device as far as i could tell
booyaa i love this phone
So US consumers are stuck with the ugly G1? If T-mobile was a person... I'd slap him/her on the back of the head. I've had it. Once the N97 or Idou hits, I'm switching carriers.
Engadget totally stole "a new hope" from a comment i posted before this article was up