mwc 2009
Latest
Microsoft confirms MyPhone, invite-only beta coming to MWC
Remember that alleged Microsoft MyPhone beta page that popped up on getskybox.com yesterday? It's back up now and being hosted under the company's official domain, with everything apparently intact except that tantalizing "Sign In" button. According to a statement from the gang at Redmond, a limited invite-only beta is in the cards, and more details on the syncing service formerly known as SkyBox are coming to Mobile World Congress later this month. As for the beta itself, the wording's a bit ambiguous here -- will we just be getting new details on the trial or will the signup actually launch then? Looks like we'll find out for sure in just over a week.
Microsoft insists it's not making a phone, rumored to be rebranding WinMo to "Windows Phone"
We're just ten days away from whatever Microsoft has to announce at Mobile World Congress, and it looks like the company is trying to put a halt to the endless rumors that it's developing a phone: WinMo director Scott Rockfield told CNET it's not happening, and another Microsoft spokesman just denied it to the Wall Street Journal. That should be enough to shut people up, right? Of course not -- no denials by anyone ever have been -- but unless Stiv Ballmers actually pulls a Zunephone out of his pocket next week, we're going to assume that Microsoft is on the level with us, persistent rumors of some crazy Tegra-powered superphone notwithstanding. We are willing to believe that the company is planning on rebranding Windows Mobile as "Windows Phone," however -- yeah, it's a Digitimes rumor, but it makes a lot of sense to us, and it's an easy way to capitalize on the launch of a new version. We'll see what happens, we suppose -- honestly, we just want a US launch of the Compulab Exeda. P.S.- Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet says what's more likely is that Microsoft is working on several Windows Mobile reference hardware designs -- including one based on Tegra -- which we find much more believable and lines up nicely with some other whispers we've heard. [Via PhoneMag] Read - WSJ, "Microsoft: Once Again, We're Not Making a Smartphone" Read - CNET, "Nvidia-based Microsoft smartphone coming?" Read - Digitimes, "Windows Mobile phones to become just Windows phones, say sources"
First Acer-branded smartphone a Glofiish DX900 rebadge?
There's bound to be more, but the first leaked Acer handset expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress is no more than a rebadge of a device obtained through its acquisition of E-Ten. The Glofiish DX900 was announced in mid-2008 with dual-SIM support, GPS, a 3 megapixel camera, and a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen riding a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS -- that all stays the same. In other words, if the leak is accurate, then this particular device will see a new logo and that's about it. Still, the MWC invite specifically said "smartphones launch" so we're not corking the fat lady just yet. [Via Unwired View]
Samsung to release 12 megapixels of cameraphone foolishness this month?
It's been a few years since Samsung unleashed its 10 megapixel cameraphone onto the world. Now we're hearing that Samsung will push the limits of absurdity to a full 12 megapixels "this month," likely at Mobile World Congress. The phone is expected to hit the production lines in February with a European debut shortly thereafter. No details are provided other than the picture above used (but not attributed) by Unwired View. If this is the unannounced phone then we can obviously expect GPS geotagging, DivX video capture, and WiFi with DLNA support. One thing is clear: Samsung thinks that Europeans are pixel braggarts with little concern for image quality.Update: Nope, that image is just a Photoshop of an 8 megapixel Innov8 -- still, we wouldn't be surprised to see the same feature set and industrial design in a 12 megapixel handset.[Thanks, Robin of Loxley]
WSJ: Dell "preparing a move into cellphones as early as next month"
You know who's blabbing again? That reclusive set of business people who always seem to be "familiar with the matter," that's who. This time, they've got the Wall Street Journal in a twist over renewed rumors that Dell is "preparing a move into cellphones as early as next month." Next month, is of course the big cellphone coming out party known as Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- an event Dell has flat-out denied any intention to attend. Still, the evidence presented by the WSJ is pretty overwhelming. First, sources say that a variety of smartphone prototypes, including one with a QWERTY-less touchscreen and another with a sliding keyboard, have already been built running Android and Windows Mobile. Second, Dell's smartphone team "spent much of last year" meeting with suppliers, carriers, and Asian phone manufacturers. Dell's team includes the former head of Motorola's phone division (Ron Garriques) and another Moto employee (John Thode) who heads up Dell's netbook group. The latter being of interest since the iPhone and BlackBerry Storm are considered netbooks by their makers. Oh, and Dell still hasn't made good on its purchase of Zing and its plans to build an all encompassing media ecosystem to manage your audio and video files across PCs and mobile devices. Sources do contend that plans have not been finalized and Dell may still abandon the effort. But with Acer making the jump into Smartphones next month and other non-traditional players having great success in the space at the expense of the former cellphone powerhouses, one thing is clear: PC guys "will just walk in" and figure this out. Right Ed?
Huawei bringing Android smartphone to next month's MWC
We already knew Huawei's gearing up to enter the Android smartphone market -- at least in Australia -- and now the company has confirmed plans to show its first device at February's Mobile World Congress. Unfortunately we don't know much else at the moment, but we expect to shed some more light on this next month. Additionally, the company says it'll be showing the world's smallest modem, the world's first commercial HSPA+ Stick, and a new digital photo display, among other surprises. We're hoping those known unknowns turn out to be more Android phones, but something tells us they wouldn't be so coy with that. [Via Phonescoop]
Dell smartphone rumors flare up -- Android or S60 phone in the works?
So rumors of Dell doing a smartphone have been around forever, but they've started heating up again today -- word on the street is that the company is planning a handset launch as early as next month at 3GSM or Mobile World Congress. That's just chatter we'd ordinarily dismiss as nonsense, but we couldn't help but notice most of the Dell people at the Adamo event were carrying G1s -- and Dell's director of consumer products was super-quick to pull out a Nokia E71 and gush over how well-built it was compared to other devices when we asked him where the Adamo line would be positioned. That jibes with long-standing rumors that Dell's working on Android and/or S60 devices -- rumors that Michael Dell himself refused to put to bed back in July. What does it all mean? Well, we have no idea, but we'd say that Dell's new focus on consumer-oriented design suggests that WinMo isn't really in the running if it is in fact planning a handset. We'll see how it plays out over the next few months -- we could be right, we could be wrong, but either way it should be interesting.
