Mwc2009
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MWC day one: the Empire strikes back
We know, there was an absolute flood of news from Mobile World Congress today, but day one in Spain has finally come to a close, and it looks like Microsoft is flexing all its muscle to try and lock up partners and rejoin the fight for mobile dominance. Seriously, this is Redmond's show: we haven't seen a new, non-prototype Android handset powered up yet, and that's frankly astonishing and somewhat disappointing. What else did we learn?
Eyes-on with the well-camouflaged LG GD900
There's not a whole lot to look at with the GD900 slider, but in this case, that's exactly the effect LG was shooting for. The high-design phone was being carefully guarded by plastic and metal not its own at MWC this week, making a true hands-on impossible -- but the good news is that we were able to get a good look at the phone's headline feature. That nearly transparent keypad has a glow applied around its edges to illuminate etched numbers, but with tactile feedback hovering near zero, this is a situation where you've really got to value form over function (and in this case, we just might). Interestingly, documentation by the GD900 says it'll start launching in May, though LG's press documentation claims we won't see it until the second half of the year -- so it's unclear when you'll be able to get one imported. Question is, do you really want people to see your cheek while you're on the horn?%Gallery-44936%[Via Engadget Spanish]
Samsung Beat Disc hands-on
Having already taken Samsung's Beat DJ for a spin, the mixers at Engadget Spanish tried out its not-quite-finished younger brother, the Beat Disc. The two handsets are pretty similar, with the most notable differences being a slide-out keyboard and the Bang & Olufsen speakers placed closer together at the bottom of the device. All in all, it comes off as a cheaper version of the DJ, so take that as you will. Check out the moving pictures version of the hands-on after the break. Gallery: Samsung Beat Disc
Motion detecting SIMSense SIM card opens new world of possibilities
File this one away in the "man, I should've thought of that" category. Here at Mobile World Congress, Oberthur Technologies is making a name for itself by introducing the planet's first motion detecting and handset-independent SIM card. SIMSense, as it's so eloquently named, could open up a whole new world of interaction with phones that don't come with any sort of accelerometer built in. For instance, a user could simply shake their cellphone upon receiving a second call in order to send out a pre-written SMS that explains the situation. Or they could navigate phone menus by simply moving or tapping. Or, better still, they could program their handset to dial an emergency contact if it detected a sudden fall while close to the person's body. There's been no indication of anyone grabbing this thing and running with it, but we can't imagine this not making it out to the commercial realm.
Archos announces new Moorestown-based netbook, 9-inch tablet
We saw the rough'n'ready Archos 10 get reviewed mere days ago, and now the company's back with the Atom-powered Archos 10s, a new 20mm thin netbook with 3.5G functionality, 1GB memory, Windows XP Home and up to 160GB storage. Additionally, the company has designs on a 17mm-thin, 9-inch tablet based on Intel's Moorestown MID platform, to see the light of day sometime this year. This guy will include the Intel System Controller Hub chipset, up to 160GB storage, VOD and hi-def video playback, and digital TV reception. The Archos 10s should be available sometime in April, at a price to be announced. [Via UMPC Portal]Read - "ARCHOS announces new generation innovative MiniPCs based on Intel Atom Processor" (Warning: PDF)
Sony Ericsson Idou hands-on and video walkthrough
Sony Ericsson launched its 12.1 megapixel Idou at Mobile World Congress yesterday evening, and while not a finished device, we checked it out anyway. The Idou will eventually roll with the Symbian Foundation's OS, but the version we're seeing here is somewhere in between. The resistive touchscreen (essentially the same as found on the XpressMusic 5800) is immense, glossy, and already brilliant. The transitions and sweeping gestures (check them in the vid) are really responsive and quick, with no real lag. We checked it against its nearest neighbor in the C905 and it is slim in comparison. Top notch stuff, we are anxiously waiting for more. Video and gallery follow.%Gallery-44915%
ARM debuts Sparrow multicore netbook processor
We've had our eyes peeled for ARM Cortex-based netbook news, and now among the action this week at MWC '09 we're getting our first look at Sparrow, a Cortex A9 processor aimed squarely at netbook manufacturers. This is a multi-core update to the Cortex A8 (processor of choice for the Palm Pre and Pandora), and it's been speculated that this could be the processor for the next generation iPhone, with "at least triple the computing power of the ARM11 processors found in the [current] iPhone and T-Mobile G1." Toshiba, Pegatron and Wistron are all said to be showing demos of their ARM-powered netbooks at the conference this year, with a company spokesman saying that Ubuntu for ARM will go public in April, with Sparrow phones coming to market sometime in 2010. Additionally, companies like Adobe, On2, and Symbian are said to be "tuning their apps to run on the latest cores from ARM" as we speak.[Via Gadget Mix, Mac Rumors]
LG's KS360 to be company's first Android phone?
It was about this time last year when we heard that LG was aiming to push out Android-powered handsets by 2009, and sure enough, it looks like it'll happen by this summer. According to T3, the company's altogether bubbly KS360 will be relaunched with Google's operating system, though the actual specifications (outside of the OS, obviously) will remain the same. Marketing Manager Jeremy Newing also confirmed at Mobile World Congress that LG would be releasing two other Android phones this year, though he wouldn't divulge any model names or favorite colors for us to guess.[Thanks, Kat]
Huawei's Android touchphone is a mystery wrapped in an enigma
We were really hoping MWC would be Android's coming out party, but while there's a hefty amount of name-dropping at the show, nobody much seems ready to put hardware on the line. And then there's Huawei. We were expecting a handset from them at the show, and they're halfway there, announcing an Android phone, but only bringing a non-working prototype to show for it. The touchphone hardware is decidedly iPhone-esque, and almost seems too button scarce to work with the traditional Android interface, but that's where the rest of the story comes in: Huawei is working with an "established design consultancy" to develop its own custom interface for the device. The as-yet unnamed phone will be coming to market in Q3 of this year, and Huawei is currently in talks with a carrier who will rebrand the device -- the lack of finality there left much of the rest of the info on this phone shrouded. We're looking forward to learning more about this device in the coming months, but for now you can check out the tease of a gallery below, and the even less informative press release at the read link below.%Gallery-44904%
LG Arena KM900 hands-on with video interface tour
We've been waiting to get our grubby mitts on the LG Arena KM900 and try out the S-Class 3D UI for ourselves, and well -- it's a nice featurephone interface, but it's not exactly revolutionary. The widget interface is nice, and we're into the picture-based contacts screen, but the icon-based home screen just feels cluttered, especially when viewed in the expanded horizontal orientation. It'll be interesting to see how LG refines these elements in its upcoming onslaught of Windows Mobile phones -- we wouldn't drop back to a featurephone for this stuff, but we'd be plenty interested in seeing more phones like the GM730 with this interface. Video after the break!Read - Engadget Spanish coverage of the KM900Read - Press release%Gallery-44902%
Four previously unknown Acer phones spied in Barcelona
Well, these are not the Acer phones we saw leaked a few days ago -- in fact, there are four new dudes here, all previously unseen. We know little about them, except that they are apparently on hand somewhere at MWC, and we hear that it's possible they're going to be unveiled today, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for them. In the meantime, try to contain yourself and hit the read link for photos of the other two.
Windows Mobile 6.5 walkthrough with Engadget (now with video!)
We saw a Touch Diamond2 running old-skool Windows Mobile 6.1 this morning -- and don't get us wrong, the hardware's pretty hot, but who really wants that noise when we've got the same thing running Windows Mobile 6.5 a few blocks away? Shortly after the fanfare of Microsoft's press conference today, we were ushered downstairs for a walkthrough on a freshly-flashed Touch Diamond2 of virtually everything that makes 6.5 different from the versions before it, and while we're not blown away by the sheer freshness or paradigm-shiftyness of what we're seeing here, it's a totally acceptable bump of 0.4 in the version number. Let's put it this way: we still have a burning desire in our hearts and our loins for 7.0, whenever that happens. Follow the break for video and some key highlights!%Gallery-44887%
Option announces uCAN remote data access for iCON USB modems
Fresh from Barcelona, the wireless modem gurus at Option have announced their new uCAN software platform. To be implemented across the entire iCON modem lineup, the software allows users to run applications (such as Open Office) from their USB modem and interact directly with documents situated on their workstation at home. You can also have those apps you might need to use in a pinch -- such as Skype -- preconfigured with all your data. If that weren't enough, the device sports something called "Zero Footprint" technology, which is designed to ensure that "no trace of activity is left on the host computer, running either Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS, when the device is disconnected." You can even launch a browser from the thing, keeping all those passwords and cookies safely off of whichever machine you happen to be borrowing. The first uCAN devices are expected to appear sometime before July of this year. More pics after the break.
Sprint Simply Everything plan now includes mobile broadband for laptops
Sprint's Simply Everything plan's always brought a lot of bang for the buck, and it looks like it's about to include a little more everything -- you'll now be able to add mobile broadband to the package. $149 a month ain't cheap, but you won't be short of connectivity with unlimited messaging, data, and voice, GPS navigation, and 5GB of laptop internet access a month. That explains Sprint's willingness to promote the Pre's data tethering abilities -- anyone going to take the plunge?Update: Sprint pinged us to clarify that the additional fee only covers the use of a USB stick or laptop card, not tethering. We'd still love to just carry one thing, though.[Via Phone Scoop]
Nokia busts out its own 8 megapixel slider: the N86
Whoa, Nelly! While Samsung is strutting its 8 megapixel Memoir and Sony Ericsson is letting us all in on the forthcoming 12 megapixel Idou, Nokia is getting even with its 8 megapixel N86. Amazingly, we saw that the suits in Espoo had this thing on the brain way back in 2007, but not until today have we seen a real live product. The N-series slider boasts a Carl Zeiss lens, AutoFocus, dual-LED flash and Symbian S60, not to mention a 2.6-inch OLED display, 8GB of internal memory, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, microUSB connector and Share on Ovi integration. We're left in the dark when it comes to pricing and availability, but we're hoping to hear more really, really soon. More shots are waiting in the read link.Update: The full specs sheets have just leaked, yum!
Palm joins Adobe's Open Screen Project, Pre to support Flash
Copy and paste, data tethering, and now Flash -- it looks like the Pre's going to fill in a lot of unchecked iPhone feature boxes, doesn't it? Yep, Palm's just joined Adobe's Open Screen Project, and there's no two bones about what that means: the press release flat out says "the Open Screen Project will help deliver Adobe Flash Player for smartphones on the new Palm webOS platform." That's especially interesting since the webOS SDK is so heavily based on web technologies and native player support potentially opens the door for Flash-based apps, which would instantly bring a ton of new devs to the Pre. That's not a bad thing. We'll find out more at the end of the year, when the mobile Flash player is due to arrive.
LG GM730 hands-on (with video!)
We had opportunity to check out one of LG's newest smartphones, the LG GM730 at MWC today. We've seen all the specs but thought knew you all needed a really good look at the new S-Class UI. This phone is not final, so our hands-on shows a few interface hiccups, but, you'll get the drift. So what's the take away here? This appears to be a darn fine overlay on Windows Mobile, access to things from the home screen are simple and quick: mail, messaging, calendar, menus to get at network settings and so forth are a welcome addition. The device feels sturdy (even without a back) and looks just fine in our sleep deprived eyes. Carry on for a video with all the action and a gallery stuffed full of MWC love.%Gallery-44877%
Samsung Beat DJ hands-on
Touch Wiz in Spanish -- you know you love it. The Engadget Spanish crew grabbed a little time with Sammy's Bang and Olufsen-powered Beat DJ M7600, and sadly, this one looks like it's better in stills -- the interface is a little laggy and unresponsive, and the "scratching" features seem like more of a goofy novelty than anything else. Vid after the break, amigos.%Gallery-44885%
Too much cellphone news on Engadget?
You may be surprised to learn this, but we're currently at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, which is basically the CES of cellphone shows. We've seen a handful of emails from confused readers who didn't understand why the site was stacked from floor to ceiling with cellphone news -- and we wanted to clear things up. We're not just covering the news because there's a tradeshow going on, of course. There are some huge stories breaking at MWC, and we'd be remiss in our duties if we didn't cover every single one of them. Now, some of you may ask why we don't just carry the news on Engadget Mobile; the simple answer is that we are covering the news on Engadget Mobile, but the stuff that we feel has crossover relevance and appeal (which happens to be a lot this year) ends up on Engadget Classic as well. If you can't handle the insane and awesome torrent of phone-related news, you can subscribe to a special feed we've set up with Yahoo! Pipes which axes our MWC stories, but to be frank, you'll be missing a lot of really cool gadget news. Hey, it's your call.Engadget Classic without any MWC news - RSS feed, Pipes pageEngadget Classic with only MWC news - RSS feed
Samsung UltraTouch hands-on
The hits keep coming at MWC 09, and while we're racing around from liveblog to liveblog, the crew at Engadget Spanish managed to snag some quality time with Samsung's Ultra Touch S8300 slider. The refined Touch Wiz interface does a good job of transcending its terrible name -- it's not the prettiest thing we've ever seen, but it's fast, reasonably intuitive, and seems to get the job done. Spanish-language video after the break -- trust us, you'll know what's going on without subtitles.%Gallery-44881%
