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Wrap-up: Engadget editors sound off on MWC 2013
We blew out last month's CES with our biggest group of editors to date, and now we've done it again here in Barcelona. There may have been fewer high-end smartphones than expected at the show, but we still managed to spend time with dozens of handsets and tablets, and even a surprise hybrid or two. Fira Gran Via, Mobile World Congress' new home for 2013, was a fitting venue, and there's even room to grow, should that be in the cards for next year. Still, we leave Spain with mixed emotions, and mixed impressions of the show. So, what exactly did we take away from our week of smartphones, sangria, tablets and tapas in Europe? Read on past the break for our take.
The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 10:15AM ET at MWC 2013!
We would say it's been an absolutely epic and crazy Mobile World Congress, but we'd be lying. Instead, we'll talk to you about what we saw, felt and heard -- some of it good, and some just outright disgusting. There's a span of two weeks to cover, so it should be a healthy podcast with lots of stuff to talk about. As a disclaimer, our connection here in Barcelona isn't incredibly strong, so there is a small possibility that our bandwidth may go out on occasion. If you don't mind that chance, however, join us at 10:15AM ET! February 28, 2013 10:15 AM EST
ZTE USA's CEO: US investigation report is actually good for us
You may think that Lixin Cheng, the top banana at ZTE's USA division since June 2010, has had a tough time facing strong accusations regarding its ties with the Chinese government and its lack of transparency; but at MWC yesterday, the CEO told us that the investigation has actually been beneficial for his company. "So far, the report really has no negative impact on our business in the US ... it actually helps us build the brand," said Cheng. "When the report came out, it was such a high profile news and everyone was talking about ZTE. Some of our handset consumers may call the hotline and say, 'Hey, I have a phone from ZTE, do I have security concerns?' And of course, most people would find out no, there are no security concerns."
Caterpillar CAT B15 rugged smartphone hands-on
Caterpillar's signature yellow and black CAT branding was definitely spinning heads and getting passerby's attention as it showed off its rugged B15. As far as tough goes the handset's corners are wrapped in rubber with the connections in between covered with anodized aluminum. The B15 is IP67 certified, which means both protected from dust and waterproof up to 3.3 feet for 30 minutes and can be dropped from about six feet and live to tell the tale -- you, however, may not. Other notables include a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 and a 5-megapixel camera that'll shoot 720p video and can do continuous pic shooting. Sadly, we forgot our rubber mallet at home so we couldn't try to beat it to pieces but we did appreciate the housing on the CAT phone it's surprisingly nice to hold and well put together. Sure, there's a wee bit of overkill with the tough machine branding, but we're sure this phone will garner a bit of a following. Our favorite bit? The Caterpillar phone features something called wet finger tracking, so even if you happen to fall into a deep puddle while using your B15, you can finish whatever you were up to before tumbling. The B15 ships in March for a cool $436, though, there's no word on what carrier's planning to scoop this up -- see what we did there? There's a gallery of the B15 in all its tough guy splendor after the break.
E Ink reference phone and flexible display hands-ons (video)
Looking for your dream phone? Chances are, this isn't it -- but it could be the precursor to what could eventually be cradled in your pocket, especially if you are a fan of E Ink. The device seen above and in the first gallery below is one of just five prototypes of the E-ink reference phone in existence. The point? The company wants to have a tangible Android-powered (2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be exact) model to give to potential partners, so they can craft something similar down the road. We're told that it will most likely be used on the back of color phones, much like the YotaPhone, but partners are welcome to get crazy on the front screen as well. No official timeframe for availability or seeding has been set, but it is expected to roll out in limited capacity sometime this year. Official specs are few and far between, but what we do know is that this nameless phone is driven by a Cortex-A5 CPU of some kind. Given that this is an extremely early prototype, the E Ink device had a lot of bugs when we played with it: force closes, reboots and slow response are among the things we noticed. However, we imagine this will continue to improve with time, so by the time of seeding it may be a completely different story. The UI reminds us of a simplistic feature phone geared toward the basic user, with six icons on the front screen including an app menu. As we'd expect, the phone is great for reading books, and it comes with the option to install applications (though it's possible most games wouldn't look that great). You can also shake the device to clean the text in case it ends up getting "dirty," or misaligned. %Gallery-180039% %Gallery-180040%
The Engadget Interview: Qualcomm's Rob Chandhok on the Internet of things at MWC 2013
Few people understand the Internet of things better than Rob Chandhok -- president of Internet services at Qualcomm -- and we had the chance to sit down with him in Barcelona after our interview with Raj Talluri. We chatted about AllJoyn, a set of open source services which the company just revamped to incorporate a simple notification protocol -- an "SMS for things" -- small and durable enough to be useful for the life on an appliance, like a fridge or a washer. This provides a universal mechanism for notification and control, such as WiFi on-boarding, for example. He also mentioned AllJoyn audio, a streaming protocol that Qualcomm and DoubleTwist collaborated on. We then discussed various approaches and network topologies for building the Internet of things, such as IPv6-connected products with cloud-based logic vs. devices on local area networks that interact with the Internet via gateways (something that's prevalent in modern home automation). Check out the full interview video after the break.
Huawei, LG pitch tents in growing Firefox OS camp
While we doubt Huawei or LG were singing "I'm late, I'm late for a very important date..." at MWC this year, in hindsight they likely would have enjoyed sharing what arguably became the biggest deal of this show. Unfortunately the two handsets we caught up with at Telefonica's booth were behind glass and no amount of reason was going to see them sprung. Obviously the Huawei offering isn't close to ready as it is running on an Android set, though, the LG while powered off certainly looked like a complete housing featuring the requisite home button. So it would seem Firefox OS has become a waiting game as we sit and tally what other manufacturers feel it's safe to jump on board. Short gallery of the two devices under glass are just below.%Gallery-180026%
China Mobile's four new TD-LTE phones: Huawei Ascend D2, HTC One, LG Optimus Vu II Plus and ZTE U9810
We already knew that LG's now jumped on the TD-LTE bandwagon with the demo of a modified Optimus G, but it turns out that China Mobile also announced several devices that are destined for its 4G market, including the 5-inch 1080p Huawei Ascend D2 (D2-TL), the 4.7-inch 1080p HTC One (TD101), the 5-inch XGA LG Optimus Vu II Plus and the mysterious 5-inch 1080p ZTE U9810. Interestingly, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese also spotted a TD-LTE-ready Samsung Galaxy S III at China Mobile's MWC booth (note the "China Mobile 4G" logo on the back of the phone, pictured above), but it wasn't mentioned at the Global TD-LTE Initiative summit at MWC. Obviously, let's not forget ZTE's Grand Era LTE that's compatible with both modes of LTE. Knowing how fresh some of these devices are, it seems like TD-LTE service will be available to the Chinese public well within this year, which will match what China Mobile announced back in January.Also announced alongside the aforementioned phones were four TD-LTE mobile hotspots, including Huawei's E5375, ZTE's MF91S+, China Mobile-badged CM510 plus CM512. These all feature battery lives between six to eight hours, and can handle up to 10 devices simultaneously. Some even support the more common FDD LTE, with Huawei's already capable of Category 4 LTE at up to 150Mbps.
Power Matters Alliance garners support from BlackBerry, NEC, TI and ZTE
Another Mobile World Congress, another round of highfalutin' talk surrounding the concept of wireless power. We already witnessed a consumer approach by PowerbyProxi, and now we're hearing that the Power Matters Alliance is getting a second wind as well. The self-proclaimed "leading ecosystem and standard for wireless power" took to Boston-area Starbucks locations last fall, and now it has notched support from BlackBerry, NEC, Texas Instruments, ZTE and dozens more. There's still no word on whether all of these factions are going to bite the bullet and come together in order to actually make some progress that consumers can appreciate, but hey -- we've got nothing but time, right?
Samsung announces Android Wallet app for tickets and coupons, opens API to developers
If your heart bleeds Android, but your eyes occasionally wander in the direction of Apple's Passbook, good news. Samsung has announced "Wallet," a ticketing and coupon app of its own. Unveiled at the firm's Developer Day at Mobile World Congress, Wallet comes ready with an open API to encourage adoption, with some big names already onboard including Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, MLB and Lufthansa. Though this isn't the only Android solution we've heard about, in keeping with the norm, the app will be connected, and location aware. As such, the app will let you know when Wallet-friendly stores and so on are nearby, as well as continually send updates to items already stored in the app, should those booking details change. The app API is still in beta at this time, but word is that Samsung is accepting early sign-ups on its approval.
LG reveals Optimus L3II worldwide rollout starts this week in Brazil
When LG took the wraps off of its Optimus L-Series II family of phones only the L7II had any launch details attached to it. Now the company say its smaller L3II will debut in Brazil this week with other unspecified Central / South American, European, Asian Middle Eastern and African markets on deck. Bucking the bigger-is-better / more-power trend, the 3.2-inch handset contains just a Snapdragon S1 CPU and 512MB of RAM to push its Android Jelly Bean software and a QVGA res screen. If the combination of dual-SIM capability, smaller size and budget-friendly specs appeal to you (and it's headed to your area) check out our hands-on experience from earlier this week at Mobile World Congress for more information.
MetroPCS widens Rich Communications Services to all North American carriers
There's been a degree of irony to MetroPCS' support for Rich Communication Services when it's been limited to the one carrier's network in the US -- where's that universal chat and sharing we were promised? The carrier plans to live up to those lofty expectations with word that its Jibe Mobile-developed Joyn service will talk to devices on any North American carrier that supports the spec. That currently doesn't equate to ubiquitous access when RCS isn't widespread, but it's a start. We'll just have to wait for the expanded service to deploy later this year, and for more hardware to hit the streets.
LG demos Optimus G TD-LTE prototype, promises LTE lineup for China Mobile
Today at Mobile World Congress, LG demoed a modified Optimus G that supports China Mobile's forthcoming TD-LTE network, but just as weighty as the demonstration, the manufacturer also revealed that it'll provide a full line of TD-LTE devices for the world's largest mobile operator. While LG wasn't able to nail down a specific date, it's currently shooting for the second half of this year in order to compliment China Mobile's TD-LTE rollout. Along with the Optimus G, it seems a safe bet that the two companies will be evaluating new smartphones such as the Optimus F7 and F5, along with the Optimus L7II and L5II as candidates to make the leap into the world of TD-LTE. Inquiring minds will find the full presser after the break.
Hands-on with Tizen 2.0 on Samsung's developer handset (video)
Shuffle along, shuffle along, because this couch is about to get crowded. Alongside the big four, we now have Ubuntu, Firefox OS and the latest version of Tizen all elbowing each other for room. Tizen has one particularly strong backer, Samsung, who built the reference device we play with in the video after the break, and whereas Firefox OS is destined only for the low-end, Tizen seems far more ambitious -- at least judging from the 720p resolution of this developer handset. Since the introduction of version 2.0, the OS is designed to run both native and HTML5 apps, or apps which mix the two layers -- such as the Vimeo app you'll see in the video, which has a web-based interface but accesses the hardware for the purpose of video acceleration. Huge swathes of the interface are remarkable only by their familiarity: a home screen with a grid of apps; a single navigation button to take you back to this screen or alternatively to a multi-tasking screen by way of a long press; and a top-to-bottom pull-down for notifications and quick access to settings. It's basic, but it represents pretty much what all these new operating systems are supposed to be: ways of getting functionality that is at least close to Android but without all the licensing costs associated with running Google services. Beyond that, however, Tizen at least seems capable of delivering smartphone fundamentals like a fast camera (with burst mode, incidentally). Tizen's mostly likely rival will be Ubuntu, at least once that other Linux-based OS progresses beyond entry-level phones at some point in 2014. From the sound of it though, Tizen is about to beat it to the punch.
France Telecom-Orange will release Tizen 2.0 devices from Samsung this year, maybe Huawei too (updated)
Tizen's holding a posh little shindig here at Mobile World Congress to officially launch the Tizen 2.0 OS, which was recently released to developers (but not on phones you can actually buy). In addition to showcasing the operating system, which we just got hands-on with, the company announced a bit of news: France Telecom-Orange will sell Tizen 2.0 handsets this year, with devices from Samsung and possibly Huawei. Unfortunately, we don't have any more specifics to share, but we have to say, that was fast! The folks at Tizen don't play, do they? Update: While France Telecom-Orange has confirmed it will carry a Samsung device running Tizen 2.0, it has not confirmed it will sell a Huawei-made Tizen phone; the carrier has only said it is considering adding a Huawei Tizen device to its lineup.
Tegra 4 reference tablets use SanDisk iNAND Extreme, mate a fast CPU with fast storage
It's well established that NVIDIA's Tegra 4 is at least reasonably quick. It's only quick when the storage isn't a bottleneck, however, which is why SanDisk has negotiated a repeat partnership as the official storage supplier for reference Tegra 4 tablets. Pop open one of the designs and you'll find either 16GB or 32GB of SanDisk's iNAND Extreme keeping pace with the quad-core processor. The reference deal may be more than just a publicity grab: it raises the chance that companies will use the speedier flash memory in their own Tegra 4 slates. Whether or not SanDisk makes it to shipping devices, the deal could lead to balanced tablet hardware that seldom leaves us waiting.
i-mate talks up the Intelegent, a 4.7-inch slab of vaporware
Don't worry if Dubai-based smartphone maker i-mate had slipped your mind. The business unceremoniously collapsed back in 2009 after allegedly suffering a "major fraud" that led it to fire all of its employees. Fortunately, CEO Jim Morrison is back with a new mobile device that, he claims, runs full-fat Windows 8 in the same way that Ubuntu for Android will behave. The i-mate Intelegent is a 4.7-inch handset running the desktop OS on a Clover Trail CPU with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage. The secret, however, is that the $750 handset will slot into a Webtop-esque desktop dock to become your work machine when you get into the office. Morrison has said that there's a factory in California ready to produce 10,000 units a week, and told the Seattle Times that he'd be showing off the device here at MWC. We can't find it on the exhibitor list, but we're about to go hunting...
The Engadget Interview: Qualcomm's Raj Talluri talks Snapdragon at MWC 2013
Qualcomm finally detailed its Snapdragon 200 and 400 processors here at MWC, and we got the opportunity to discuss the new chips with Raj Talluri, SVP of product management. While the Snapdragon 600 and 800 SoCs are geared towards high-end devices, the 200 and 400 are targeting sub-$100 and $200-300 phones. He explained that the software remains as close as possible to what's available on the 600 and 800, but the hardware is scaled down to support lower-resolution displays and cameras by using ARM cores instead of the company's own Krait architecture. We then talked about the Snapdragon 800, which was decoding 4K video at CES but is being showcased here in Barcelona handling 4K playback with Dolby and DTS in Qualcomm's movie theater (sans popcorn, sadly). He also mentioned some of the other demos at the company's booth -- 4K encoding and streaming (via TransferJet), realtime video editing, voice activation, games (Modern Combat 4 and Need For Speed) and more. Don't miss our video interview after the break.
SK Telecom's Atti learning robot hands-on (video)
SK Telecom was at Mobile World Conference last year with some early concepts of a learning robot -- aka, angry Beaker with a top hat -- which seems to have led to this year's final product: Atti. Atti is Korean for buddy or friend and judging by how he (or she?) and Brad got along we'd suggest robo is aptly named. Using a phone snapped into the top of the head, the robot reacts to your interaction with it via camera and a wand attachment that sits in Atti's hand while not in use. Educational games are another focus here using Qualcomm's Vuforia tech allowing youngsters to point the handset at printed words and get tips on pronunciation, multimedia examples and the like. Atti was developed with the help of the Utah State University to help develop the edutainment content and expects to see this hit retail in overseas markets sometime in the first half of the year. Unfortunately we didn't have any preschoolers on hand so we used our own Brad Molen to put Atti through its paces. The end result? Brad nails a high score and gets a star. Video and gallery are just below the fold.
Opera WebKit-based browser hands-on
Think Opera is content at 300 million? That would be a rather silly notion for any company, of course, and naturally the browser is bumping up its efforts by making the jump to WebKit. This move will make Opera even more tempting for Android (phone and tablet) users who would never have given the browser even a sideways glance previously. The newer, fancier Opera throws in a few extra features. First, there's a launch page called speed dial that looks an awful lot like what we've seen in older versions; you can customize a bunch of shortcuts and links based on your overall usage and personal preferences, and toss all of them in folders. There's also an off-road mode, which essentially gives you the option to switch over to Opera Mini for extra data compression for those times you need it -- this obviously comes in handy when you're reaching your data threshold or just in a low-reception area. Lastly, HTML5 support is built in, as we would come to expect with a new browser these days. Though we were originally told in January that we could expect Android and iOS versions of the browser sometime this month, representatives at the company's booth at MWC noted that what we're seeing is actually a pre-beta version and the final product is "coming soon" with no specific timetable given. This doesn't surprise us, as the demonstration had its fair share of bugs, but we will reserve judgment until we see it in its final form. As we patiently wait for the browser to make its public appearance, you can pine for it by drooling over the images in our gallery below. Sean Cooper contributed to this hands-on.
