Mobile World Congress (3GSM) roundup

I survived another GDC, and the Mobile World Congress (3GSM) ended almost 2 weeks ago (already!), so here’s a roundup of what was interesting and exciting to me in Barcelona this year…

1) Nokia

N96, successor to the N95 with 16 GB of internal storage and micro-SDHC, DVB-H tuner, but without xenon flash or lens cover:
- The Nokia N96 redefines “high-end”
- Hands-on with Nokia’s high-rolling N96
- The Nokia N96 Super Cellphone is Official: Gallery and Specs Here
- Nokia N96 Hands-On: Basically a Video Oriented N95
- The Nokia N96 is now official - the new Flagship
- Nokia N96 gallery
- Nokia N96 Video Preview
- Nokia Announces N96; Fun While it Lasts
- Hands On With The N96

N78, slim successor to the N73 with FM transmitter, HSDPA, WiFi, and GPS, but only a 3.2 megapixel Zeiss AF camera without xenon flash or lens cover:
- The Nokia N78, in European and North American flavors
- N78 Comes Loaded with Wi-Fi, HSPDA, GPS, Touch Surfaces, Tricorder
- Nokia N78 - The New Candybar Nseries Device
- Nokia N78 gallery
- Hands On With The N78

6220 Classic, slim S60 device with a 5 megapixel Zeiss AF camera with xenon flash and lens cover (!), HSDPA and GPS, but no WiFi:
- The Nokia 6220 classic, all 5 megapixels of it
- Nokia 6220 Classic Takes 5 Megapixel Geotagged Photos, Includes Widgets
- Nokia’s 6220 Classic - The Dark Horse
- Nokia 6220 Classic gallery

S60 touch demo:
- Nokia’s S60 touch UI gets demoed at MWC
- Nokia’s Touch UI Hands-On: Officially Way Behind Apple
- Why S60’s Touch demo DIDN’T suck…
- Video: S60 Touch UI Demo From MWC

2) Sony Ericsson

Xperia X1, slim Windows Mobile 6.1 (!) device designed by HTC, with touch screen, sliding QWERTY keyboard, HSUPA, WiFi, and GPS, but only a 3.2 megapixel AF camera without xenon flash or lens cover - definitely awesome:
- Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 does a good job looking pretty at launch event
- Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 QWERTY with Windows Mobile and HSUPA
- First live photo of Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1
- Video: Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 “Panel Interface”
- No wonder Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 is so good: HTC makes it
- Hands-on with Sony Ericsson’s world-beating XPERIA X1
- XPERIA X1 Hiptop Killer: Sony Ericsson’s First Video Plus Gallery
- Video: First Hands On Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1
- Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Runs Windows Mobile 6.1
- Breaking news- Sony Ericsson announces Windows Mobile smartphone
- HTC has ODM order for Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1
- The unwired looks at the Sony Ericsson XPERIA and the HTC Advantage
- Sony Ericsson goes big with the XPERIA X1
- New Xperia X1 Pics Leaked; Windows Mobile 6.1 and More!

G900, a UIQ device with touch screen, WiFi, but only 3.2 megapixel AF camera without xenon flash or lens cover, and no HSDPA, or GPS:
- Sony Ericsson’s G700 and G900: “touchscreen organizers”
- Sony Ericsson G900 and G700: Touchscreens to the Masses
- Sony Ericsson announce the G700 and G900 UIQ 3 smartphones

C902, a device with HSDPA and a 5 megapixel AF camera with xenon flash and lens cover, but no WiFi, GPS, or smartphone capabilities:
- Two for the Cyber-shot crowd: Sony Ericsson intros C702 and C902
- Sony Ericsson C902, C702 Bring High-End Photography to Your Pocket

3) Samsung

G810, a Symbian device similar to the Nokia N95, but with xenon flash, lens cover and 3x optical zoom (!) - possibly my next device:
- Samsung’s HSDPA-equipped G810 slider gets official
- Samsung announces the S60-powered G810
- Samsung G810 gallery
- Samsung G810 to Butt Heads with Nokia N95

F480, a touch screen device similar to the P520 (armani), with HSDPA and a 5 megapixel AF camera without xenon flash or lens cover, but not WiFi or GPS:
- Samsung’s F480 Armani (without the Armani), Dual Touch Chic G400 flip and F400 B&O slider
- Hands-On Samsung’s F480 Prada Phone Knockoff (Verdict: I’ll Pass)

4) Others

iRiver phone:
- Hands-on with iriver’s 3-inch touchscreen phone

nVidia phone:
- NVIDIA shows off APX 2500 cellphone applications processor
- nVidia’s GoForce 6100: no, it’s not another iPhone clone

The day Apple and Nokia became less relevant

Well maybe not - after all, I have a lot invested (financially, if not emotionally) in Apple and Nokia!

Google finally announced its phone mobile technology plan, and not surprisingly, both Apple and Nokia are absent from the OHA, along with Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, RIM, Palm, AT&T and Verizon…

Wait, do Microsoft and Palm even still matter?

This will be a world of OS X, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry vs. Android - the old vs. the new, the past vs. the future, the closed vs. the open, the proprietary vs. the free.

It’s a great development for T-Mobile and Sprint, and a wake-up call for the other carriers and the music/film industry. And was HTC giving Microsoft the proverbial finger?

As much as 2007 was definitely a milestone year in mobile technology, 2008 will be very interesting.

Prepare to be assimilated :)

Tasty bits - 26

Here’s the latest iPhone info:
- First unlocking solution (using Turbo SIM)
- Second unlocking solution (hardware-based, available next week)
- Application installer
- Doom :)
- Video conferencing
- Coding tips
- Reburbished iPhones
- Ultimate buds (soon to be available for the Etymotic ER-4)

The Sony Ericsson P1i is getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. Here’s a nice hardware and software review, as well as a hands-on…

And although the K850 was just announced, here’s a supposed 5 megapixel successor from Sony Ercisson featuring a 3x optical zoom!

The LG KU990 is definitely an atractive looking and feature packed device, with a 5 megapixel camera (auto-focus, xenon flash), 3″ touch screen (240×400) and HSDPA.

Look, it’s yet another Windows Mobile QWERTY smartphone from Samsung a Symbian QWERTY smartphone from Samsung (?!) with a 2 megapixel camera, HSDPA and WiFi, all rolled into a tasty thin slider form factor - let’s do the happy dance :)

Speaking of Symbian, the FCC recently approved two interesting N95 versions, and SlingPlayer Mobile for Symbian is finally in beta! It’s about time…

I leave you with Hugo Ortega’s awesome HTC Shift video review.

Tasty bits - 21

One interesting bit of news this past week was the release of the HTC Touch… This touch-based device improves upon the standard Windows Mobile interface with gesture recognition and a more attractive layout - it’s no iPhone, but it reminds me of the Neonode N1m, and that’s a good thing!

Robert Scoble is now a Nokia N95 convert - then again, who can resist such a converged and convenient device? Welcome to the club :)

Here is a review of the sexy Nokia N76, soon to be available from Nokia USA, along with the N75.

The Sony Ericsson P1i was approved by the FCC, and reviewed not once but twice, in addition to this video preview…

Say that like me, you are both a Nokia Symbian smartphone user and a Mac user. Are you looking for more than iSync integration? How about iTunes and iPhoto integration? Well, say ‘hello” to the Nokia Media Transfer!

Finally, here is a detailed multi-part review of the OQO Model 02 - and speaking of handtops, the Raon Digital Everun looks very promising.