Confirming recent rumors, Asus has unveiled a new seven-inch tablet, the Fonepad, that is powered by Intel's Lexington Atom processor. Consistent with its name, the Fonepad is a tablet but doubles as a smartphone with 3G voice-calling functionality. We met with Asus at Mobile World Congress to check out the hybrid device and see how it performs as a tablet and as a phone.
Asus' PadFone has maintained a unique strategy in the mobile market, acknowledging that smartphones and tablets are now essentially powered by the same components. The PadFone infinity is the latest extension of the concept, pairing a high-end Android phone with a dock that converts the pair into a 10-inch tablet. We stopped by Asus' low-key meeting room at Mobile World Congress to see the Infinity in action.
Yesterday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia announced the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 smartphones, alongside the Nokia 105 and Nokia 301 mobiles aimed towards customers in developing countries. Electronista braced against the crowds to try out the new devices destined for mid-range and budget-based markets, and came away from the Nokia booth pleasantly surprised.
HTC brought its new flagship One handset to show off at Mobile World Congress, after the device was revealed last week at separate events in New York and London. Electronista stopped by the company's booth to see first-hand if the handset is as good as its specs list suggests.
Acer was among several computer companies with a presence in Barcelona this week to promote their latest mobile electronics. The Liquid Z2 and Liquid E1 represent the Taiwanese company's push into the entry-level and midrange smartphone markets, respectively. We had a chance to try out both devices at Mobile World Congress, ahead of their official arrival later this month.
Samsung chose to delay its Galaxy S IV unveiling until several weeks after Mobile World Congress, though the company did bring along a few new devices to show off this week in Barcelona. We dropped by the company's booth to handle the Galaxy Note 8.0, a new tablet that fits squarely between the Galaxy Note II smartphone and larger Note 10.1 tablet.
High-end smartphones typically dominate the news at Mobile World Congress, leaving us surprised by the amount of attention garnered by Mozilla's Firefox OS. Earlier this week we checked out Alcatel's One Touch Fire, and today we had a chance to try out ZTE's Open. Both are geared for emerging markets, focusing on maximum features from basic hardware via an operating system built from web standards.
Lenovo unveiled a wide range of devices earlier this year at CES, including the K900 handset, however the company saved a few products for Mobile World Congress. Although a new smartphone was not among the introductions, Electronista checked out the new 10.1-inch S6000 tablet and a pair of seven-inch counterparts.
Shortly after being revealed in both Japan and South Korea, LG has brought its Optimus G Pro to Mobile World Congress, as part of its four-tier Optimus strategy. Electronista managed to spend some time with the Pro variant of the Optimus G, which includes a full HD IPS display measuring 5.5 inches, three quarters of an inch larger than its predecessor, the Optimus G.
Mozilla was one of the first companies to hold a Mobile World Congress press conference, where the developer focused on its Firefox OS for mobile devices. Electronista had a chance to try out Alcatel's One Touch Fire, one of the first production devices to embrace the platform. The handset is clearly an entry-level smartphone, seated in a market suited for the fledgling OS.
LG has teased that it could be showing off as many as four new smartphones at Mobile World Congress next week. A teaser video on YouTube shows a number of references to the word "Tag", as well as highlighting specific letters in words: The V in "The View," the L in "The Style," the F in "The Freedom", and the G in "The Greatness."
Details relating to a number of smartphones that could be announced by Nokia at Mobile World Congress at the end of the month have leaked. Mobile phone going by the names Lumia 1000, Lumia 720, and Lumia 520 have been discovered at various places online, all of which appear to be Windows Phone 8 devices.
ZTE is planning to reveal two smartphones at Mobile World Congress next month. The Grand Memo is an 5.7-inch device running on Android, which also appears to be similar to the previously leaked P945, while a second device is expected to be the manufacturer's first smartphone that will run the new Mozilla Firefox OS.
Samsung vice president JK Shin has revealed the electronics giant will be unveiling a new version of the Galaxy Note at Mobile World Congress next month. The Galaxy Note 8.0 with an 8-inch display will apparently retain many of the Galaxy Note 10.1's features, and is expected to be a direct competitor with the iPad mini.
The LG-produced Nexus 4 smartphone, which Google has had significant trouble keeping in stock, may be put on the back burner by the Korean manufacturer in favor of newer Nexus handsets set to debut soon. At CES last week, LG Electronics senior vice president James Fisher hinted that the Nexus 4 was just "the first of many" Nexus products the company was working on, with the implication being that LG could be rolling out a Nexus tablet or smartphone device in the near future. Observers believe that LG could launch its next Nexus device as soon as this year's Mobile World Congress, to be held in Barcelona in late February.
First introduced at Mobile World Congress, Nokia's Reading app and related e-bookstore for the Windows Phone-powered Lumia range of smartphones will launch in Europe. The two will reach users in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and the UK, PaidContent reported. The idea is to bring local-language e-books to markets that haven't yet seen a widespread adoption of the medium.
Toshiba, on the heels of its showing off its still-mysterious AT270 7.7-inch tablet at Mobile World Congress last week, has revealed a conceptualization of a much larger sibling. The Japanese electronics maker has displayed a mock up of a 13.3-inch super-sized tablet. If Toshiba ultimately makes it into a commercial product, it's expected to come powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor.
Huawei has used the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona to announce several new LTE smartphones and devices. The Chinese vendor has revealed that it would add LTE supported versions of the Ascend D series and Ascend P1 handsets as well as the E3276 wireless network card and E5776 Wi-Fi hotspot to its product portfolio. Huawei will be introducing the devices to the European and Asian markets by July.
LG introduced a wireless charging pad for its smartphones, the WCD-800, at Mobile World Congress. It can charge phones placed within its grasp horizontally or vertically, so users can navigate the menus, watch videos, or hold conversations using the speakerphone. All of the company's phones unveiled at MWC, such as the Optimus 4X HD, will be compatible with the charger, as well as those from third parties that use the Qi standard.
After checking out all of the highly anticipated gear at Mobile World Congress, we headed over to Sierra Wireless to take a look at the company's new AirCard mobile hotspots. The new series includes the 760S, 762S, and 763S, each geared for different network technology around the globe.
Texas Instruments has brought its OMAP5 reference hardware to Mobile World Congress, stepping up the competition with other chip makers. After stopping by Qualcomm's booth to check out their quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro hardware, we strolled over to TI's booth to see how the S4 Pro it stacks up against OMAP5 technology.
Along with the entry level Transformer Pad 300, ASUS has used Mobile World Congress to introduce a high-end tablet with home cinema qualities. The ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity is a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1920x1200 Super IPS+ screen protected by Gorilla Glass 2. The display puts out 600 nits brightness making it viewable in sunlight.
ZTE is one of several companies that attempted to satisfy the demand for low-, mid- and high-end smartphones with its Mobile World Congress unveilings. The Mimosa X is aimed at the midrange market, pairing a dual-core processor with Android 4.0. Electronista tried out the new device after ZTE's press event.
Many of the Android handsets unveiled this week at Mobile World Congress have maintained similar aesthetics, however Panasonic's Eluga and Eluga Plus bring a unique design. The basic Eluga is not among the many unveiled this week with a quad-core processor, though it does bring a dual-core chip that runs at 1.0GHz. Electronista has taken a closer look at the new device, which is one of the more attractive phones at Mobile World Congress.
Fujitsu was one of many companies that have adopted NVIDIA's Tegra 3 chipset to power their latest smartphones. The company has yet to give its new offering an official name, calling it an "ultra-high-spec smartphone," however the device appeared to be ready to arrive on the market. Electronista stopped by Fujitsu's booth at Mobile World Congress for a bit of hands-on time.
ASUS has brought its latest gadgets to Mobile World Congress, including the PadFone smartphone and two docking accessories that can be used to convert the device into a tablet or ultraportable notebook. Electronista had a chance to try out the combination, which aims to compete with Motorola's Lapdock system.
ZTE is holding a special event this morning at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where the company is expected to fully detail its 2012 handset lineup. The new offerings are said to include a quad-core flagship handset, along with several other Windows Phone and Android models. Check out our live page beginning at 4:30am ET (10:30am Central European Time) for details as they happen.
After unveiling the One smartphone lineup yesterday at Mobile World Congress, HTC has introduced another trio, the Dragon series, that will be headed to China. The brand includes three different models that are similar to the One V, each featuring entry-level hardware paired with Android 4.0.
Although AT&T's biggest news for Mobile World Congress centers around the HTC One X, the carrier also announced details surrounding a software update for the HTC Vivid. The existing device launched late last year with Gingerbread and Sense 3.0, however an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is on its way with Sense 4.0 and Beats Audio.
Some companies are focusing solely on flagship devices this week at Mobile World Congress, but HTC has introduced a trio of devices that run the gamut from entry-level to top-tier. The One S fits directly in the middle of the series, bringing a midrange set of hardware features and a midsize build that fits between the flagship One X and the smaller One V.
HTC has formally unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the One X, which follows Huawei's Ascend D as another quad-core phone introduced this week at Mobile World Congress. Confirming earlier rumors, HTC chose to stick with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 chipset that will serve as the basis for several different high-end Ice Cream Sandwich devices from various manufacturers.
Huawei primarily focused on its flagship Ascend D quad smartphone during the company's media event at Mobile World Congress, however the company also brought along its new MediaPad 10 FHD tablet. The latter device received only a mere mention during the press conference, but Electronista had a chance to try it out following the main event.
After teasing the Eluga smartphone early this week, Panasonic is reportedly set to introduce yet another Android-based handset next week at Mobile World Congress. Unnamed sources have told Pocket-Lint the company will announce a higher-end device with a larger touchscreen dual-core processor and a front-facing camera.
Late last month several leaks hinted that the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone bearing, the model i9300, might be officially revealed as soon as the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) later this month. A new posting by Android Community now casts doubt on both that the GT-i9300 is the next generation Galaxy S III and what little expectation was left that it would be making an appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Last year, Google and its Android OS had a large presence at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011. Google has now launched a micro-site for the 2012 event. Google is teasing that its footprint will be as significant.
Microsoft will ship its public beta of Windows 8, otherwise known as Consumer Preview, on February 29 at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. The OS will have a two-hour event devoted to it starting at 3PM, according to invitations sent to ZDnet and others. The date lines up with Microsoft's previous promises of a late February release, if only just.
A fresh rumor backs a Samsung Galaxy Tab running at 2GHz to be unveiled at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Android and Me claim to have unknowingly played with the device at a special media-only closed door Samsung seminar at CES. It is said to sport Samsung’s latest dual-core Exynos 5250 processor that is built on ARM’s latest Cortex-A15 architecture, which incorporates its next-gen Mali-T406 GPU.
After taking a three-year hiatus from Mobile World Congress, Nokia just revealed it will hold a press conference during the opening day of the show and have a booth presence there as well. The largest phone maker by volume didn't get into any other specifics, though it did say it will have an exhibit in the Apps Planet section. In years past, the company focused on its own Nokia World show instead.
The ASUS PadFone will be officially unveiled at the Mobile World Congress show in February, a source told Engadget. At the same time, NetbookNews's Nicole Scott believes the device will be powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU like the Transformer Prime tablet, and not the Snapdragon S4, as previously believed. As its name suggests, the PadFone will be a hybrid device which docks a smartphone into a tablet element.
A new HTC smartphone, the Ville, will be officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress, BGR learned. The phone, which is currently running under its codename only, will reportedly be out in April and likely be the first to sport HTC Sense 4.0 laid overtop Android 4.0. Major specs are believed to include a 4.3-inch, 540x960 Super AMOLED touchscreen and a 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon processor, making it roughly as fast as the Rezound.
Qualcomm has confirmed that it is on target to deliver its next generation S4 series Snapdragon processors to its partners by the end of this year. The news was delivered by Qualcomm’s Senior Vice President of Product Management, Cristiano Amon, at the company's Innovation Qualcomm event, currently being held in Istanbul. The chips, running at speeds up to 2.5GHz, could show up in smartphones early next year, possibly in time for the world’s largest phone trade show, Mobile World Congress, in February.
Following announcements of Netflix support on Android devices and the Boxee Box, shares of Netflix stock surged by seven percent by the end of the trading day. The primary announcement came from Qualcomm at Mobile World Congress, which highlighted the new capabilities for the wide range of Snapdragon-based devices.
A significant portion of the Mobile World Congress unveilings were geared for international releases or European launches, but Samsung also brought one of its forthcoming Galaxy S variants that will be headed to T-Mobile. Electronista had a chance to preview the Galaxy S 4G, which offers several tweaks aside from HSPA+ support.
Although ViewSonic is better known for its monitors and televisions, the company brought several new tablets and smartphones to show off at Mobile World Congress. Electronista stopped by the company's booth to check out the v350 handset and the ViewPad 4, a device that seems closer in size to a smartphone but carries a name suggestive of a tablet.
Electronista finally had a chance to take a closer look at Acer's 4.8-inch smartphone, which has been named the Iconia Smart. The device was first introduced late last year, but the company did not provide full details until this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. With a 1024x480 display, the flagship smartphone represents one of the more unique Android offerings to arrive this year.
Samsung organized one of the largest events this week at Mobile World Congress to showcase its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S II. Electronista stayed around the venue after the formal unveiling to take a closer look at the new device, which could prove to be one of the most attractive Android offerings to launch this year.
Samsung is preparing to introduce new products at its 'Mobile Unpacked' meeting, and we're providing live event coverage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company is expected to unveil the next-generation Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab devices.
Opera, the Norway-based browser that has found much more success as a standard on mobile phones than it has on the desktop, will unveil a version for the iPad at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain next week, the company announced. The developers also plan new versions of Opera Mini for Android, iPhone, J2ME, Blackberry and Symbian. Android and Symbian versions of Opera Mobile will also be making their debut at the conference.
Huawei has offered an early look at two of the mobile devices it will bring to the Mobile World Congress show in Spain next week. This includes the Ideos X3 smartphone and a new Ideos S7 Slim tablet, both of which use the Android operating system. The S7 Slim looks to differ only slightly from the currently available device that shares the same name.
Sony Ericsson is reportedly set to launch the Android-based Neo smartphone in two weeks at Mobile World Congress, sources have told TechRadar. The Neo name is said to be the official label for the same device that has been detailed in separate leaks under several other code-names including Vivaz 2, MT15i and Hallon.
