Cell phones

We have to give props to Toshiba for being first on the fast-phone dancefloor with the Snapdragon-powered Toshiba TG01, but its resistive touchscreen and clumsy user interface left it to boogie alone.

The Toshiba TG02 definitely improves on its older sibling, but with Windows Phone 7 Series stealing the limelight and the HTC HD2 always on our minds, we think the TG02 might have to practice its solos.

The TG02 has a capacitive 4.1-inch touch screen plus Wi-Fi, HSPA, and more.

Read more of "Toshiba TG02 early review: Rear Windows" on Crave UK

Editor's note: Our colleague over at ZDNET UK was able to break the phone.

BARCELONA, Spain--Sonim Technologies, which makes some of the most rugged--though not completely indestructible--phones around, used Mobile World Congress to unveil its latest handset. The XP2 Spirit falls in between the XP1 and the XP3 Quest (we were wondering what happened to No. 2), but like its predecessors it should withstand just about any blow.

You can submerge it in water for up to 30 minutes, drop it onto a concrete floor, press the keypad buttons up to 850,000 times before they give out, … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 has barely hit the streets, but the company already is introducing new models based on the same design. At Mobile World Congress the company unveiled the X10 Mini and the X10 Mini Pro. It's all about size with these puppies. Though they retain the feature set of the Xperia X10 (with the exception of a lower-resolution camera), they deliver it in much smaller packages.

We understand what Sony Ericsson is trying to do here, but whenever you shrink a phone there are always trade-offs. And in this case, we think the trade-offs might … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Steve Ballmer hopes "7" will be Microsoft's lucky number as the company restarts its mobile business with the release of Windows Phone 7.

On Monday, the CEO of Microsoft and his team of Microsoft executives took the wraps off the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system at a press conference here at the Mobile World Congress. The new Windows Phone 7 is a fresh start for the company in mobile.

"There's no question that a year and a half ago we had to rethink everything," Ballmer said.

Instead of revamping Windows … Read more

As someone who has watched Windows Mobile for a long time (and been critical for just as long), I must say my curiosity has been piqued.

What Microsoft has shown of its new mobile operating system looks nothing like the tired Windows interface of old; instead it looks like the much more enjoyable Zune HD. The idea of putting people and photos in one place where one can do multiple things is a good one. The connection to Xbox Live could help Microsoft appeal to a whole new area, while a pervasive connection to social networks like Facebook is also … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--On Monday, Motorola introduced its eighth Google Android device, the Motorola Cliq XT/Quench, at Mobile World Congress 2010. In other parts of the world, the device will go by the name of Quench but in the States, it will be called the Cliq XT and will launch with T-Mobile in March.

As with the original Motorola Cliq, the Cliq XT will use Motoblur software and has a 3.1-inch, 320x480 touch screen with pinch-and-zoom capabilities. It also supports Swype technology, which allows you to enter text my dragging your fingers across the keyboard, rather than pecking at individual … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--On Sunday, the Samsung Wave made its splashy debut during a rather lavish press conference hosted by Samsung on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2010 here in Barcelona.

Complete with dancers and aerial ballet (not to mention drowning us in every wave metaphor one could ever think of), the event gave us a chance to check out the Samsung's first Bada phone. Bada, which means ocean in Korean and is meant to represent the "limitless variety" of the platform, is the company's own mobile operating system that is designed to bring the smartphone experience … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Executives from Sony Ericsson, the struggling European handset maker working hard to make a turnaround in 2010, said most of its new phones introduced this coming year will sport the Google Android operating system.

On the eve of the Mobile World Congress trade show, Sony Ericsson held a press conference here to show off its three new smartphones due out the first half of 2010. All three phones fit into an existing portfolio of devices that the company is calling the Fab Five. And two of the latest handsets will use Google Android.

The two new Android phones are … Read more

You won't see it at Mobile World Congress, but Verizon Wireless added the LG Accolade to its lineup this week. The very middle of the road, the Accolade has a standard flip-phone design and a modest feature set.

Inside you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera, text and multimedia messaging, Bluetooth, speaker-independent voice commands, a personal organizer, a 1,000-contact phone book, a speakerphone, support for VZ Navigator, and Web-based e-mail

The Accolade is $69.99 with a two-year contract, but an online discount will knock it down to $19.99.