Cell phones

ZTE displays concept phones

BARCELONA, Spain--ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications company, showcased some interesting handset concepts with distinctive designs.

The G+2 (pictured above) slider phone was made to resemble a gaming console and targets students. To reduce cost, the superwide display is made from two 2.4-inch touch-screen panels.

The ZTE EQ2 is a fashion device inspired by crystal. Hence, the touch-sensitive keys below the display are transparent, giving the handset a futuristic look.

The ZTE IQ2 is another phone that targets students. The device doubles as an English to Chinese translation device. The QWERTY keypad also allows for faster data entry.

(Source: Crave Asia)… Read more

Motorola reveals Android update schedule

Finally, Motorola has told us when exactly it'll be releasing software upgrades to its Android phones. Well, sort of. We would appreciate a more specific date than just "Q1" and "Q2," and three of the phone upgrades are still "under evaluation." But at least it's something. Here's the breakdown:

Phone Model Timeline DROID by Motorola (USA) The DROID by Motorola over-the-air software upgrade is expected to roll out soon MILESTONE (Europe) Upgrade to Android 2.1 planned for Q1 2010 MILESTONE (Latin America) Upgrade under evaluation MILESTONE (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade under evaluation … Read more

Hands-on look at the HTC Legend

BARCELONA, Spain--The HTC Legend is legen- ... wait for it, wait for it ... dary. Any "How I Met Your Mother" fans out there? No? OK, fine. What we're trying to say here is that the HTC Legend is pretty awesome.

Announced Tuesday morning at Mobile World Congress, the Legend is the next evolution of the HTC Hero and really brings some nice design improvements and enhancements to the HTC Sense user interface.

Though we had to run to another meeting after HTC's news conference, we stopped by its booth afterward for some brief hands-on time with the … Read more

A closer look at the Cliq XT

BARCELONA, Spain--Motorola made just one handset announcement at Mobile World Congress, but the new Cliq XT is holding its own. Also called the Quench in Europe--we don't know where Moto came up with that one--the Cliq XT offers a functional feature set and an intuitive design. The handset runs Google Android 1.5 (couldn't Moto at least given us 1.6?) and MotoBlur.

Though it's related to the existing Cliq, the Cliq XT is hardly an identical twin. As it lacks a physical keyboard, the XT is much thinner and it sports a relatively drab gray skin. … Read more

HTC: Hero, Droid Eris getting Android 2.1 update

BARCELONA, Spain--In addition to introducing two new Android phones, HTC revealed on Tuesday that it will release an Android 2.1 update for the HTC Droid Eris as well as the Sprint and GSM versions of the HTC Hero.

The company said the devices should be getting most of the features of Android 2.1 as well as the enhanced HTC Sense user experience that was announced today. However, it will ultimately be up to the carriers to determine which features make it onto the device. Unfortunately, HTC did not give any time frame for when the update might be … Read more

Samsung Wave, T-Mobile Pulse Mini headed for Europe

BARCELONA, Spain--The ink is barely dry on the Samsung Wave announcement, but T-Mobile already is stepping in to distribute the device in several European markets. In addition to the Wave at Mobile World Congress the carrier also introduced the T-Mobile Pulse Mini.

Remember that the Wave is the first handset to feature Sammy's new Bada OS. CNET's Bonnie Cha handled the phone shortly after the announcement two days ago. Though she liked the brilliant display and features of the Windows Mobile handset, she's not so sure about Bada. Yet, customers across Europe will have the opportunity to … Read more

RIM to give away server software

BARCELONA, Spain--BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is trying to hold on to business customers with a free version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server software.

Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis announced here Tuesday during his keynote address to the Mobile World Congress that the company will offer a free version of BlackBerry Enterprise Server software for small and medium-size business customers, as well as for businesses that want to let employees use their own phones to access corporate e-mail.

BlackBerry Express Server is software that syncs BlackBerry phones with Microsoft Exchange or Windows Small Business servers. Previously, RIM had charged all companies a … Read more

T-Mobile exec talks Nexus One issues, Android OS updates

BARCELONA, Spain--During a press conference at Mobile World Congress, T-Mobile CTO said that the Google-only sales model for the Nexus One was a challenge. In response to a CNET question on whether the carrier would expand the model, T-Mobile USA Cole Brodman said that the experience was a "test case" and that "we could have done things better."

Unlike most cell phones, Google is the sole retailer for HTC's Nexus One, even if a customer buys it with a T-Mobile contract. Though notable because it took so much power away from the carrier, the sales … Read more

HTC's triple threat: Legend, Desire, and HD Mini

BARCELONA, Spain--On Tuesday, HTC announced three new smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2010: the HTC Legend, the HTC Desire, and the HTC HD Mini. The trio represents some of the first devices that really showcase the efforts of San Francisco-based design firm One & Co since it was acquired by HTC back in December 2008. In addition, they offer an enhanced Sense experience and expand HTC's Android and Windows Mobile offerings. Let's meet each of them, shall we?

HTC Desire Previously known as the HTC Bravo, the Desire is essentially the Nexus One with HTC Sense. The sleek … Read more