mwc 2010

BARCELONA, Spain--The recession is over and wireless operators are finally growing again, but they are warning regulators in Europe, Latin America, and the United States to keep their paws off.

CEOs from some of the largest wireless operators in the world took to the stage here today, the second morning of the Mobile World Congress, to discuss the challenges facing their industry. While each of the executives participating in the keynote panel said he is optimistic about the future as more consumers upgrade to smartphones, they lamented the challenges of keeping up with high traffic demands on their networks.

Also … Read more

BARCELONA--The battle for the mobile consumer is no longer about who has the coolest device, but rather who has the most compelling ecosystem. That's the message from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who took the stage to kick off this year's Mobile World Congress.

A year ago, Ballmer was here to launch the company's revamped mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7. This year, devices with the OS have been on the market for four months, and the company has about 8,000 apps in its market. Microsoft also just announced a partnership with the world's largest phone … Read more

It's not a ripoff of GoldenEye in the James Bond series, but the Golden-i could have been something to emerge from the gadget labs of Q.

Spotted at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the Golden-i wireless Bluetooth/Wi-Fi headset is meant for users who usually have both hands busy but still need computer access. The entire system, which projects a 15-inch virtual display, is also voice-controlled, so you simply say the corresponding text on the icons to activate a PC's data and applications.

The software, supplied by speech solutions provider Nuance, is intelligent enough … Read more

Despite returning to a dreary, cold day here in New York, it's nice be back home here in the States. It's hard to believe that only a week ago Mobile World Congress 2010 was just kicking off in Barcelona, Spain--all of us eager to see what news and products would be unveiled at the world's premier cell phone show.

Despite some logistical nightmares, MWC 2010 certainly didn't disappoint. Interestingly, it wasn't so much the new handsets that made headlines this year (in fact, several cell phone manufacturers, including Nokia and LG, didn't even have booths), but rather, it was the software that stole the show.

If you think about it, this makes sense. We're getting to a point where it's getting harder for companies to differentiate themselves by hardware. Most smartphones these days all have a full range of wireless options, touch screens, 3.5mm headphone jacks, and next-generation processors. So how do you get a leg up on the competition? By offering better software and mobile content options. … Read more

As at many a convention, press conferences are a staple of Mobile World Congress (MWC). Tens of companies have them, but Samsung, Nokia, Microsoft and Sony Ericsson tend to make the biggest push. And now that I've been to three shows in Barcelona, I have to lodge a couple of complaints. I don't think I'm being overly fussy here--really, I'm actually pretty easy to please (see last paragraph)--but I do have some advice for my friends in Korea, Finland, and London.

I may be in the minority here, but I'm at a press event … Read more

As we told you a few days ago, LG played it cool at Mobile World Congress. Rather than operate a booth on the show floor, it just held an "Open House" event in the sleek Mies van der Rohe Pavillion adjacent to the Fira de Barcelona. The Google Android-powered LG GT540 was the star attraction and I snapped some photos for your perusal. I wanted to get video of the smartphone as well, but CNET's TV's Ariel Nunez was off chasing HTC with Bonnie Cha so I pulled out my admittedly dated Kodak V570 (my other … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Mobile World Congress 2010 has finally come to a close, and it's been one of the busier shows in recent memory. As the dust settles, we're finally getting the opportunity to reflect on this year's show and process all the news (look for our show wrap-up next week) but if we had to pick out one highlight of the show, it would be, without a doubt, Windows Phone 7 Series.

Much like Palm at CES 2009, much of the tech world and cell phone fans were watching to see whether Microsoft would finally deliver a … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--If you've ever doubted that Motorola has a global presence, then you need only to visit Mobile World Congress. Moto spoke to the United States and Europe with its Cliq XT/Quench announcement, showed the quirky A45 Eco for Latin America, and it threw a few bones to Asia with the Google Android-powered MotoRoi, XT800 Zihshang, and MT710.

The square, slider A45 Eco has a dual personality.: not only does the youth-oriented handset focus on messaging, but it's also made from recycled materials and is certified as carbon neutral. It sports a quirky orange skin.

The MotoRoi … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Sony Ericsson spilled the beans on its new Vivaz three weeks before Mobile World Congress, but the device was a big part of the company's presence at the show, not least because it begat the new Vivaz Pro. And since MWC gave us our first chance to check out the device, we tracked it down at Sony Ericsson's crowded booth to give it the photo and video treatment.

On the outside, it's an attractive device with a shiny finish in moon silver, galaxy blue, cosmic black, and Venus ruby. The back side is slightly curved as … Read more