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Best of MWC: 5 hottest new phones for 2009

Mobile World Congress gave us some exciting new phones for this year, including a 12-megapixel handset from Sony Ericsson, and the iPhone's biggest nemesis to date

Nate Lanxon Special to CNET News
2 min read

Mobile World Congress is over for another year. Finished. Gone. But like political campaigns it'll be round again soon enough, intoxicating us with the liqueur of promise, then leaving us with the year-long hangover of non-deliverance.

But in the wake of this year's trip to Barcephona we've got a collection of mobile gems, treasures of the communications world to see us through another four seasons of silicon obsession. Let's take a look at our five favourite finds at this year's MWC.

Android-powered HTC Magic: Second Google phone
Android is Google's open-source operating system, and its availability in late 2008 was one of the biggest mobile stories of the year. Now it's been announced as the OS of a new HTC phone -- the HTC Magic -- and here it is.

It'll be in the UK later this year, exclusive to Vodafone. 

Samsung Omnia HD: First phone to support HD video
Samsung were showing off a few things at MWC, but our favourite was the 8-megapixel Omnia HD -- the first handset in the world to support and output 720p high-definition video. It supports formats including H.264, DivX and Xvid, and its huge AMOLED display was just stunning (if not actually HD).

Our first hands-on is available with a big fat photo gallery, or check out our Crave Live video from the stand for a walkthrough of the phone's features and interface.

Windows Mobile 6.5: Sorely-needed new Windows Mobile OS
Windows Mobile has been stuck on version 6.1 for ever, and while die-hard fans like its customisation options and versatility, its been cornered into the business end of the market. Microsoft wants to change that.

Launching under the new umbrella of Windows Phone, WinMo 6.5 has a radically updated new user interface, and we were one of the first to get our hands on it in the flesh at MWC. Check our photo story from the MS booth for the full beef.

Palm Pre: iPhone's greatest nemesis hits Europe
Palm needed to score a hole in one with its next handset, we thought. The entire industry did. Our breath had never been more baited in the days leading up to the Palm conference where the Pre was announced.

Palm unveiled the Pre -- a phone so awesome it could single-handedly put Palm back on the map. It could be the iPhone's most challenging opponent in 2009.

Sony Ericsson Idou: First 12-megapixel phone
Perhaps the highlight of the show (we'd already got over our initial excitement for the Pre) was Sony Ericsson's 12-megapixel camera-cum-music phone, tentatively known as the Idou (pronounced "I do").

It's currently the handset with the highest megapixel count that's scheduled to hit the UK this year, and should be on everyone's list of ones to watch. As should our hands-on Idou video, live from the Sony Ericsson stand. Here it is now, right below this sentence.