Day 2 at CTIA 2011
A roundup of the second day of the CTIA 2011, the big wireless trade show taking place in Orlando, Fla.
ORLANDO, Fla.--While the first day of CTIA was full of news about 3D phones, new tablets, a certain merger, and more, the second day proved to be relatively humdrum in comparison. Still, some news did trickle in on the second day.
Huawei made an appearance at a CTIA Mobile Focus event last night with the Huawei Ascend 2 for Cricket Wireless. It's much sleeker and skinnier than its predecessor, with four touch sensor buttons at the bottom taking place of physical keys. It also has an upgraded 5-megapixel camera. Also at the event was the Samsung Galaxy Indulge for Cricket Wireless. It appears to be the same phone that we reviewed for MetroPCS, except it doesn't have the benefit of 4G. It does have a very attractive interface, with a full slide-out keyboard and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
And if you thought CTIA was all about Android, think again, as Windows Phone 7 makes an appearance in the form of the HTC HD7S. However, it's not exactly that new. The HD7S is essentially AT&T's version of the HTC HD7 phone that debuted with T-Mobile. However, the HD7S has a slightly better Super LCD display instead of regular TFT. Aside from that, it has the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and that lovable kickstand in the back.
Speaking of HTC, we also took a look at the HTC Merge, which is a dual-mode phone that will work in both CDMA and GSM markets. It's great to see more of these global phones, especially since this one is available for Sprint. It has a 3.8-inch display, a slide-out keyboard, and runs Android 2.2 with HTC Sense. Surprisingly, Alltel is snagging up the phone too, and is taking preorders starting March 28 for $124.99 each with a two-year contract.
We also took another look at the LG Optimus C from Cricket Wireless, and had another hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play that's headed to Verizon Wireless this May. Jabra released news of its new in-car speakerphone, the Jabra Freeway, as well. It's the first of its kind to have not one, not two, but three speakers inside its tiny body. Rounding things out is news that Lightsquared has signed a deal with Best Buy to offer nationwide 4G wireless service.
That should be it for day two. We still have a number of slideshows and videos to post, so check all of that out on our CTIA page.