Game-Changing Handsets From Mobile World Congress

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, mobility heavyweights converged on the majestic Spanish city to unveil the latest and greatest smartphones and mobile phones in their arsenal. From the second official Google Android device to handsets that will be the first to run Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5, manufacturers upped the ante with a host of hot devices that are sure to make mouths water. Here are 15 hot devices that debuted at Mobile World Congress 2009.

HTC is keeping its Google Android legacy strong, unveiling the HTC Magic. HTC set the precedent for commercially available devices based on the open-source Linux-based Google Android operating system with the T-Mobile G1 last year. The HTC Magic continues that tradition, tying in a host of advanced capabilities and Google's suite of services like Gmail, search and maps. The Magic also ties in video capture and support for Bluetooth wireless headsets, making it a multimedia and entertainment powerhouse.





The 3G device clocks in at 4.18 ounces and measures 4.45 by 2.17 by 0.54 inches. It features a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution, a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto focus, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, and 400-plus minutes of talk time.

Along with a new Android device, HTC also updated its Touch Diamond line, with the Touch Diamond 2, a sleek touch-screen that promises vivid images, stunning video and crystal-clear Web browsing. Based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the Touch Diamond 2 features a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-screen with 480x800 WVGA resolution and HTC's TouchFLO 3D and Zoom bar. The HTC Touch Diamond 2 weighs just 4.15 ounces and measures 4.25 by 2.09 by 0.54 inches. It offers Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity along with a 5.0-megapixel camera and supports video calling.

The HTC Touch Pro 2 takes queues from the Touch Diamond 2, but adds a new level of professionalism to prove it's not just a toy, but a business tool. The adjustable tilting touch-screen slides open to reveal a full keyboard and the device is optimized for conferencing and speakerphone use.





The Touch Pro 2, which also runs Windows Mobile 6.1, offers a 3.2-megapixel camera and a 3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480x800 WVGA resolution. The Pro 2 is Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth-enabled, weighs in at 6.17 ounces and measures 4.57 by 2.33 by 0.68 inches.

Along with announcing it will exclusively run Windows Mobile on its devices, LG also released some new handhelds at Mobile World Congress 2009. First up is the LG Arena KM900, a multimedia-focused device, which LG bills as having an "exhilarating audio and video experience." The device offers LG's new 3D S-Class user interface, a 3-inch WVGA touch-screen with 800x400 resolution, 8GB internal storage and a 5-megapixel camera.

The LG GM730 will be the first smartphone to run Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and the updated Internet Explorer mobile browser. Also featuring LG's 3D S-Class user interface, the touch-screen GM730 is a quad-band GSM phone offering 3G and Wi-Fi along with a 5-megapixel camera and a microSD memory card slot.





Because it's based on Windows Mobile, the LG GM730 will feature a host of Microsoft applications along with a music player, video viewer, e-mail and other applications.

It's still a bit early in the process, but Sony Ericsson used Mobile World Congress to give gadget-heads a first glimpse of a mobile device with the concept name Idou, a device that falls under the company's Entertainment Unlimited initiative, which seeks to tie entertainment experiences into one device and fuse communication with entertainment.





The Idou, coming later this year, "encapsulates the future of mobile entertainment in the palm of your hand, delivering visual communication like never before," Sony Ericsson said.





The device is expected to feature a massive 12.1-megapixel camera, touch features and a Zenon flash. The touch-screen lets users watch movies, TV and video clips in 16:9 widescreen format. The Idou will be based on the Symbian Foundation operating system and thousands of applications and pieces of content will be available for download through PlayNow service.

Leading up to Mobile World Congress, personal navigation system maker Garmin and PC stalwart Asus unveiled a partnership that will produce navigation-centric mobile devices branded under the Nuvifone umbrella. At the show, the two companies showed off the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M20.





The device is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 professional with enterprise e-mail. It combines a dual-band 3.5G/tri-band GSM with Wi-Fi connectivity, desktop-like browsing, push e-mail, document viewing, multimedia, Bluetooth and navigation.





The M20 offers a full QWERTY soft keyboard and is designed with location-based services at its core. It supports download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. Like Garmin navigation devices, the devices come preloaded with maps and points of interest such as hotels, restaurants, stores and more. Garmin and Asus also offer a suite of online applications via Connected Services.





The Nuvifone M20 features a 2.8-inch touch-screen, built-in microphone and speakers, 4GB/8GB storage and a 3.0-megapixel camera with geotagging and more.

Another device to spawn from the Garmin-Asus alliance is the G60, a Nuvifone Garmin said is "designed for the active on-the-go user who wants an easy-to-use device and appreciates the peace of mind that comes from a device that answers common questions like 'Where am I?,' 'Where am I going?' and 'How do I get home?'"





The quad-band GSM handheld features 3.5G connectivity and supports Wi-Fi. It features a 3.55-inch touch-screen display with three primary icons -- call, search and view map -- with secondary icons that appear on the side of the home screen. With an LBS-centric design, the Nuvifone G60 ties location information into everyday applications like e-mail, SMS, photo sharing and social networking. The device comes preloaded with maps and points of interest and offers turn-by-turn directions. It features an advanced mobile HTML browser, support for POP3 and IMAP4 e-mail, a soft keyboard and a 3.0-megapixel camera with autofocus and geotagging.

Solar-powered devices were a big hit at this year's Mobile World Congress, with Samsung, LG and ZTE all touting phones that can be charged by the sun. In Samsung's case, the Blue Earth is an eco-friendly device made by PCM materials derived from recycled plastic water bottles. The phone offers an economy mode to increase efficiency and includes a solar panel where an hour of sunlight results in 15 minutes of talk time. The Blue Earth can adjust screen brightness, the backlight and Bluetooth connectivity to save juice, and features a built-in pedometer that tells the user how much in CO2 emissions they saved by walking instead of driving.

Samsung also updated its popular Omnia smartphone, unveiling the Omnia HD, a high-resolution touch-screen that hangs its hat on multimedia function. The Omnia HD adds the ability to record video at 720p resolution and features a 3.7-inch touch-screen display. And while HD viewing isn't native, it includes an HDMI port to play back HD video on monitors or an HD TV.





It features an 8.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash and geotagging. The Omnia HD is based on the Symbian S60 5.0 operating system. IT offers several connectivity options like Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth and a GPS. The multimedia functions enable audio and video, and the device offers 8GB or 16GB of memory.

Nokia went into Mobile World Congress swinging, releasing a host of new devices. Among them, the Nokia 6710 Navigator, an updated device in the Navigator line focused on location-based services. The 6710 Navigator ties in the latest in Maps software, driving and walking navigation, full regional maps, a dedicated navigator key and a touch are for zooming.





Included is the Nokia CR-111 car holder, a cradle of the device that can be used for driving. The updated Navigator also features a slightly curved design and a 5.0-megapixel camera. It is expected to be available in the third quarter.

The name says it all. The Nokia N86 8MP features a massive 8-megapixel camera, making it more of a digital camera than a standard phone. The N86 features a wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens for panoramic pictures, short latencies and variable aperture for sharp photos in both bright- and low-light conditions. The fast shutter offers less blur, while the dual-LED flash enables both photography and video capture.





Designed with a photographer in mind, the device offers enough memory -- 8GB -- to store 4,000 images, and memory can be upped to 16GB with a microSD card. The OLED screen features scratch-resistant hardened glass, and the device offers full-sync capabilities with a PC and a TV-out support for photo slideshows.





Additionally, the Nokia N86 8MP, with its integrated kickstand, is ideal for watching videos and playing games. Each Nokia N86 8MP can play up to 25 hours of music on one charge.

The Nokia E75 smartphone, which was also unveiled at Mobile World Congress, features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a host of multimedia functions, like a 3.2-megapixel camera, LED flash and up to 16GB of storage with a microSD card. The quad-band device offers a 3.5mm headphone jack and ties into Nokia's Music Store and N-Gage gaming platform for portable entertainment.





The E75, like the E55, ties in Wi-Fi and has a built-in GPS for support for Nokia Maps and turn-by-turn navigation.





The E75 is expected to be available next month.

Nokia also updated its Eseries with two new additions: the E55 and E75, which will ship with a new e-mail user interface and come standard with Nokia Messaging.





The E55 (shown here) is expected to ship in the second quarter, is a super-thin Eseries, measuring 4.6 by 1.9 by 0.4 inches and weighing just 3.4 ounces. The quad-band smartphone features a full 20-key QWERTY keyboard. It also ties in Wi-Fi and GPS. The device adds a 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash and also integrates with Nokia's Share Online application, which lets users upload photos to popular sharing sites with one click.





The device runs Nokia's Symbian S60 operating system.

While Toshiba gave the world an early preview of the Toshiba TG01 smartphone, the handheld was officially unveiled this week at Mobile World Congress. The device is the first to feature Qualcomm's 1-GHz Snapdragon chipset, which offers high-performance support for video, graphics, mobile TV and other applications.





The TG01 clocks in at 9.9mm thick and features a 4.1-inch WVGA 800x480 resolution touch-screen. The device ties in 3G HSPA connectivity along with Wi-Fi, GPS and A-GPS, while also featuring Toshiba's own 3-D user interface. The device features a microSD card slot to support additional memory. It also includes Internet Explorer Mobile 6, which features Flash support.





The Toshiba TG01 adds in a new GUI intended for one-handed use with vertical panels that can be swiped through. The smartphone also responds to motion-like tilting and shaking to answer and end calls, scan Web pages and return to the home screen. An accelerometer enables the device display to rotate between portrait and landscape modes. Track support eases navigation of Web pages.