Mobile World Congress is set to kick off in earnest next week. Who’ll be exhibiting? What’ll be on show? We’ve gathered up all the intelligence, weighed the odds and juggled the rumours to tell you what’s worth getting hyped up about, and what you should purge from your browser history after reading.
Whether you’re after eye-popping new phones, stonking apps or a sneak peek at a fancy new OS, you’ll find it at Mobile World Congress, and we’ve got it covered. Read on, and we’ll show you what’s in store.
Nokia
Espoo’s finest has already suffered its first leak of Mobile World Congress, with the Nokia C5 spotted last week. It’s a basic but bold move from Nokia and looks set to have mass market appeal. But we’re desperate to see a fully rejigged Symbian S60 make an appearance on a new touchscreen. Nokia needs to get back to the top stat and Barcelona is the place to do it.
Electricpig hotness rating: 3 stars
HTC
HTC stole the show last year with the HTC Magic. And this year it has a rumoured roll call chock full of Android phones. We’re talking the HTC Bravo, a rejigged version of the Google Nexus One, as well as the HTC Incredible, said to run HTC Sense on top of the very latest Android 2.1 software. The Taiwanese titan has every chance of being top dog once again.
Electricpig hotness rating: 5 stars
Puma/Sagem
Sagem isn’t normally a name to set hearts racing. But its tie up with Puma could mean a very cool next-gen sports phone. We’re thinking noise cancelling, decent ear buds, Adidas miCoach-alike skills to help you track speed, heart rate and distance, as well as a sharp look to go with your sweaty gym kit. Lots of stellar possibilities here.
Electricpig hotness rating: 4 stars
LG
LG’s not held back this year, already showing off its LG Mini superslim touchphone, as well as its social networking crazy number, the LG GT350. But we’re going to need to see more evidence of Android on its cells, after the so so stylings of the InTouch Max. LG can put the squeeze on rivals like Sony Ericsson, so great things are expected.
Electricpig hotness rating: 4 stars
Samsung
With Samsung Bada, the Korean giant is onto a winner, offering access to apps for all, no matter whether you’re packing its latest smartie or the most average of dumbphones. We’re hoping to get a heap of details on the latest apps, as well as getting a glimpse of the very first Samsung Bada phone, said to be out in the summer. The money’s on a high end touchscreen titan to begin with, followed by cheaper, yet still capable feature phones.
Electricpig hotness rating: 5 stars
Sony Ericsson
2010 is a big year for Sony Ericsson. It’s already outed the Vivaz, but it’ll face questions about the lengthy delays to the much vaunted Xperia X10, not to mention last year’s hot handset, the Satio, being plagued with problems. Sony Ericsson will need to roll out some special new toys this week to stay on top of its game.
Electricpig hotness rating: 3 stars
Microsoft
The biggest gossip in the run up to this year’s Mobile World Congress has surrounded Windows Mobile 7 and the much-hyped Zune phone. The OS is said to have the same interface as the Big M’s PMP, while the Zune phone itself will have an AMOLED screen and even Xbox 360 support. Likely to be the most talked up story of the entire show.
Electricpig hotness rating: 5 stars
Motorola
Last year’s Mobile World Congress saw Motorola at its lowest ebb. Since then, it’s had a rebirth of sorts thanks to MotoBLUR and more recently the ace Motorola Milestone. And now we’re expecting the Megan Fox-approved Motorola Devour to be unleashed in Spain. Moto’s turnaround is almost complete, so they’ll be hoping for a good reception at MWC.
Electricpig hotness rating: 4 stars
Google
The Big G will be omnipresent at Mobile World Congress, with Android phones set to take the show by storm. But Google themselves will have plenty to say, with plans for new versions of Android, with killer new features and apps all lined up. And what about another phone to follow in the Nexus One’s footsteps and be sold through the search engine? Keep everything crossed.
Electricpig hotness rating: 4 stars
Qualcomm
The chipset maker has found itself at the forefront of the phone industry thanks to the 1Ghz Snapdragon processor. There were murmurings of a successor at CES, so will MWC see Qualcomm lay the groundwork for even faster efforts to come? It’d make sense and give us a taste of what smartphones could do in just a couple of years.
Electricpig hotness rating: 4 stars
