MWC 2011: Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0: In pictures
While perusing Samsung's stand today we caught a tasty little treat - well, not so little, as the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 is a pretty big phone/tablet hybrid.Featuring all the power of the Samsung Galaxy S (ie a 1GHz processor and microSD slot in tandem with some decent internal storage) the Galaxy S Wi-Fi lacks the eye-popping Super AMOLED screen and 3G connection.
It fits in the hands pretty well, and is a little smaller than the Dell Streak too, making it easy to hold in the hand.
It's also thinner and lighter than the Streak, and features portals for downloading movies as well.
Take a gander and see what you think - is it worth forking out a few notes for a dedicated media player when the Galaxy S2 is just around the corner?
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MWC 2011: Hands on: Acer Iconia Smart review
If you were thinking the Samsung Galaxy S2 was too big, try this out for size. It's a 4.8 inch phone that's only a couple of inches shy of the Galaxy Tab.While it's not massively wide as you can see, the Iconia Smart would find it easier to make conversation with a Dell Streak 5 than any of the new breed of super-Androids.
The buttons at the bottom are actually highly tactile and you can get a really decent press on them. Despite initial reservations, we actually rather liked them by the time we'd finished playing with the handset.
Not everything about this handset is Smart as you'll see shortly but, despite its size, it still feels and looks like a phone rather than, say, the Dell Streak 5 which really does feel like a mini tablet.
Packing Android 2.3.2, the Iconia Smart is probably as big as you'd want a phone to be without considering it a tablet and an Acer representative told us that the idea of a tablet-style phone was indeed what had been used for the design.
Indeed, the phone really does defy its huge size and even the weight isn't stupendous - it's 185g. OK, so that's a lot more than your average smartphone, but still.
It also has specs to burn, with a full six-axis gaming control, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a stunning 1024 x 480 pixel display. Obviously it's not quite in the class of Samsung's Super OLED Plus display, but it is impressively bright and Android looks fabulous.
There's also an 8 megapixel snapper with LED flash on the rear in addition to a 2 megapixel front cam (rubbishy plastic block not included). And that's a headphone jack on top as you'd expect.
The device also features the increasingly prevalent Dolby Mobile tech for improved sound.
And finally there's the camera and volume up/down buttons.
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MWC 2011: In pictures: ZTE Skate
The ZTE Skate may not be the highest-spec handset in the world, but it is one of the few whose design is influenced by a skateboard.Set to launch running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), it comes with an 800MHz processor, 5MP camera and an Adreno 200 GPU. With a UK release date of May 2011, we've had a sniff around the ZTE Skate over at Mobile World Congress.
There's a hands on review coming soon, but for now check out the handset in a few cheeky snaps.
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MWC 2011: Microsoft demos Windows Phone 7 Kinect integration
In one of the strangest tech demos of Mobile World Congress 2011 to date, Microsoft has been showing off a tech demo of a Windows Phone 7 working with an Xbox 360 Kinect game.The video, which you can see below, shows Kinect and Windows Phone 7 working in what appears to be a fairly seamless way.
Gimmick or tech breakthrough?
Whether this type of gameplay will ever make its way into commercially available games (and how) remains to be seen. For now, we can only imagine this is one of Microsoft's clever tech demos that it is using to wow the crowds at MWC 2011 in Barcelona this week.
That said, the idea of effectively controlling a friends movements in his or her lounge as you are sitting comfortably anywhere else while idly stroking your Windows Phone 7 handset does appeal!
Particularly if the Kinect camera could automatically take a video of the poor sap in question and immediately send it to your mobile for you to post on YouTube…
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MWC 2011: Twitter announces crowd-sourced translation service
Twitter boss Dick Costolo has announced that a crowd-sourced translation service is coming to Twitter.Much like the translation tool used in Facebook, Twitter is looking to the crowd to offer up a way to translate a multitude of foreign language tweets on the site.
Speaking at Mobile World Congress 2011, Costolo said about the new service: "Twitter has become a truly global phenomenon.
"Today we are announcing the release of a translation centre that will crowd-source translations.
"The first languages to be translated will be Turkish, Russian, Indonesian and Portuguese."
Twitter success
Costolo also revealed what he feels are the barebones of what makes Twitter so successful.
In his speech he noted that: "Twitter needs to be instantly useful, it needs to be simple and it needs to be always present."
Costolo will be hoping that the new translation service will have these values.
Although Costolo skirted over how the translation service would work, he did say that it can also be used for the company's advertising platform.
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Exclusive: We're not tribal about ecosystems, says Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson has confirmed that it is still open to producing a Windows Phone handset. When questioned about Sony Ericsson's seeming Android bias, particularly in its latest round of Xperia releases which all launched on Android 2.3, Nathan Vautier, Sony Ericsson UK MD, told us that the company is "not as tribal" about mobile phone OSes as some companies are.
Android tribe
"We believe that the Android environment is the best and most mature ecosystem for us at the moment; but we have an open OS strategy, which includes OSE, Symbian and Android, and a good working relationship with Microsoft," said Vautier in an interview with TechRadar.
Reading between the lines, we'd say that means a pretty obvious intent to pursue Windows Phone, and lends credence to the rumours circulating last month that there is already a Sony Ericsson Windows Phone in the pipeline.
Of course, you can't talk about Windows Phone without mentioning Nokia in light of last week's news, but Vautier seemed nonplussed by the new partnership and its unabashed opposition to Android.
"It's an exciting time for Nokia, but the partnership with Microsoft has no bearing on Sony Ericsson and our new products," he said.
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MWC 2011: Will Twitter be the death of the PVR?
The CEO of Twitter Dick Costolo used Mobile World Congress 2011 to explain why he believes Twitter is bringing scheduled television back to life, announcing that live tweeting shows is making people ditch their PVRs.In his speech he noted: "What we are seeing in the world of television is that people are starting to watch all sorts of television in real-time again. The PVR is getting taken out of the equation.
"As more and more people started using PVRs, this was lost. But it is being brought back again through Twitter."
Twitter TV
Costolo name checked a number of shows that are using Twitter, including our very own X Factor, noting: "There are game shows in the UK, like X Factor, that have Twitter hosts – this is how big it is.
"When the show Glee is on in the US, the moment the show starts, the tweet per minute about that show go up 30 times. And they stay there for the hour until the moment the show ends."
While people are talking about the future of TV bein interactive, Costolo believes this is already happening.
"Interactive TV is here today. "We create this on our devices with Twitter. It already exists.
"Howard Stern started tweeting about Private Parts when it was on in the afternoon in the US without prompting and got a massive audience for it, as he was talking about what was happening behind the scenes.
"Broadcasters are starting to take note."
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Exclusive: Sony Ericsson: We learned a lot from the X10
The X10 was seen as a breath of fresh air from Sony Ericsson when it launched last year but as Android advanced, problems and delays in updating the Android software caused all kinds of strife for X10 users.The problem stemmed from the fact that Sony Ericsson's proprietary Timescape and Mediascape services were tied into the OS software, which meant a lot of work had to go in before the update could happen.
"We learned a lot from the X10," Sony Ericsson's UK MD Nathan Vautier told us. "It was a real learning curve."
Changing landscape
"2010 was really a 'back to black' year for us – we had to find our way and become more profitable, and we did that, but of course there were hurdles along the way.
"This year is all about growing; we've decoupled our UI from the Android software in all the new Xperia handsets, which will make it easier and quicker to update the Arc, Play, Neo and Pro to new versions of Android as they come out.
"Keeping our handsets up to date is obviously very important to our customers, given the reactions of many X10 owners; that's why we're launching with the latest version of Android and we'll continue to update the handsets as and when."
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners aren't being completely forgotten, however. Although there'll be no further Android updates on the handsets, Sony Ericsson is continuing to tweak the UI, which means incremental updates like multitouch will make their ways to the handset.
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Exclusive: Cheaper Samsung Galaxy S2 already on cards?
Samsung has confirmed to TechRadar that it will offer the new Samsung Galaxy S2 (Galaxy II) with or without NFC technology, and has begun discussions with UK networks.Michael Heath, business development manager for Samsung Mobile, said that not all networks were on board as yet, but discussions were ongoing.
He confirmed that O2 and Orange were already on board, which is no surprise given both have participated in NFC trials in the UK already.
Cheaper Galaxy S2 incoming?
However, other networks are yet to come on board and may take a potentially cheaper version of the Samsung Galaxy S2.
Given the new Galaxy S2 is packed with all the latest technology in a super-slim design, it's probably going to cost a fair bit, so potential cost savings may sway networks.
However, Heath added that the cost difference between the two handsets would be fairly negligible; this could mean that the networks will just absorb the cost difference in order to push their mobile contactless payments platform.
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Pure adds new music store to internet radio portal
Pure has revamped its online internet radio service, with The Pure Lounge receiving a major makeover and a new digital music store set to appeal and internet radio users.Pure's Lounge will now connect to 7Digital's music store allowing listeners to buy tracks that they are listening to via their internet radio.
Facebook and Twitter killed the radio star
As is to be expected with any self-respecting new digital music service, Facebook and Twitter integration is there, to let users share info on tracks that they like and new tunes that they are buying.
The new platform looks a lot fresher than the original, and there are also now social network options - Facebook and Twitter connectivity is now on board - and there will also be editorial content from the Pure team, including track and station recommendations.
Pure's Lounge 2.0, according to the company's news release just in, "now makes it even easier for users to discover new radio and music content via innovative new search facilities and the latest web technology, while the store allows users to buy tracks and manage playlists. All content can be easily listened to and also managed through Pure's internet-connected radio range."
The Google of online radio?
Of course, while the company is clearly using this new online radio and music-buying portal as a marketing tool for its radios, you don't necessarily need a Pure internet radio to make use of The Lounge, as you can also access it via your browser at www.thelounge.com
Colin Crawford, Pure's director of marketing, explains further about the latest additions to its online radio portal: "This totally transformed version of the Lounge offers users the easiest, quickest and most powerful way of finding the audio content that they want as well as discovering new content and accessing ground-breaking services like FlowSongs and the new music store.
"With this make-over, the Lounge will quickly become the portal of choice for internet media hunters – effectively it is becoming the 'Google' of internet radio portals."
Pure hopes that its new search tech will make it easier and quicker to locate content via the Lounge, "which contains almost 200,000 different pieces of audio content including thousands of internet radio stations and the widest available selection of on-demand audio."
Whether or not it can realistically be described as 'the Google' of internet radio portals remains to be seen.
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MWC 2011: Carphone Warehouse named exclusive LG Optimus 3D partner
UK mobile retailer The Carphone Warehouse is the first high street mobile store that will stock LG's forthcoming LG Optimus 3D mobile phone, the world's first 3D smartphone.LG's Optimus 3D is auto-stereoscopic, so there will be no need to don silly-looking specs to get the 3D effect on the bus to work!
"The LG Optimus 3D introduces a number of innovative technological firsts," boasts LG's press release.
"A 3D dual 5MP lens camera allows users to capture and record stunning 3D images and video. The bright 4.3-inch screen display 3D content in a choice of both 2D and 3D.
"Users can also navigate through the device's 3D interface with a click of LG's unique 3D Hot Key, which presents five 3D-dedicated features including Gallery, Camera, Game&Apps, YouTube 3D and 3D Guide."
Innovative technological firsts
Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy said: "The LG Optimus 3D handset is one of the most important and technologically advanced handset releases of the year.
"With an industry first of 3D capture and playback, without the need for glasses, and dual core technology for multitasking, this handset provides a new and altogether stunning experience wherever you are."
Perhaps most intriguingly, you can share your 3D content from your mobile with your 3D TV via a (free) HDMI connector. Or you can choose to upload 3D videos to YouTube's 3D channel at www.youtube.com/3D
LG claims that its unique "tri-dual" dual core technology will also let you "multitask between programmes, browse web pages, play games at a higher frame rate and enjoy movies more smoothly than ever before."
The LG Optimus 3D UK release date is spring.
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Samsung Galaxy S2 vs LG Optimus 3D
Two of the highlights of this year's Mobile World Congress are the powerful Samsung Galaxy S2 (Galaxy II) and the futuristic LG Optimus 3D. Both step from 'smartphone' into 'super-phone' territory with their next-generation dual-core processors.
Both also impress with cutting-edge screen technology, although they couldn't be more different in their execution.
So it's hard to measure whether the Galaxy S2 is 'better' than the Optimus 3D. Or vice-versa. But you can get a good feel for which phone you fancy by comparing them side-by-side...
Software
Both the Galaxy S2 and the LG Optimus 3D run Android, albeit different versions. Samsung's phone uses Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), customised with the TouchWiz 4.0 UI overlay and Swype text input.
Samsung has a few notable extras to the software on the Galaxy S2. For starters, there are now four 'hubs' - the Reader's Hub, the Social Hub, the Games Hub and the Music Hub.
The Galaxy S2 also features enhanced conferencing and connectivity services from Cisco, a comprehensive implementation of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and secure remote device management from Sybase.
ANDROID 3D: LG has customised elements of Android 2.2 with a 3D UI
In contrast, the LG Optimus 3D will launch with Android 2.2, which will be upgradeable to 2.3 at some point in the future. LG has obviously had more time to modify this version of Android to work with its unique 3D UI.
A dedicated '3D' Hot Key on the side of the handset can activate one of five 3D UIs, including: Gallery, Camera, Game & Apps, YouTube 3D and 3D Guide.
Processor
As previously mentioned, both the Galaxy S2 and the Optimus 3D incorporate the latest in dual-core mobile processing. Inside the S2, you'll find an Exynos processor (formerly 'Orion'), rated at 1GHz.
This is the dual-core follow-up to the successful single-core Hummingbird chip that appeared in the original Galaxy.
The Optimus 3D, meanwhile, boasts a 1GHz dual-Core, dual-channel OMAP4 processor supplied by Texas Instruments. LG claims that it offers "significant performance benefits as a result of the faster transfer of data between the dual-core and dual-memory".
"This enables users to browse web pages, multitask between programs, play games at a higher frame rate and enjoy movies more smoothly than ever before," Samsung adds.
Screen
The Galaxy S2 features a touch-sensitive Super AMOLED Plus display with Gorilla Glass for added toughness and scratch-resistance.
Quoted as a 4.3-inch screen, it actually measures 4.27 inches across the diagonal and has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels.
HEY GOOD-LOOKIN': Note the Super AMOLED Plus screen on the Galaxy S2
The touch-sensitive 3D LCD screen on the Optimus 3D is the same size and resolution. Although the LCD technology will be no match for the vibrancy of the Super AMOLED Plus display on the Galaxy S2. That said, this autostereoscopic LCD is a world's first on a mobile phone, supporting 3D viewing without glasses.
Storage and memory
The Galaxy S2 wins the internal storage battle between the two as it comes in either 16GB or 32GB models. In comparison, the Optimus 3D only has 8GB-worth of capacity.
Both feature microSD slots, however, enabling you to boost the internal storage by up to 32GB. This means that the 32GB Galaxy S2 can top out with 64GB of memory, the 16GB model 48GB and the Optimus 3D 40GB.
Cameras
Headlining the Samsung Galaxy S2 is an 8.0 Megapixel camera (3264 x 2448 pixels) with extras that include: autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus functionality, face/smile detection, image stabilisation and 1080p video capture. On the front face, you'll also find a 2MP camera for video calls. Or self-portraits.
TWIN CAM: The dual 5MP lenses can take 3D photos and video (720p)
It's hard to compare this setup against the LG Optimus 3D, which features dual 5MP cameras with an LED flash between them. It might boast fewer options (autofocus and geo-tagging), but the twin lenses are capable of taking stereoscopic photos and videos (720p only) or capturing 1080p video in 2D.
Like the Samsung handset, LG has also added a front-facing camera, probably a 1.3MP or 2MP model (unconfirmed).
Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, both phones are well-specced. The Galaxy S2 incorporates 3G/HSDPA and HSPA+ at speeds up to 21Mbps where supported. It's got every band of Wi-Fi covered too and can handle 802.11a/b/g/n with DLNA content sharing and Wi-Fi Direct.
Bluetooth 3.0+HS finishes off the wireless options. Based on 802.11 protocols, it's capable of enhanced data speeds up to 24Mbps.
The wireless options on LG's Optimus 3D are fairly similar. They include a tasty mix of 3G/HSDPA and HSPA+, a triple play of 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP. Not quite as good as the Galaxy S2, but still far from shabby.
Both phones also feature microUSB jacks, stereo FM radios (with RDS) and HDMI ports for outputting whatever is on the mobile display to an HD telly.
HIGH-DEF: Both phones feature HDMI ports for outputting video to an HD TV
Location and sensors
At this level, you'd expect most smartphones to feature GPS/A-GPS, a built-in gyroscope, digital compass, plus screen-flipping accelerometer, proximity and light sensors. You won't be disappointed with either phone.
Cost
Cutting-edge technology rarely comes cheap and Expansys lists the SIM-free Samsung Galaxy S2 (16GB) at an eye-widening £649.99. The LG Optimus 3D works out cheaper at £514.99.
Orange has announced that it will be ranging the Optimus 3D, which will also be available exclusively through Carphone Warehouse, while Three has confirmed that it has first dibs on the Galaxy S2.
Bulk
The Galaxy S2 is a neatly designed, beautiful-looking handset that measures 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm. If you know your phones, then you'll appreciate the fact that 8.49mm is slimmer than the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, which nabbed the 'world's thinnest smartphone' crown from Apple's iPhone 4.
SIZE ZERO: The Galaxy S2 is 8.49mm thick, thinner than the iPhone 4
LG's phone is visibly chunkier, measuring 128.8 x 68.0 x 11.9mm. It also has more of a plastic gut than the new Galaxy S2. Compare the two and Optimus 3D's phone is 168g, while Samsung's' handset is a mere 116g.
Battery life
Neither manufacturer has supplied any talk and standby time stats, but the Samsung Galaxy S2 boasts a 1650 mAh battery, while LG's 3D-enabled Optimus makes do with a 1500mAH Li-Ion cell.
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MWC 2011: Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0: iPod rival looks classy
Now this is interesting – Samsung has a brand-new device on its stands at Mobile World Congress 2011, something which wasn't talked about in its press conference.It is called the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 and could well be the best reason to ditch your iPod forever.
As its name gives away, the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 is modelled on a Samsung Galaxy S range but is sans phone features.
5-inch screen
Instead what you have is a PMP that's powered by Android, a front-facing camera, HDMI port, microSD card slot and a 5-inch screen.
It's a secretive thing of beauty and TechRadar has already got a Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 hands on in the offing, where we will be able to give you more details on the great-looking device.
That sound you can hear is the likes of Archos quaking in its boots.
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MWC 2011: Windows Phone 7 to get cut and paste in March - Twitter and IE9 to follow
Steve Ballmer has kicked off Microsoft's press conference at Mobile World Congress 2011, announcing that there is a bevy of new features coming to Windows Phone 7 this year.The first of these features is set to land in March and that is cut-and-paste functionality – something that will be much-welcomed within the WP7 fraternity.
There are also a number of features which are set to be integrated into Windows Phone 7.
These include: Twitter integration directly into the People Hub, support for Office documents in the cloud, dramatically enhanced Web browser experience based on IE9 and a new wave of multitasking applications.
All of these features will be coming to Windows Phone 7 sometime in 2011.
Gaining momentum
"We're in the race - it's not a sprint but we are certainly gaining momentum and we're in it for the long run," said Achim Berg, a corporate vice president in Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business and Marketing Group about the new features.
"We know we have tough competition, and this is a completely new product. Our design is different, our platform is different, our customer experience is different, and our long-term strategy for earning widespread adoption is different."
Last week Microsoft and Nokia announced they will be partnering to produce new WP7 handsets, taking on the might of Android and Apple in the process.
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MWC 2011: Steve Ballmer: potential of Nokia Windows Phones 'phenomenal'
Steve Ballmer talked up the future of Windows Phone during his Mobile World Congress 2011 keynote and revealed that updates to the platform will be coming in the last half of March.Ballmer also hailed the potential of Nokia Windows Phones as "phenomenal" and was joined on stage by Nokia's Stephen Elop - the Nokia boss has faced a great many questions over the last few days since the two companies made their partnershipannouncement.
"Iconic hardware, unique software...our focus shifts to delivering those first devices and changing the industry," said Elop during a rousing speech to talk up the potential of the partnership.
Ballmer also said that Microsoft was targeting "significant volume" of Nokia Windows Phones in 2012.
"It seems as if the mobile world is moving from a handset battle to a platform battle. That is happening faster than ever" said Ballmer. "2011 should be a great year for our company and the industry."
"Windows Phone brings together the best from across Microsoft." He also eulogised about a 93 per cent customer satisfaction rate.
The incoming Windows Phone hardware includes cut and paste, while IE9 will also be coming to the handset in the second half of the year.
There will also be cut and paste next month plus Twitter integration directly into the People Hub and support for cloud-based Office docs in 2011 as well as Windows Live SkyDrive.
Ballmer also talked about the design difference of Windows Phone "There are lots of other phones…good phones, but they have a sea of icons. With smart design we're trying to improve that experience."
Microsoft sold 2 million phone licenses in Windows Phone 7's first two months, and the phone is now available from 60 mobile operators in 30 countries.
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MWC 2011: Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review
As the serious, slide-out QWERTY member of the latest Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, the Xperia Pro might not be the most exciting of the bunch, but it's still got a lot going for it. After all, it's essentially a bulked-up Neo with many identical specs, from Android 2.3 to the 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
But it's the physical QWERTY that will make all the difference to some users, so here's our hands on Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro review, based on a non-final version handset; we'll bring you our full review just as soon as the finished handsets are available.
Because of that built-in keyboard, there's quite a bit of bulk to the handset – although it's certainly not as heavy in the hand as the LG Optimus 3D is.
The now-familiar Android buttons are all present and correct, excepting the search button which Sony Ericsson seems not to be a fan of.
There's a front-facing camera next to the earphone speaker, for video calling and such at a quality of 2MP.
And, of course, a rather better camera on the rear, with 8MP to play with as well as an LED flash.
The slide-out QWERTY offers quite a bit of room for tapping out long emails and messages, but it could do with a bit of differentiation between the alphabetic letters and numbers and punctuation; glancing at the keyboard doesn't do you much good if you're searching for a specific character.
Sony Ericsson isn't exactly spoiling us with non-QWERTY buttons on the Xperia Pro; there's a camera button, volume slider and lock key, and that's about it. But hey, at least there's a camera button; we've noticed them starting to disappear on other handsets.
When it comes to ports, the Xperia Pro has microUSB, a 3.5mm headphone jack which sits on the side of the handset; we're not in love with this headphone jack placement, we prefer it to sit atop the handset so you don't risk damaging the connectors or besmirching your view of a video with wires.
Interface
The Xperia Pro has a very similar feel to the Neo and Play, thanks to the combination of Android OS and Sony Ericsson's proprietary Timescape overlay. It's been improved since earlier iterations, though, and the experience is much more enjoyable, making good use of widgets for things like the media player.
The other great thing about Timelapse on the new school of Xperias is that it's no longer locked into the Android OS, rather it sits on top which makes updating the handsets to newer versions of Android much quicker and less painful than before (Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners will particularly appreciate this!).
The touchscreen itself is capacitive, but does require a little bit of firmness when swiping between homescreens.
The on-screen keyboard is Sony Ericsson's own, like that of the Neo, and as such it's not quite as good as the native Android one. But it's not one you'll have to make too much use of with a physical QWERTY on board.
The QWERTY is nicely spaced, and it's not too encumbered by the outer barrier, a problem we've found with other Android sliders like the Motorola Milestone.
The text predictor isn't bad, but tapping the option you want is a bit of a reach when you're using the QWERTY; if you're a fast typer then you'd probably be quicker just tapping the whole word out.
The screen is an adequate size to display a nice over-view of a web page when you browse the internet in landscape mode; portrait squashes it up too much to really be able to see anything useful. You'll still need to zoom in to read anything in detail, however – luckily the pinch to zoom action is fairly smooth and quick to render.
When it comes to taking pictures, you'd expect the cousin of the Vivaz to be pretty good, and you'd be right. With an 8MP sensor and Sony's Exmoor on board, it's a painless experience and the shutter button makes physically taking the photo much easier than having to tap the screen (although this is an option).
The only annoyance about the camera button is that it's actually just next to the camera icon on the side of the handset, which takes a bit of getting used to.
All in all, the Xperia Pro is not a bad little handset, right up there with the HTC Desire Z in terms of physical QWERTY Androids; we look forward to bringing you our full verdict in the complete TechRadar review in the coming weeks.
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MWC 2011: Steve Ballmer: potential of Nokia Windows Phones 'phenomenal'
Steve Ballmer talked up the future of Windows Phone during his Mobile World Congress 2011 keynote and revealed that updates to the platform will be coming in the last half of March.Ballmer also hailed the potential of Nokia Windows Phones as "phenomenal" and was joined on stage by Nokia's Stephen Elop - the Nokia boss has faced a great many questions over the last few days since the two companies made their partnershipannouncement.
"Iconic hardware, unique software...our focus shifts to delivering those first devices and changing the industry," said Elop during a rousing speech to talk up the potential of the partnership.
Ballmer also said that Microsoft was targeting "significant volume" of Nokia Windows Phones in 2012.
"It seems as if the mobile world is moving from a handset battle to a platform battle. That is happening faster than ever" said Ballmer. "2011 should be a great year for our company and the industry."
"Windows Phone brings together the best from across Microsoft." He also eulogised about a 93 per cent customer satisfaction rate.
The incoming Windows Phone hardware includes cut and paste, while IE9 will also be coming to the handset in the second half of the year.
There will also be cut and paste next month plus Twitter integration directly into the People Hub and support for cloud-based Office docs in 2011 as well as Windows Live SkyDrive.
Ballmer also talked about the design difference of Windows Phone "There are lots of other phones…good phones, but they have a sea of icons. With smart design we're trying to improve that experience."
Microsoft sold 2 million phone licenses in Windows Phone 7's first two months, and the phone is now available from 60 mobile operators in 30 countries.
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MWC 2011: Qualcomm shows off nex-gen quad-core Snapdragon chips
Qualcomm has announced a bunch of new Snapdragon chips, which it hopes will put the company back on a level-pegging with Nvidia and its Tegra range.The latest batch of Snapdragon chipsets include the single-core MSM8930, the dual-core MSM8960 and the daddy of the group – the quad-core APQ8064.
The chips can handle your normal spate of connectivity (Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM) but also things like NFC and stereoscopic 3D.
The chipset will be revolutionised
The chips are compatible with all operating systems and the new Adreno GPU has the largest mobile graphics ecosystems with hundreds of games for Android, Windows Phone 7 Xbox gaming, and PlayStation Certified gaming.
Qualcomm said about the new chips: "Just as the original Snapdragon revolutionised smartphones with the first 1GHz processor, these new generations of Snapdragon will revolutionize the next wave of mobile entertainment and computing.
"We believe we have an incredible lineup of chips and software, representing a single platform that OEMs can utilize to create new devices ranging from mass market smartphones with integrated LTE, to tablets, to next generation computing and entertainment devices."
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Review: Panasonic TH-85VX200
Bigger is better where 3D is concerned and they don't come any larger than the 85-inch Panasonic TH-85VX200. You could, of course achieve an even bigger picture with a 3D projector, but you'll need to find a way of bringing about near-total darkness in order to reap the benefit. No such room control is necessary with this plasma. The only thing about the TH-85VX200 more mammoth than its screen is its price, which equates to the sort of deposit you'd need for a £200,000 house.
Despite that, the TH-85VX200 isn't even a telly: it's just a tuner-free screen. With all this in mind, it's not surprising to find the display shipping via Panasonic's 'Pro' division rather than the consumer channel responsible for the brand's Viera 3D TVs.
That the TH-85VX200 is one of Panasonic's Pro screens bodes rather well; experience of previous pro models suggests that they sometimes get additional compromise-free technology that improves picture quality even beyond Panasonic's acclaimed consumer plasma TVs.
If you can't run to the TH-85VX200's colossal price and size, the 65-inch TX-P65VT20B can be yours for around £5k, complete with integrated Freeview and Freesat HD tuners. Clearly this is a significant saving in itself, but if you step down further to the 50, 46 and 42-inch VT20s, prices become aggressive, with even the most expensive TX-P50VT20B only setting you back around £1,500.
It isn't about the money. With the TH-85VX200, though: for anyone who can even dream of owning one, it's all about the sheer, unadulterated size and status of the thing.
If you're as huge as the TH-85VX200, you might as well be unapologetically so. The gargantuan display is clad in a startlingly heavy-duty, metallic black bezel, boasts a rear that could slot in half a dozen of today's slim edge LED TVs and weighs a hernia-guaranteeing 118kg.
You will therefore need a seriously sturdy wall if you fancy wall-hanging and Panasonic's custom-built hydraulic floor mounts are reportedly proving popular with those already fortunate enough to be in possession of a TH-85VX200.
Connections are a mixture of standard stuff and stuff you can add via optional accessory boards. Among the standard options are four HDMI inputs all built to the v1.4 standard for 3D compatibility, a component/RGB RCAx3 input, and a D-Sub PC input.
There is a LAN port, but this is only for control systems. Significantly, the TH-85VX200B doesn't carry Panasonic's Viera Cast online system. Perhaps even more troublingly for some people, it doesn't carry any DLNA, USB or SD card support for multimedia duties and these can't be added via any of the (mostly professional broadcast-minded) extra connection boards. This is not, remember, a TV in the normal sense of the word.
It's probably because of this, too, that there doesn't appear to be any THX preset like you get with the VT20 consumer series.
Don't start to think, though, that the TH-85VX200B is devoid of film-friendly calibration tools. In fact, its Pro nature sees it equipped with more fine tuning tools than Panasonic's normal TVs. Among the options available are a series of white balance presets plus the facility to adjust white balance manually via adjustment bars for the high and low red, green and blue colour segments; a black extension tool; a selection of Gamma presets; and a full colour gamut adjustment complete with a Digital Cinema Colour default mode designed to deliver a colour palette more representative of what you see if you visit a professional digital cinema.
With all these tweaks – and more – available, it's no surprise to find the TH-85VX200B endorsed by pro-calibration group, the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF).
Tucked away in the Setup menu, meanwhile, is an option to adjust the motion processing the set applies to sources, which varies between 24p Smooth Film when watching Blu-rays and Panasonic's Intelligent Frame Creation system when watching non-24p material.
Arguably the most interesting part of the TH-85VX200B's Pro nature, though, comes with its 3D features. For as well as Panasonic's crosstalk-reducing accelerated plasma cell decay technology, found also on the VT20 and GT20 models, the TH-85VX200B carries new Motion Vector Prediction circuitry. This attempts to track movement in and out of the picture, as well as the more normal left/right motion, thus increasing the speed at which the panel can respond to changes in 3D image content to deliver a further boost in clarity.
Also potentially significant to 3D is the TH-85VX200B's ultra-high speed drive system, reckoned to make each plasma cell able to respond almost 75 per cent faster than those of previous Panasonic plasmas.
Given that Panasonic's consumer 3D plasmas are already less troubled by crosstalk than any other 3D TVs, the prospect of this flaw being reduced even further on the TH-85VX200B is mouthwatering.
One final significant bit of number crunching delivered by the TH-85VX200B's professional-level 'brain' is the delivery of 30-bit colour processing, as opposed to the usual 20-bit system – something that should increase tonal accuracy and reduce the potential for colour striping.
The main negative to report in this section is that it seems a bit churlish on Panasonic's part to include only a single pair of active shutter 3D glasses with the screen, but then if someone can afford to spend £42,000 on a screen, a few hundred quid for subsequent pairs of specs ought to be small beer.
If you own a TH-85VX200B and haven't already tooled yourself up with a 3D-capable Blu-ray player and Sky HD receiver, then do so immediately, for it is mind-blowingly good in three dimensions.
First of all, of course, there's the sheer size of its images. Having the world of Avatar splayed across an 85-inch screen enables you to get lost in the action more completely than any other 3D system bar a projection screen.
Of course, an 85-inch screen leaves no hiding place for crosstalk noise, so it's just as well that there's practically none to speak of from any source.
There is no overstating how important this is to the success of the TH-85VX200B's 3D pictures, as it makes them look instantly more natural, more watchable over long periods of time, more detailed and sharper.
Also very important about the TH-85VX200B's 3D pictures is their brightness. For this screen is capable of kicking out some pretty serious light levels, which proves invaluable in combating the quite marked brightness-reducing impact of Panasonic's active shutter glasses. As a result, colours look palpably richer – especially during dark scenes – than they do on Panasonic's consumer 3D screens.
This might perhaps have something to do with the TH-85VX200B's 'Pro' status not requiring the screen to be as tightly limited in terms of power consumption as Panasonic's consumer TVs are.
The overall result of the practically absent crosstalk, enhanced brightness and sheer size of the TH-85VX200B's 3D image is a mesmerising experience that should convert all but the most die-hard 3D detractors.
One little oddity in 3D mode, when the screen is working unusually hard, is that there's quite a bit of green dotting noise over black parts of the picture when you take your glasses off, but as these all but disappear with your glasses back on, it's nothing to get hung up on.
If you can drag yourself away from the TH-85VX200B's unprecedented 3D images, you'll discover some outstanding 2D pictures. This is especially true with HD sources, as the screen's inherent sharpness joins forces with a terrific contrast performance in reproducing every solitary pixel of detail from favourite Blu-rays. And you can appreciate these details and HD's inherent crispness all the better on an 85-inch scale.
The TH-85VX200B also delivers outstanding black level response, possibly getting even slightly deeper, in fact, than Panasonic's VT20 consumer screens. What's more, these inky blacks are not in the least bit forced or hollow; thanks to the screen's surprisingly good brightness output, even the darkest corners contain the sort of shadow detailing necessary to give them a sense of depth that fits naturally with the depth apparent – even in 2D mode – during bright scenes.
Motion looks more natural without Panasonic's Intelligent Frame Creation processing in play than it does with Panasonic's consumer models, too, and colours are punchy, subtly blended and, above all, natural.
You might expect standard-definition pictures to look pretty shoddy when asked to fill a full HD 85-inch screen, but such is the quality of the TH-85VX200B's video processing that it scrubs up acceptably well. There's a slightly soft look to things, but tones remain accurate and noise is well suppressed.
Add to the list of great TH-85VX200B picture features a much wider viewing angle than you'd get with any LCD TV and a completely consistent black level right across the screen's enormous area and you really do have a terrific AV experience.
While undoubtedly brilliant the TH-85VX200B is not quite perfect, though.
The wonderful 3D experience, for example, is very nearly undermined by Panasonic's dismal glasses. As well as cutting out more brightness than most, they are too narrow, meaning many people will have to perch them right at the end of their nose so that they 'fit' over the screen properly.
This makes them uncomfortable to wear and worse, it allows ambient light in your room to get between the lenses and your eyes, reducing the impact of the 3D experience.
Another more general issue not connected with the 3D tech finds small colour seepage around very bright lines during camera pans when watching 50Hz sources – though this goes if you employ the Intelligent Frame Creation system.
Another issue is that pictures can look a touch 'fizzy' if you sit too close to the screen, especially if you've got the brightness set high. High brightness settings – which are really only recommended for 3D viewing – can also cause the screen to emit a slight hum, presumably because some cooling fans are kicking in. Anyone using an external sound system alongside their TH-85VX200B is unlikely to notice this, though.
Another 'issue' that's not really the TH-85VX200B's fault is that the sheer size of its screen does highlight the quality 'gap' between full HD 3D as delivered by suitable Blu-rays and lower-resolution 3D as delivered by Sky's platform. But that's not to say that some of Sky's broadcasts don't still look very compelling in 3D, especially given the other strengths the screen portrays.
The TH-85VX200B additionally struggles to produce a really convincing pure white colour (instead there's a rather warm, yellowish tone to bright whites).
Don't get too caught up on the various flaws, though; the TH-85VX200B's overall performance should render you largely indifferent to the glitches.
The TH-85VX200B's screen-only nature means it doesn't have any integrated speakers, so you'll need to invest in a separate audio system.
Value
The simple fact is that its £42,000 price tag is a vast amount of money for any screen and places the TH-85VX200B beyond the means of almost everyone.
It's also impossible to ignore the fact that you can get a decent 3D projector system able to produce pictures more than 100-inch across for as little as five grand, including a decent screen. Plus, of course, Panasonic's P65VT20 costs just £5k, meaning you're paying £37k for the TH-85VX200B's extra 20 inches and 'pro' picture features.
On the other hand, the TH-85VX200B is destined for custom installations where money is no object. In this context, its ability to deliver the finest home 3D pictures yet seen together with stunning 2D on an 85-inch scale and without the faffing associated with a projector makes the TH-85VX200B a truly tempting proposition.
Ease of use
It's immediately reassuring to find that the TH-85VX200B is operated by a surprisingly normal remote control, the layout of which is even slightly more intuitive than Panasonic's normal zappers, as it doesn't have to accommodate multimedia features.
Things aren't quite so rosy where the onscreen menus are concerned. The best that can be said about them is that they are 'professional'; the combination of reams of white text against ugly blue boxes hardly create the comfortable user experience found with some of the latest onscreen menu systems.
The apportioning of some features to different sub-menus doesn't always seem logical either, leaving some things tricky to track down. Some of the menu positioning also proves less than helpful during calibration.
If you're going to spend more than 40 grand on a screen, then, unless you're extremely confident about what you're doing, you really ought to consider coughing up a relatively small amount extra to get your TH-85VX200B professionally calibrated, then just stick to using the basic functions for everyday use.
With its mammoth 85-inch screen requiring a professional installation by a team of installers and £42k in your bank account, the TH-85VX200B is not for the faint-hearted. But considering it comes via Panasonic's professional distribution channel rather than its consumer one, it wears its size rather well, with its gleaming, black metallic bezel.
Its standard connections include four HDMIs, meanwhile, to help AV users out, though there's no support for multimedia or online purposes beyond a D-Sub PC port.
The screen also lacks any tuners, but it makes up for this with a pretty extravagant suite of picture adjustments endorsed by the Imaging Science Foundation, and by employing some high level picture technologies not found on Panasonic's mainstream consumer TVs.
These picture technologies seem to work, too. The TH-85VX200B's pictures are, for the most part, astonishingly good. Its 3D images in particular are phenomenal, thanks to their brightness, freedom from crosstalk noise and sheer enormity.
It's also a superb 2D performer, leaving as our only serious niggle with the screen, aside from its impossible price - the poor quality of Panasonic's current 3D glasses.
We liked
The size of the TH-85VX200B is enough in itself to get a movie fan's pulse racing and it's beautifully made. It's got plenty of calibration tricks to keep tinkerers and installers happy too, but best of all is the hugely impressive quality of its pictures. 3D, in particular, is a revelation, especially thanks to the way it appears with practically no crosstalk noise.
We disliked
With many folk struggling to find even, say, £20k for a decent family car, the idea of stumping up £42k for a TV will just seem laughable to most people. The screen isn't particularly energy efficient either, especially as it needs cooling fans when running at sort of brightness levels that are recommended for 3D viewing.
The operating system is a bit bland, too, there's no tuner, and multimedia talents are limited compared with today's consumer TVs.
Finally, the generally terrific 3D quality is undermined by Panasonic's current 3D glasses design.
Final Verdict
Few, if any, readers of this review will ever be able to own an TH-85VX200B on account of its millionaires-only price.
From an AV quality perspective, though, it's a phenomenal bit of kit. Tucked away inside its extremely robust and metallic bezel is the best 3D picture quality seen to date, thanks chiefly to the way the screen's professional-grade features help keep a lid on 3D's infamous crosstalk noise problems, and the screen's impressive brightness levels.
Sure, it would have been nice to get more regular 'TV' features like a tuner and online/multimedia functions. If, however, you simply want to add a monster screen to your mansion that delivers the picture goods in spades, then you won't find anything finer than the TH-85VX200B.
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MWC 2011: Acer Iconia Tab A500 UK release date: April
Acer has unveiled the Acer Iconia Tablet A500 at Mobile World Congress 2011.The Android tablet packs in a big 10.1-inch screen, Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system and a dual-core Nvidia Tegra2 chip.
Depending on your thoughts on overlays, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 will be coming into the market with an Acer user interface so it won't be pure Honeycomb like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Iconia tablet
Acer has said that the Acer Iconia Tablet A500 is "designed for rich multimedia entertainment, this tablet comes with a high resolution, high colour contrast 10.1-inch display with wide viewing angle providing higher colour accuracy for better visuals from different perspective, allowing users to play or share HD video with friends on the go.
"Complete with a built-in HDMI port and 1080p output, it may also be used to enjoy HD content in full HD on a big screen TV or monitor."
The Acer Iconia Tablet A500 also has Flash 10.1 support, Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity and a 5MP rear-facing camera plus HD front-facing camera.
There's no word on pricing but the Acer Iconia Tab A500 UK release date is April.
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MWC 2011: LG Optimus Me - affordable smartphone coming to Orange
LG has announced a new affordable smartphone called the LG Optimus Me at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona this week.Orange is offering Brits the latest budget Android mobile, with the LG Optimus Me set to run Android Froyo, and be made available in the UK in the next few weeks.
Affordable PAYG smartphone
The LG Optimus Me has a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen featuring a (mere) 320 x 480 pixels, with a bog-standard 3MP camera and 2GB of internal memory.
With a 600MHz processor the new LG Optimus Me (formerly known as the 'LG Pecan') is hardly representative of bleeding edge smartphone tech, but it is being marketed as an affordable PAYG smartphone option by Orange.
Budget smartphones seem to be all the rage from Mobile World Congress this year, with the latest rumours also suggesting that Apple may well be looking to get in on the action later this year with a so-called 'iPhone nano'.
For now though, the official word is that the LG Optimus Me UK release date is February.
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MWC 2011: Intel shows Medfield Android prototype handset
Intel has continued to paw at the mobile phone market with a preview of Medfield, it's 32nm mobile processor.But, as with Intel's previous mobile announcements, there was no serious partnership to talk of – only the promise that it was "sampling to customers."
Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president, Intel Ultra Mobility Group, showed a prototype Android phone packing the processor, but it was a tease.
However, it could be the Aava Mobile handset that has previously been rumoured.
Chandrasekher talked up the chipset's abilities on active, rather than idle power. "On active power, we are [as in x86] the most efficient architecture on the planet. That's what we do, work to make active power work better."
"It will have the longest use time," he promised of the new chip. "We'll have the same standby as everybody else claims.
"You're not buying a phone so you can leave it on idle. You're buying a phone so you can use it, browse the web and so forth.
What about MeeGo?
Renée James, senior vice president and general manager of Intel'sSoftware and Services Group also talked about support for different platforms on mobile.
"All operating environments run on Intel silicon. And nothing has changed." And what of MeeGo after the Microsoft announcement? "We're open source [advocates]. It isn't surprising that we would continue on with MeeGo on its own."
We're working with developers from the iPhone environment, from the Android environment to MeeGo. Anything we have running on x86 can [work across platforms]. We support Android… As Chrome [OS] comes available from Google we'll be supporting that."
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MWC 2011: Hands on: ViewSonic ViewPad 4 review
ViewSonic caused quite a stir when it revealed that its ViewPad 4 will launch with an as-yet unnumbered version of Android Gingerbread last week. Although we weren't privy to this secret new version of the OS, we did get some hands-on time with the device at Mobile World Congress 2011, which ViewSonic isn't sure whether to call a tablet or a smartphone.
Read on for our hands on: ViewSonic Viewpad 4 review, but do remember that we're talking about a pre-production model, so some niggles may be sorted in the final version, a full review of which we'll bring you as soon as possible.
The model we played with is running Android 2.3, and it's a fairly basic installation with no snazzy skins on top.
The handset itself looks smart from a distance, but up close it feels very plasticky and a bit fragile; we could imagine it coming apart quite easily if dropped. It's quite boxy as well, and the design seems a little unimaginative.
Like many gloss smartphones, the shiny covering is quite easily smudged and smeared with fingerprints, too.
With a 4-inch touchscreen, ViewSonic openly considers the ViewPad 4 as sitting somewhere between a smartphone and a tablet. The screen itself is nice and bright, but you do have to be quite firm with it to get your touchscreen commands to register.
When it comes to connections, ViewSonic hasn't skimped; there's HDMI-out, audio-out and microUSB for physical connectivity.
The 5-megapixel camera sits on the back of the handset, while there's also a front-facing camera for video calling.
Under the hood, we're looking at a 1GHz processor, which doesn't exactly whip along as we encountered a little bit of lag in launching applications.
The keyboard isn't badly laid out, but if the touchscreen was more responsive we'd have been able to type a darn sight faster – it really lets the handset down when it comes to speed and precision.
We do rather like the Smart Switch function, which allows you to change between a home and work set up, something we've seen before on a number of Symbian devices.
It can also be set as a location-based tool, using GPS to determine which settings it should be using.
As ususal with Android, the homescreens can be customised to your liking and the small helicopter view gives you an at-a-glance look at the overall layout.
The 5MP camera on the back of the handset is not the best we've seen; there doesn't seem to be much image stabilisation built in, and our shots tended to look quite noisy on the screen. The ViewSonic Viewpad 4 is also capable of recording 720p video, but as we weren't able to test the HDMI-out, we can't vouch for its quality on the big screen.
All in all, the Viewpad 4 isn't a bad handset, and it's a definite boon that it will ship in May with the cream of the Android smartphone OS versions, but those craving a high-end experience may find themselves disappointed.
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iPhone nano rumours gain more traction
Rumours that Apple is preparing to launch a smaller and cheaper version of the iPhone are gaining traction, with this Sunday's Wall Street Journal claiming the so-called 'iPhone nano' exists and may even arrive on the market later in 2011.Clearly Apple is steadfastly refusing to comment on the rumour and speculation surrounding the apparent development of a smaller and more affordable version of its hugely successful smartphone but this is the second new iPhone rumour in a matter of days..
A patent relating to the so-called iPhone nano originally emerged back in the summer of 2009.
Memory-free MobileMe dependance
Graham Barlow, editor of MacFormat, said about the Apple news: "The stories are purely at the level of speculation and rumour right now.
"However, the fact that the Wall Street Journal is willing to nail its flag to the iPhone nano mast does add some credence to the rumour.
"Remember that the same thing happened with the WSJ running similar speculative rumour pieces about the iPad some time ago," adds Barlow.
"And also consider the fact that Walt Mossberg, the paper's tech correspondent, often gets Apple products in for review earlier than many others, as he has a very good relationship with the company."
The WSJ article follows similar rumour updates from respected sources such as Bloomberg and TechCrunch last week, with the latter suggesting that the 'iPhone nano' would cost in the region of $200 (£125) out of contract.
MobileMe makeover soon
The Journal also claims that Apple's MobileMe is set to get a significant makeover in June, encouraging more iPhone and Mac users make the move to the cloud.
On top of all that, the iPhone nano is also rumoured to have the absolute minimum amount of onboard memory for storage of media, which is one of the costliest parts of the current iPhone, with the device designed purely for streaming music, photo slideshows/videos, TV shows and movies from the cloud via MobileMe
The WSJ reports that: "MobileMe… would serve as a 'locker' for personal memorabilia such as photos, music and videos, eliminating the need for devices to carry a lot of memory."
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