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February 14, 2008 12:21 PM PST

Adios, Barcelona.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

It's Valentine's Day and the GSMA World Congress is coming to a close. It's been a busy few days for the CNET team. Bonnie Cha and I journeyed from San Francisco with CNET TV's Ariel Nunez, CNET UK's Andrew Lim flew in from London, and John Chan of CNET Asia came all the way from Singapore. As one of the biggest mobile shows on the planet with more than 55,000 attendees, GSMA produced a lot of interesting news, from new smartphones to the first prototypes of the Android platform. Barcelona was a good host, which is impressive considering just how the show took over the town. So as we pack our bags and escape for a few days of rest, we're proud to bring you the highlights of the show. And be sure to check out our full GSMA coverage and watch the GSMA videos.

Sony Ericsson W980

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Handset news dominated the show, of course. Sony Ericsson and Nokia battled it out for the most high-profile announcements. Sony Ericsson unveiled a new Walkman phone, the W980, two new Cyber-shot models, the C702 and C902, and it introduced its new G-series line with the G700 and G900. The latter two models are especially noteworthy as they make interesting use of their touch screens. And last but not least, Sony Ericsson showed off the Z770, which is a super slim flip phone with an emphasis ... Read more

February 14, 2008 9:41 AM PST

After attending CES four times, CTIA eight times, Macworld two times, and several smaller show in between, I thought I have the whole trade thing mastered. You spend the day meeting with companies, wandering the show floor, and battling crowds before returning to your hotel for a night of work. You also go a few days without enough sleep or a decent meal. As I prepared for the GSMA World Congress, I knew it would be different--a different continent, a different culture, a different language, and an international focus. I had no idea of just how different it would be.

Now that GSMA is over, I can say without a doubt that it was the best trade show I've attended. In almost every way, GSMA is better organized than anything we have in the United States, particularly the huge and uberhyped CES. Follow along as I keep score.

T-Mobile's snazzy stand.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

Booths:
At GSMA, company booths are called stands. Though such terminology kept me thinking of a lemonade stand, the stands can be massive with a full set of amenities (Nokia even had a doctor on staff). For instance, consider the T-Mobile stand, which was its own building. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out on a reflecting pool with a sculpture. There was a terrace where you could get a drink. Worried about the chilly weather? Don't be, they installed heating lamps there to keep you warm.

Nokia's hospitality suite.

(Credit: Kent German/

... Read more
February 14, 2008 7:25 AM PST
(Credit: Crave UK)

While wandering through the mobile theme park that is the 3GSMA Mobile World Congress, we stumbled across a strangely familiar-looking phone at the Spyker stand. Spyker is mostly known for making cars, which gave us pause.

There was no model name on the handset, but of course the first thing we thought of when we saw it was the iPhone. The available press materials failed to shed any light on its name, but when we asked the man at the stand whether or not it belonged to the Spyker portfolio, he responded with a straightforward "yes." Click here for more.

(Source: Crave UK)

Originally posted at Crave
February 14, 2008 5:57 AM PST
(Credit: CNET Networks)

Yesterday, I finally got a chance just to walk around the vast halls of Fira de Barcelona and really take in the sights of 2008 GSMA Mobile World Congress. While doing so, I stumbled upon NTT DoCoMo's booth and ended up spending a fair bit of time there, wandering in awe. For those of you who don't know, NTT DoCoMo is Japan's leading cell phone provider, and they have got some amazing devices. There are ones that you can fully submerge in water. There are gaming and mobile TV handsets, and I know we've got those in the United States too, but I would actually use the DoCoMo ones for those purposes; the features aren't half-baked. There are high-fashion phones, wellness phones (don't ask), and fitness phones. Hell, even some of the models for youth are more advanced than the ones we have. We all know that Japan and Asia in general are ahead of the times when it comes to technology, but you get a sense that they've really embraced how technology can enrich their lives. It seems as if the cell phone manufacturers have developed devices for every type of lifestyle.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

To that end, I've been trying to observe some of the cell phone habits here in Barcelona, and it seems that the Spaniards use their mobiles much like we do in the United States. They're mostly ways to keep in touch with

... Read more

February 13, 2008 4:58 PM PST

Vodafone makes itself known at GSMA.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

The GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, is winding to a close, but that doesn't mean mobile phone news have stopped streaming in. The third day of GSMA 2008 saw AMD announcing big plans for mobile phone processors, RIM's co-CEO downplaying the recent BlackBerry outage, and the LiMo Foundation possibly giving Google's Android a run for its money with its own effort at an open, Linux-based operating system. Of course, we also took the opportunity to look at phones and carriers off the beaten path.

For starters, Senior Editor Kent German explored the large Vodafone plaza (Vodafone is a UK-based carrier) and took a look at their phones, such as the Nokia 5310 and the Samsung SGH-P110, which we'll never get here. He also lamented the lackluster Alcatel presence, despite their big showing in 2007. NEC is a big phone manufacturer outside of the U.S., and Kent gave us a good look at the NEC FOMA N705i for NTT DoCoMo in Japan, which also happens to be one of the first LiMo Foundation phones.

Nokia's Remade uses recycled and renewable materials to lessen its environmental impact.

(Credit: Nokia)

In an effort to go green, Nokia has unveiled Remade, a phone that is made entirely out of renewable and recycled parts. Senior Editor Bonnie Cha also got a look at the much talked about Garmin Nuvifone, a touch screen phone with a lot ... Read more

Originally posted at Crave
February 13, 2008 11:08 AM PST

Though Google's Android platform is getting a lot of attention at the GSMA World Congress, the LiMo Foundation is making news of its own. LiMo is a consortium of companies working to create the an open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. The foundation has about 30 members including Motorola, NEC, Samsung, Vodafone, Orange, LG, and NTT DoCoMo.

LiMo made several announcements at the show. Besides signing up new member companies, it showed off a number of cell phones using LiMo. They include the Motorola U9, Motorola Z6w (announced at GSMA), Motorola Rarz2 V8, Motorola Rokr E8 (announced at CES), NTT DoCoMo FOMA N905i, NTT DoCoMo FOMA N705i, and Samsung SGH-i800.

February 13, 2008 10:38 AM PST
Palm

Palm at GSMA

(Credit: CNET Networks)

There's a lot of Windows Mobile and Symbian news at GSMA Mobile World Congress, but things have been pretty quiet in Palm-land. Still, the company is here at the show, and there was a wee bit news. First, a GSM version of the Palm Centro will be coming to Europe. According to Treonauts, the unlocked Centro will be available in the United Kingdom on February 14, and at the end of the month for the rest of Europe with a price tag of 299 euros. A Web site called TamsWMS also has what appears to be the first unboxing of an unlocked Palm Treo 500 for Vodafone, though we haven't heard anything official about this product yet.

Back here in the States, rumors are starting to pick up that AT&T will start selling the Palm Centro on February 19. It will carry the same attractive $99 price tag as its Sprint counterpart, but will come in a fresh white color. Stay tuned for more.

February 13, 2008 10:01 AM PST

Chinese cell phone manufacturer ZTE has a sizable presence at the GSMA World Congress. Not only did it supply almost every show attendee with a canvas bag, but also its large booth in one of the main halls faced off with the likes of Samsung and Sony Ericsson. I toured the ZTE area to see the cell phones available in China and found a few that caught my eye.

ZTE i766

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

The ZTE i766 is a candy bar phone with a 2.4-inch, 262,00-color touchscreen. Primed for multimedia, it plays broadcast TV, has an MP3 player, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and an FM radio. It also offers e-mail, a Web browser, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, and USB capability. To me, the navigation array was a bit cramped and the TV quality was just average.

ZTE D800

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

The ZTE D800 is a keyboard-equipped smartphone that looks a bit like a cross a between a RIM BlackBerry device and a Samsung BlackJack. It offers dualmode GSM/CDMA functionality, a Linux OS, a touchscreen, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, push e-mail, a Web browser, and an MP3 player.

ZTE F858

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

The ZTE F858 is a HSDPA flip phone, which somewhat resembles a Motorola Razr. Inside you'll find video streaming, Bluetooth, USB support, a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, a Web browser, e-mail, and a microSD card slot.

ZTE F912

(Credit: Kent German/CNET
... Read more
February 13, 2008 9:48 AM PST
iRiver

iRiver's first cell phone.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

In the United States, iRiver is more well known for its MP3 players and PVPs, but in Europe, it's hoping to break into the cell phone market. With a small booth at GSMA Mobile World Congress, iRiver showed off its first GSM handset. Though a bit mysterious with no official name (it bears a striking resemblance to the iRiver W7, one of the company's PVPs) and spec list, we do know it features a 3-inch touchscreen and Linux-based operating system. iRiver also showcased its GPS capabilities and multimedia functions, which was one of the better highlights--not surprising considering the company's roots. I played with the user interface a bit, and I wasn't terribly impressed. I found it lackluster, and it wasn't intuitive. The company plans to bring it to the European market in the third quarter. When asked about U.S. availability, the iRiver representative said he didn't know.

February 13, 2008 9:07 AM PST

The diminutive Modu phone.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

Modu has generated a lot of buzz for itself at the GSMA World Congress. The Israeli company has developed a concept for a modular cell phone that can be placed into "jackets" that change the both the appearance and the functionality of the handset. I got the chance to check out the Modu phone today, and I admit it's an intriguing concept that could prove to be successful if it evolves as Modu promises.

The overall concept is quite simple. The primary device is a small black cell phone, aka a Modu (clever name, huh?), that's smaller than a credit card and weighs only 1.5 grams. There's only a tiny display, a couple of controls, a mini-USB port, and a charger jack. So what's so exciting about that? Well, there's more than meets the eye with this one. Though call can be made on the Modu, it's really designed to be inserted into one of the jackets, which basically are the shells of a candy bar phone. The Modu slides easily into the top of the jacket and once it clicks into place, the jacket's display will activate and the phone can be used. The role of the jacket, which is about the size of a standard candy bar phone, is multifold. Not only does it give users a normal-sized color screen, a keyboard, and a full set of navigation controls, but it ... Read more

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The CNET TV Team

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  • The GSMA (3GSM) World Congress show highlights the latest in hot cell phones, accessories, services, and industry trends. CNET brings you the top wireless news from the conference.

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