GSMA 3GSM Mobile World Congress

Adios, Barcelona: GSMA 2009 wrap-up

Bonnie Cha — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:38:00 PST

Till next year, Barcelona.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

We're all slowly making our way back to the States and back to our regular schedules now that the Mobile World Congress show has come to an end, but before we completely close the door on GSMA 2009, we wanted ...

Photos: Windows Mobile smartphones you can't have

Bonnie Cha — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:44:00 PST

One of the cool (and painful) things about GSMA Mobile World Congress is that you get to see some of the best mobile devices available around the world. I say painful because often these products aren't available in the United States and probably never will be, unless you find ...

Q&A: Verizon's CTO digs into 4G

Marguerite Reardon — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:30:00 PST

BARCELONA--So what's a big CDMA operator like Verizon Wireless doing at a conference hosted by the GSM Association?

Well, it looks like the old technology wars that divided the wireless industry are being laid to rest as operators begin marching toward building the next-generation 4G networks. While there are ...

Finally...something interesting in Skymall

Kent German — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

The X1 becomes a cover story.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

Since I can read United Airline's in-flight magazine only so many times on a 10-hour flight between San Francisco and Frankfurt, Germany, I took a few minutes to leaf through the ubiquitous Skymall catalog as well.

Normally, for ...

GSMA: Sights from the show floor

Kent German — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:22:00 PST

GSMA World Congress show floor photos

As we wrap up our coverage of the GSMA World Congress and prepare to head home to San Francisco and New York City, we invite you to take a look at sights from the show floor in Barcelona. Indeed, GSMA is a massive, frenetic show that spreads over eight buildings ...

Android skips Barcelona's mobile-phone party

Stephen Shankland — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:13:00 PST

The GMSA Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona could have been a great place for Google to demonstrate progress establishing Android in the industry, but instead the open-source operating system showed only a slightly larger toehold.

Google has high hopes for Android, which the company launched in an effort to spur smartphone development, mobile use of the Web, and new search advertising. Although Android certainly isn't vaporware, and Google's clout makes the effort a serious challenge to other operating systems, so far Android's potential exceeds its real-world presence.

HTC's Magic is the second Android-powered phone to hit the market.

(Credit: HTC)

The biggest Android news from the show was the debut of the HTC Magic. This new Android model is the second Android model from the Taiwanese company; the first, HTC's Dream, is better known as the T-Mobile G1.

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Originally posted at News - Wireless

Nokia 5630 Xpress Music on video

Kent German — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:36:00 PST

At the GSMA World Congress here in Barcelona, there's a lot more to see than just the brand new cell phones. We also relish the chance to check out models that are ...

Google shows Web-based offline Gmail on iPhone

Stephen Shankland — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:43:00 PST

Showing that its Web application priorities extend to the mobile world, Google on Wednesday demonstrated a version of Gmail for the iPhone that could be used even when the phone had no network connection.

Vic Gundotra, Google's vice president of engineering, showed off at the 2009 GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona what he called a "technical concept" of Gmail even when the iPhone was offline. In January, Google released an offline version of Gmail for desktops and laptops, and like it, the mobile phone incarnation runs in a Web browser, not as a native application.

The software let Gundotra browse and read e-mail even after he switched the phone into airplane mode, which shuts off the wireless network. To watch a demonstration, check the demo video on iPhone Buzz.

Offline applications can't of course retrieve new data from the network, but they do synchronize when network access is restored. Meanwhile, e-mail is stored in a local database on the phone, even when online.

"You'll note that it's very, very fast because it's using that local database," Gundotra said. The application also showed a floating toolbar that was visible even as he scrolled through his in-box.

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Originally posted at Webware

GSMA 2009 Day three summary

Nicole Lee — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:46:00 PST

There's not lot of news from the third day of GSMA Mobile World Congress, but we did get more in-depth looks at some of the week's earlier announcements, plus a peek at a few interesting niche handsets.

Check out the Samsung Omnia HD.

(Credit: Samsung)

Kent German and ...

Hands on with the HTC Touch Diamond2, Touch Pro2, and more

Bonnie Cha — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:40:00 PST

I'm sure I'm just setting myself up for disappointment one of these days, but I've come to expect big things from HTC at trade shows, whether it be CTIA or Mobile World Congress. The company has consistently delivered some of the hottest product announcements at these events, so can you blame a girl for thinking such thoughts?

Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009 (well, maybe a little, but I'll get to that in a bit) as HTC debuted several new handsets. The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer kicked off the show by debuting the HTC Touch Diamond2 and the HTC Touch Pro2, which replace the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro.

HTC Magic

(Credit: Bonnie Cha/CNET Networks)

I stopped by HTC's booth on Wednesday to have a look at both smartphones, and I was impressed with the design improvements and enhanced technologies. The Touch Diamond2 probably wowed me more than the Pro2 because of its extremely thin and solid design. The device doesn't feel as plasticky with its brushed metal face and sides. Also, I can't tell if it's the sleeker design, but the screen pops out that much more and grabs your attention.

HTC has also worked on the user interface, providing a new Start screen where you can easily access your applications. It's also customizable and features more user-friendly icons. The touch-sensitive toolbar is a cool little feature. I didn't think it'd make that much of a difference but it definitely makes it easier to zoom in and out on Web pages and e-mails.

The Touch Pro2 is a monster, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. It's bigger than the Touch Pro (4.5 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick versus 4 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick) but again solidly built. The navigation buttons along the bottom are smaller than I like, but that's a relatively minor complaint.

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