Top 10 phones at MWC 2009
Just so you don't miss anything important, we've sifted out 10 of our favorites. Here they are in alphabetical order.
Acer M900
Damian Koh: This one beats out the HTC Touch Pro2 with a whopper of a 3.8-inch WVGA screen vs. the latter's 3.6-inch WVGA. So we'll buy this for now as a sign of Acer's earnestness that it's serious about its new smart devices business. Let's hope it's not going to end up as one of the run-of-the-mill Windows phones.
John Chan: Though I didn't have great expectations for Acer to blow my socks off, the introduction of the M900 with its enormous LCD and stuffed-to-the-gills specifications at least show that the company is serious about this business. Now, let's just hope Acer doesn't make us wait forever for it.
HTC Magic
Damian Koh: The Dream isn't the sleekest device and we certainly won't call it sexy, but we are not giving up on HTC yet. This is the company's second chance with the Magic. Let's hope it lives up to its name.
John Chan: This Android-powered smartphone was the only real (meaning it will come to market and not merely as a prototype or concept for show) product announced at MWC 2009, which will run Google's operating system. Its trimmer build should make it appealing to those who feel the HTC Dream is too big for comfort.
HTC Touch Pro2
Damian Koh: Just how many ways can you touch up a Touch? Apparently, quite a few, as HTC slaps on a massive 3.6-inch WVGA display on the Touch Pro2 while making it slimmer on the sides.
John Chan: It may seem like just another sequel with ramped-up specs, but the successor to the current Touch Pro has an interesting trick up its sleeve. It comes with a conference call feature called Straight Talk which includes a huge, cool-looking speaker grille on the back, complete with a mute button. The fact that it will get a free upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 later in the year is icing on this HTC's cake.
i-mate 810-F
Damian Koh: This one's born to be abused and will most likely outlast you and me in the cold, while running a full operating system. Better still, it comes with a lifetime warranty, subject to terms and conditions, though.
John Chan: This ruggedized phone has a full-fledged Windows Mobile OS so you don't lose any of the capabilities you've come to expect from a regular smartphone. And the best thing is, at 111 x 66 x 15.5mm and 150g, this tough model is compact enough so you won't look like you have a brick in your pocket.
LG Arena
Damian Koh: If you are in for some fancy 3D user interface, the Arena is it. The cube-based layout and the fancy graphics with traces of Apple's Cover Flow definitely take the user experience up a notch. But what makes it stand out is that it also comes with a 5-megapixel camera, 3-inch WVGA touch display, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and HSDPA.
John Chan: If you don't want a smartphone OS but still long for all the high-end features, the Arena is the answer. Its 3D user interface, dubbed the S-Class, even shares the same name as a certain German car maker's flagship series. Coincidence? Perhaps, but it sure does help.
Nokia N86
Damian Koh: More Nokia multimedia goodies? The Finns have answered the call with the N86. This 8-megapixel Nseries comes with automatic aperture (F2.8/3.2/4.8) control and shutter speeds reaching up to 1/1,000 second, almost as good as a dedicated camera.
John Chan: The Finnish manufacturer is determined not to be outdone in the imaging space and this new phone is its answer. The sheer number of camera features is astounding and that's coupled with all the high-end features you expect from a Noka Nseries phone.
Samsung Omnia HD
Damian Koh: Records 1,280 x 720-pixel high-definition videos. 'Nuff said.
John Chan: Now here's a phone that truly deserves the HD moniker. Its camera is capable of capturing video of up to 1,280 x 720 pixels, a notable feat considering such a feature is still not even standard in compact digital cameras yet.
Samsung Ultra Touch
Damian Koh: This Samsung melds a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a conventional keypad. There are not many handsets that offer both touch and keypad inputs, plus the Ultra Touch simply blows the competition away with its sleek design.
John Chan: Samsung has a reputation for making great-looking handsets and the Ultra Touch doesn't disappoint with a slim 12.7mm depth even though it's fully loaded with a touchscreen display and slide-out keypad.
Sony Ericsson Idou
Damian Koh: A 12-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16:9 widescreen touch display, Cyber-shot branding and drool-inducing pictures. What's not to like? The only thing missing perhaps is a kitchen sink.
John Chan: It has everything you can hope for in a mobile phone expect perhaps a physical keypad. Let's just hope the expected 2009 second-half release date is closer to the middle of the year rather than the end. If not, the Omnia HD (which will hit selected markets in the first half of the year) may just make the Idou pointless.
Toshiba TG01
Damian Koh: This Toshiba ranks highly not only on its honest-to-goodness
John Chan: Though announced before the show started, the TG01 remains one of the most desirable devices at the show. And that's not just because it has a 1GHz processor--few other full touchscreen devices can match it for looks, too.
Latest comments
Top 10 phones at MWC 2009 is very good idia.
It's great to see i-mate back in the game!
Now that Barcelona is behind us I am truly looking forward to the upcoming crop of phone. Although there isn't a single one slated to be released that has everything I'm looking for, I think it'll be just a little bit harder when all these units finally do come out. As a big Sony Ericsson fan I am truly in awe at how they pulled off the Idou. The only thing I feel they should add is 720p video recording since the phone already has a display with the proper aspect ratio. Other than that, I believe it's a very solid offering. As for HTC, just because the Magic is the only Android phone available doesn't automatically make it worth mentioning. All it really is is a Dream sans physical keyboard. It is bland and brings nothing new to the table. I say this only because I know HTC is capable of better (see: Touch Diamond, Touch HD, and Russian-market Max/Quartz). When they finally bring phones to market that can compete with their Windows Mobile offerings both in features and design, only then will I be interested.
Sony Ericsson Idou is a phone to look out for.. just gotta look at the GUI. if it's going to pluck xperia's GUI then.... i say forget it. It has to really trump all the other GUI to win some market share, and they have what it takes.
HTC Touch Pro2 looks amazing !!
Acer M900 i foresee a problem with the keypads... it looks like it is form a super tiny laptop, but it looks too uncomfortable to be using it on the road.
I agree. Damian & Jhon please explain INQ1 chosen as the best mobile phone in MWC
I intend to purchase one when it's available in Singapore but have the following doubts which I hope CnetAsia would be able to advise. 1. Is this a dual SIM phone? 2. What type of email protocol does the phone support eg; pop3, SMTP, etc? Does it support Yahoo mail, Hotmail and Gmail? 3. Is it able to support free video conferencing and VOIP using Skype or Live Messenger? 4. Does it support the Chinese language? Hope to receive an email reply from CnetAsia. Thank you very much.
Join the conversation
Sign In with Facebook or create an account to post a review.
