MWC 2011: Mobile Handset Round up - Tech2's Favorites

As usual MWC was a pure adrenaline rush for the mobile junkies of the planet and was rampant with all the latest that mobile technology has to offer. Devices ranged from prototypes to those that were officially announced and launched at the event. It was the place to be for anyone who’s ever paid more attention to a cell phone other than just for messaging or calls. We’ve rounded up a list of our favorite handsets that made it out at the event and those we’re looking forward to seeing soon on Indian shores. Here’s a closer look.

LG Optimus 3D
LG’s upcoming Optimus 3D handset could very well set the trend for the next generation mobile handset thanks to its namesake. Not only will it support 3D playback but we’re talking about actually capturing data in 3D as well with a dual-lens high-res 8MP camera. Thanks to the Optimus 3D’s Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor that’s coupled with a PowerVR GPU, functionality should be as smooth as a warm knife through butter.

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The world in 3D

The handset’s specs also include -

• 4.3-inch 3D LCD Capacitive Touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA,
• GPS with A-GPS support,
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP + EDR, USB 2.0
• Dual 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus plus Front facing camera
• MicroSD card slot
• HDMI port
• 3.5 mm audio jack

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Apart from the Xperia Play, which is now gaining a steady following of fans, the Xperia Arc also has our attention. This sexy, slim and leek looking handset is a powerhouse of functionality with its 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU running silently under the hood. Loaded up with Gingerbread, Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA engine, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, HDMI Out and an 8MP camera with 720p video recording, the Arc is choc full of goodies.

The Arc of Noah?

Other features include -

• 4.2-inch capacitive multi-touch display with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi with DLNA
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with AGPS support
• 8.1 megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash
• microSD card support
• HDMI support
• FM radio
• 3.5mm jack

HTC Incredible S
The Incredible S is also equipped with a 1 GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU, ensuring smooth running for the Android Froyo edition it’ll probably ship with (upgradable to Gingerbread) and Sense UI version 3.0. With features like DivX and XviD video support built-in, the Incredible S has awesome potential to hake things up in the Android community.

The Incredible One

The handset also features -

• 4-inch S-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi with DLNA capability
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP + EDR, USB 2.0
• 8 Megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, 1.3 Megapixel secondary camera
• 1 GB internal memory expandable up to 32 GB via micro SD cards
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 3.5 mm audio jack

Samsung Galaxy S II
Samsung is aiming to raise the bar again with their next Gen Galaxy device the S II. With a few of the now common place features like a Gorilla Glass encased display the handset is also fully loaded with all the latest mobile tech you can think of. To start off with the Gingerbread equipped device features a Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality and an 8MP camera that can record video in 1080p @ 30 fps. The camcorder could go the way of the Dodo now. Samsung will also launch the handset with their updated TouchWiz UI i.e. version 4.0. Adobe Flash 10.1 and DivX/XviD codec support are also part of the overall package.

S2T2

Here are a few more specs -

• 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, Wi-Fi with DLNA,
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, USB 2.0
• 8 Megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash and a 2 Megapixel front-facing camera
• 16 or 32 GB storage, expandable up to 32 GB
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 3.5 mm audio jack

Huawei IDEOS X3
Huawei has already made its presence known in India with the IDEOS U8150 that’s already quite decently priced as is. We can only hope that their newly announced X3, that’ll be shipping with Gingerbread and what we assume to be a seriously competitive price tag (below $200) would make it here as well.

Whoaway!

The handset’s specs are still a bit blurry but here are some that made it out

• 3.2-inch 320 x 480 pixel resolution touchscreen,
• Wi-Fi support (no idea just yet if it supports 3G but I’ll bet money it will)
• a 3.2 megapixel camera,
• Bluetooth with USB port
• microSD card support up to 16GB

Acer ICONIA Smart
The ICONIA Smart reminds me of the LG BL40 with its ultra wide-screen display(21:9 aspect ratio). The 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Android Gingerbread version and a whole lot of other very relevant features could make this handset seriously stand out in the crowd. It also comes with DivX and XviD support for video playback and active noise cancellation for clear calls. Adobe Flash 10.1 is also part of the bundle.

Possibly ICONIC

Check out some more specs below -

• 4.8-inch multi-touch display featuring 1024 x 480 pixels
• 3G, Wi-Fi with DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, USB 2.0
• 8 megapixel camera with LED Flash, 2 megapixel front facing camera
• 8GB internal storage plus support for more via microSD cards
• HDMI port
• FM radio

These were our favorites at this years MWC event that ended recently. For all the news you can check out this link. Let us know what handsets you’re most looking forward to seeing and why.