3GSM

Building on the success of the LG Prada phone, LG Electronics introduced several new touch-screen beauties at GSMA 2008 Mobile World Congress, including the LG KF700. The KF700 features a touch-sensitive 3-inch screen where you can swipe your finger to access several widgets, and the large size lends itself quite nicely to Web browsing and watching videos. But unlike the iPhone and Prada, the KF700 doesn't solely rely on the screen for phone operation. LG wanted to give users a choice as far as input methods, and it also wanted to answer customer requests for a multimedia phone that … Read more

In addition to the LG KF700, LG Electronics debuted the LG KF600 at GSMA 2008, another touch-screen cell phone--hmm, I'm detecting a theme here. Not to be outdone by its bigger brother, the KF600 has plenty of flash of its own and is actually the GSM cousin of the LG Venus, which we reviewed earlier.

The upper half of the phone consists of a 2-inch, 262,000 color non-touch screen, while there's a 1.5-inch touch screen on the lower half. The latter is actually called the InteractPad and displays your main menu items as well as certain … Read more

At GSMA 2008 Mobile World Congress, Microsoft announced that its MSN Direct services is now available on Windows Mobile devices. A technology preview allows you to get instant, at-a-glance updates on weather, top news stories, stock updates, sports scores, and more. The service will also automatically refresh the content so you have the latest information. You can download the free technology preview in one of two ways: by pointing your mobile Web browser to http://phone.msndirect.com or by downloading the MSN Direct client to your PC, then synchronizing it with your mobile device. Just be aware that using … Read more

LG Electronics wasn't just about flash and touch screen phones at GSMA Mobile World Congress this year. The company also launched the LG KT610, a Symbian smartphone with integrated GPS to meet the needs of its business customers. The KT610 sports a candy-bar-style form factor that opens up to reveal a 2.4-inch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. There's also a small display and alphanumeric keypad on the exterior of the phone. Inside, the machine is running Symbian OS 9.2 (S60 3rd Edition) and is HSDPA capable. Push e-mail, a full Web browser, and multimedia capabilities are … Read more

HTC just made its smartphone/mobile computer/Frankenstein device, the HTC Advantage, even more powerful with an update that brings more memory, new software, and an improved keyboard.

Introduced at GSMA, the HTC Advantage (X7510) now includes the TouchFlo software (a la HTC Touch) for easier scrolling of e-mails and Web pages. Plus, it will boast a new Today screen, based on a new version of the Windows Mobile operating system, with one-touch access to messages, calendar, and contacts.

While the interface enhancements sound great, we're more excited at the mention of the new operating system. The Advantage X7510 … Read more

We were hoping to hear some news from HTC, and the device manufacturer did indeed have a couple of announcements at GSMA. The first is the HTC 3470. The company is touting it as the affordable option for those looking for a smartphone with built-in GPS. Uhh, I'm not sure what HTC's definition of affordable is, but with a price tag of 449 euros ($652 U.S.), I wouldn't exactly call it a bargain. It comes preloaded with TomTom Navigator 6 software, so along with the assisted GPS, users will be able to get turn-by-turn directions, points … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--The Internet is the future of mobile and carriers need to be more selective about the technologies they choose if they want to succeed, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin said during his keynote speech here Tuesday.

Sarin, who was speaking on the second day of the GSMA's Mobile World Congress, said that mobile operators need to be at the forefront of developing new services for cell phones, such as music, games, and video. If they don't take an active role now, he said, they risk losing their relevance in the market.

"Operators need to invest to bring … Read more

As CNET News.com's Ina Fried reported earlier this week, Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Microsoft to release Windows Mobile smartphones and sure enough, the first such device was revealed at GSMA and its name is the Sony Ericsson EXPERIA X1. In the past, Sony Ericsson smartphones, such as the P1i, have used the Symbian mobile operating system (UIQ). The launch of the XPERIA line marks the debut of Windows Mobile on the company's devices. The X1 is the first in the series, and makes quite the impression.

It has a cool arc slider design (think Motorola Rizr Z8) … Read more

Sony Ericsson made a strong showing at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona. The company announced several new models, all of which make an effort to stand out. And you can see them here in our Sony Ericsson GSMA slide show. The biggest news is its new Xperia X1. The first Sony Ericsson Windows Mobile phone, it features a full alphabetic keyboard with a unique "arc" slider design. The Sony Ericsson booth staff isn't letting the two Z1s we saw out of their hands, so we didn't get a good chance to play with it yet. … Read more