Mobile World Congress 2012

HTC fighting Samsung for the Android crown

It seems the choices this year for smartphones at the high end are big, bigger and biggest. If you don´t want the monster screens of the Samsung Note (pictured right) at 5.3 inches, or you think the Nokia Lumia 900 is a tad small at 4.3, then maybe you need the HTC One X at 4.7 inches. 

The range of screens available is becoming mind-boggling and it's difficult to recommend which phone will feel comfortable in your hand as we are all different. 

The first thing you notice with the HTC One X is that its overall size is negated somewhat by its slim body at just under 1cm. On a first look, the screen is as sharp and rich as I've seen so far at the show, with very good viewing angles as you move from side to side. 

As phone screens expand, viewing angle starts to become an issue, in much the same way as it does when several people are viewing a TV screen from an off-centre position. While I don't expect the smartphone to have a family sitting around it watching TV, there will be times when you want to share a photo or video with others who are watching at different angles. 

The new Sense 4.0 overlay to the Android ICS is effective and more importantly, it's not intrusive. Several phone makers ruin their Android phone offering by including a useless overlay that actually damages the Android experience on the phone. 

HTC has a handset range that includes several Windows Phone 7.5 but the company has most of its high-end models working on Android and first impressions with the One series in general - and the One X in particular - indicate a strong year for ICS handsets.

Big screen performance

The big screen handsets just keep coming, with the Samsung Note really proving a popular attraction at the show. The lines to get your portrait taken using the Note were nearly as long as the queue for the portaloo. 

The LG Vu is also providing some big screen action for those wanting to get on the 4G or LTE bandwagon. The irony in pushing wide area WiFi and portable broadband when the WiFi access at the conference continues to break down was not lost on those attending. 

However when the LTE network did work, you could enjoy some impressive streaming video on the Vu's 5-inch screen. 

Reading and graphic novels work really well with this form factor on both units, but it's a matter of deciding what you want from your phone when picking a handset. Look for more hands on gallery pix of these handsets over the coming days.

Battery developments

Battery life continues to be an issue with phones and tablets able to do so much, but making big demands from the battery. 

A focus on large screens and thin bodies also restricts the capacity of the onboard battery. A few interesting finds in the show include a solar powered iPad/iPhone dock (pictured right) and a series of cases that also work as a backup power source. 

Produced by A-Solar, the compact solar powered device is the same size and weight as a small portable hard drive and uses a 6000mAh battery. 

The iPad/iPhone dock is portable enough to power your device when you are caught out and about, with a cover sliding back to accommodate an iPad as well as any other iPod device. 

There's also a mini USB connection to power other devices or media players that can accept the mini USB connection. It should be available for around $120. 

Power drain on the iPhone can be an issue if you use your phone for photos or video as well as the constant use of WiFi causing the bar to drop from 100% to 0% with a few hours of continual use. 

Mophie have a couple of options to keep you going using either a portable battery or including a battery in a case. The rigid iPhone case incorporates a 2000mAh battery and the overall effect is surprisingly unobtrusive. In fact it's not much larger than some rigid cases, with the advantage of doubling your battery life. The other product is a portable battery dock.

More waterproof handsets from Fujitsu

It seems that 24 hours is a long time at the MWC - the Panasonic Eluga (see video above) is not the only waterproof smartphone at the show, with Fujitsu handsets it seems you can throw the whole range of phones and tablets into the kitchen sink. 

The whole Fujitsu range is in the tank happily operating as normal (pictured right). 

Fujitsu is another handset maker that is not in the Australian market but has a range of handsets that would work on our networks. 

The Fujitsu handset range include a couple of interesting models with the F-07D Android handset claimed to be the world’s thinnest phone and the IS12T smartphone running Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). 

Other handsets to claim waterproofing abilities include models from NEC (although they don't look like being able to work in Australia), so look for more of the technology we covered at CES on HzO to be incorporated into handsets throughout the year. 

Until we see some standards being quoted by the handset makers to help quantify how waterproof they are, such as an IP rating to indicate full submersion in water below one metre, it's difficult how the different claims compare. 

Look for a CHOICE project on testing these claims later this year to see what waterproof really means.

It’s just Sony

Sony Ericsson has split as of this year and dropped the Ericsson name from the brand. Sony's mobiles are often lost in the background handset war being fought among Apple, Samsung, HTC and Nokia. However Sony, together with Samsung and LG are well placed to take advantage of the increasingly connected home with products in virtually every room. 

The new Sony releases stress this wireless and wired relationship with the other entertainment devices in the home, with the availability of the Sony Xperia Ion providing mirroring with compatible TVs, which means it shows on the TV whatever is shown on the phone. 

The other new devices announced are the Sony Xperia U and P, with both handsets running on Android 2.3 (upgradable to ICS). The Xperia P is the 4-inch model with an NFC chip, 8MP camera and HDMI connectivity while the Xperia is the smaller model with a 3.5-inch display but no NFC chip. 

Although it feels solid enough on first inspection it's obvious that the Xperia U is the entry level model, while the Xperia P's unibody metal design is aimed at competing with the Apple 4S and Samsung Galaxy SII. Sony has also announced they are shipping the Sony Xperia S premium HD mobile announced recently at CES.

Doro gets smart, but hopefully not too clever

Long-time CHOICE members may recall a test carried out a couple of years ago on easy to use phones designed for first time users, seniors, kids and basically anyone who just wants to talk and text. 

Among the models we bought online from overseas and tested include the Emporia handset as well as a couple of Doro GSM phones that we found to be very easy to use. Now they are entering the smartphone market with a model that's smart enough to perform browsing, email and general tasks without requiring you to be particularly technologically gifted. 

A combination of slider and touchscreen allows you to either use the keypad when required or use the touchscreen for selections and menu control. It's also a 3G phone which means that you can still conduct basic browsing and collect emails. 

The phone is based on Android, but Doro has introduced a 'skin' overlay to help protect users from the more complex aspects of the operating system. 

If this was a smartphone aimed at the experienced user I would see this move as an act of madness. However some users may want to enjoy the operating advantages and access to app development that Android brings without the desire to customise or tinker with the OS. 

Another interesting introduction is the ability to customise the phone via a Windows app if needed. 

This is more for the geek in the family who will be able to set the phone up to suit the experience of the phone owner. Doro has also hinted at a 3G easy to use standard talk and text phone to be available soon and we will conduct a first look over the next month or two.