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.