Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 – Day I

The largest trade show for mobile technology innovations, Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 opened today in Barcelona, Spain and what a first day it has been! Here is a breakdown of some of the amazing announcements from today…

ZTE Grand Memo

It has a ”giant” HD screen of 5.7 inch at a resolution of 720×1280 and all this is packed into a shell that’s just 18 mm thick. The ZTE Grand Memo embeds the latest Qualcomm quad-core processor (the SnapDragon 800) which is clocked at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage.

It also packs a 13 megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p and a 3200 mAh battery. It is 4G compatible and runs Android 4.1. Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi, are also provided for wireless communication.

It will initially be available in China and Europe, but nothing has been notified on price or release date. It remains to be seen if the format of this “phablet” will not be too crippling for use as a telephone.

Asus Padphone Infinity, and FonePad

A kind of Smartphone becoming a tablet once associated with a touch-screen dock. The smartphone is a high-end device with a 5 inch touch-screen of 1080p.  A Snapdragon CPU clocked at 1.7 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.2 and is 4G compatible. The tablet meanwhile has a 10-inch screen and works only when joined with the phone. This device will be available in April for $1300.

This may seem like a lot but think about what you pay for your phone and your tablet. This will enable you to have two devices in one. Will there be a market for this device? Only time will tell…

 

This time for $250 and $299, Asus also introduced the Fonepad, a sort of copy of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which will be released in two versions, one with a camera ($250) and one without ($299 ).

With a 7-inch screen, which features 10-point multi-touch, and a crisp 1280 x 800 HD resolution, and has a single-core Intel CPU clocked at 1.2 Ghz and 1GB of RAM. The internal memory is 8 GB, for the version with camera, and 16 GB for the version without. Both devices run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and you can expect the usual suite of customization from Asus on top of that.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Expected for several days, it is a true revolution line. This tablet features an Exynos 4412 quad-core CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz supported by 2GB of RAM. The WXGA display boasts 8 inches of loveliness, at 1280×800. It also has two cameras, rear-facing of 5 mega-pixel and front-facing of 1.3 mega-pixel.

For the rest, the Galaxy Note 8 will be available in two versions, one of 32 GB and the other of 64GB. However, the 32GB version will have a MicroSD slot, which will expand the memory up to 64GB. WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, accelerometer, compass and proximity sensor. It runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, measures 210.8 x 135.9 x 7.95 cm and weighs just 338 grams. Finally, the battery is a lithium-ion of 4,600 mAh.

Nokia reconverts in other segments

After highest-end and high-end, Nokia launched into the adventure of middle and entry-range. Here are 4 new models, the Lumia 720, Lumia 520, Nokia 301 and Nokia 105. All presented today, at the MWC.

The Lumia 720 features a dual-core Snapdragon SoC clocked at 1 GHz, coupled with 512MB RAM, 8GB of storage (expandable up to 64GB via the microSD slot) and the screen itself is a 4.3 inch WVGA using ClearBlack technology that reduces glare.

7GB of free storage on SkyDrive is an added bonus for purchasers. A rear-facing camera of 6.7 mega-pixel with a Carl Zeiss lens and LED flash. The camera can record up to 720p HD video, and there is also a front-facing camera of 1.3 mega-pixel. For wireless communications, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, GPS and NFC are all available. The 2000 mAh battery is compatible with the optional wireless charging. The Lumia 720 will be available in 5 colors and costs $ 485.

The Lumia 520 sports a 4-inch screen with resolution of 800×480 pixels and equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC clocked at 1 GHz. Note the presence of a 5 mega-pixel camera which also records 720p HD video, unfortunately though, this device is missing an LED flash.The Lumia 520 embeds 8 GB internal storage expandable up to 64GB via the microSD slot and is also supplemented with 7 GB of cloud storage space in the form of SkyDrive. The smartphone will be available in 5 colours for $260.

The Nokia 301 is 3G and is powered by a proprietary OS Nolia XPress. It will be available in more than 120 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Middle East and Latin America, for $118 and in the second quarter of 2013.

More affordable, the Nokia 105 is intended for minimalists, with basic features like FM radio, multiple alarm clocks, voice clock, resistance to dust and splashing, padded keyboard and a flash light. It will be sold $20. Personally I think this would be a perfect backup phone to keep in your drawer just in case your main device breaks or is lost/stolen.

 Huawei unveils the Ascend P2

A stunning smarphone with a Quad Core CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz and coupled with 1GB of RAM. The screen is a 4.7-inch IPS HD displaying 1280×720 resolution. A rear-facing HDR BSI camera of 13 mega-pixel and a front-facing 2 mega-pixel lens is also present.

Apparently, the Ascend P2 is natively compatible with NFC technology. For the rest, you can count on good measurements, 8.4 mm thick, 122 grams, dimensions of 136.2 x 66.7 x 8.4 mm, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and WiFi. It presents the significant advantage of being manipulated with gloves . Will be available for $525.

HP Slate 7

After the dismal failure of the HP TouchPad running WebOS, HP takes a new turn and presented the Slate 7, which runs Android. The Slate 7 is an entry-level tablet that has a 7-inch screen, which has an SD resolution of 1024×600. The device runs an ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz which is backed up with 1GB of RAM. The storage capacity is limited to 8 GB.

For the rest of the equipment there is a microSD slot, a rear-facing camera of 3 mega-pixel , a front-facing one of 0.3 mega-pixel camera, Beats Audio speakers, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1. Also included is ePrint, which allows users to print wirelessly from the tablet. The Slate 7 will be marketed from April to U.S. for $170. It will arrive later in Europe, where its price is still unknown.

As you can see it has been a really busy first day at MWC 2013 but we hope to see more fantastic devices on show over the rest of the event.