With Mobile World Congress now just days away, the rumour mill is working overtime with talk of new handsets from just about every manufacturer, and a few new ones too. So what are we likely to see announced next week?
Nokia:
Nokia seem to have the most amount of rumours again this year, with a few interesting handsets set to be announced. Some have been announced already, but information on them is still sketchy. Leaked information is still trickling out, so I’d expect to see more than just the ones below get confirmed.
Nokia E75 & 5730:
Originally covered on our post back in September, the E75 looks like its finally going to make its debut – along with the music inspried 5730. Both seem to be the same at first glance, and presumably will run different software to distinguish between the two, with more of a business user spin on the E75, and more music/media focus on the 5730.
Sources: GSM Arena, Phone Arena
Nokia App Store:
Apple really started something with the iPhone. First everyone went touchscreen crazy, now following the success of the Apple App Store (where users can download new applications and games directly to their phone,) it seems that everyone wants a slice of the action. Microsoft, Palm and Samsung have all announced they will be launching an App store in the not so distant future, and MWC should see Nokia announce to the world that their “download!” service is going to be replaced with their version of the App Store.
Source: The Nokia Blog
Codenames: Ivalo & Madeleine:
No real naming is known for these two handsets, but the do seem to match the descriptions of the leaked Nokia Roadmap that we revealed back in November.
Source: GSM Arena
Sony Ericsson:
Not so many with Sony Ericsson last year, nothing groundbreaking anyway. A few revisions to the Cyber-Shot line up and an interesting rumour on facebook phones are the main stories this year.
C903:
Last year camera phones to a big step forwards as the megapixels jumped up to 8MP, and software such as face detection and smile detection made its way into phones. Sony seem keen to develop the Cyber-Shot brand with their phones, with their latest one, the 5MP C903 looking more like a current Cyber-Shot camera from the back than a phone – although I’m really not convinced about the bright red housing.
Source: Mobile Burn
C901:
The C901 seems to be a replacement for the current C902, but without the gimmicky slide out camera and relatively small screen and with the welcome addition of a Xenon flash.
Source: Mobile Burn
C510:
The C510 has already been announced, but the latest rumours suggest that when it is released, it will feature full facebook integration. While its not the first facebook phone, it will be good to see this in a more mainstream handset than the 3 exclusive INQ1.
Source: Unwired View
LG:
LG have had a good year with several successfull handsets, and it looks like they’ve still got a fwe tricks up their sleeve and are about to raise their game again when it comes to touchscreen phones.
LG Arena:
Interestingly named seeing as they are in the process of rebranding the NEC Arena to the LG Arena, but that aside, the LG Arena will introduce a new menu system – a 3D cubic system. Its not Multi-Touch like the iPhone, but looks pretty impressive.
Source: Unwired View, Engadget
LG Solar:
Not content with only offering a Solar Powered Bluetooth car kit LG are expected to announce a solar powered phone. While not relying solely on power from the sun, the phone will use solar energy for phone calls while a conventional battery will power the other functions.
Source: Unwired View
Samsung:
Last year Samsung probably got the most attention and released the most amount of handsets, and it looks like it could be the same this year. Rumours are suggesting that upto 14 new handsets could be being announced, most of these will be low end handsets though. Of all of them, these are the ones that have caught my eye the most.
Tocco Ultra:
I’m not 100% sure why they’re calling it the Tocco Ultra, as it doesn’t really resemble the original Tocco, but this full touch screen handset has handy addition of a sliding standard phone keypad. Great for those that want a touch screen phone, but don’t want to lose their keypads completely, or move to a more bulky device with a full QWERTY keyboard.
Source: Unwired View, Engadget
i8910 Acme:
This one is set to be the show stopper if it is announced. It runs on the same operating system as the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, so its Symbian 60, and rumoured to have 8MP camera and HDMI support.
Source: Engadget
Blue Earth:
Not wanting to be left behind by LG, Samsung are also set to announce a solar powered phone. The Blue earth is rumoured to be a touch screen device made from recycled plastic bottles, and will even tell you how many trees you’re saving by not charging your phone.
Source: Unwired View
Other News:
Garmin?
Last year Garmin announced that they were going to start producing handsets. Its been announced that they’ve teamed up with Asus and we’re expecting the Nuvifone G60 and Nuvifone M20 to be officially announced. Source: Mobile Burn
Windows Mobile:
Windows Mobile was never really designed to be used using your finger, a stylus was and still is needed to access most menu’s, but since Apple changed the touchscreen interface, more and more manufacturers want to ditch the stylus, hence the introduction of software like Touch-Flo on HTC devices. Windows Mobile are hoping to fix all this with the introduction of Windows Mobile 6.5, information is patchy, but spy shots are starting to leak of the new finger friendly OS. Visit Engadget for more details and some leaked screenshots.
Mobile World Congress:
Don’t forget to check back next week for information on the latest announcements. subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up for email updates using the form on the right.