Mobile World Congress 2009 - Showfloor Coverage Part 1

The Mobile Phone Pilgrimage

As huge mobile enthusiasts and technology writers, it is our ultimate wet dream to catch, caress and feast our eyes on the latest mobile handsets out there. As it has been for many years, an event of epic proportions happens around the second week of February, where throngs of tech geeks flock in anticipation to check out the latest technologies. This event is called Mobile World Congress - the Mecca for mobile lovers, where manufacturers line up to oust each other to launch the best handset that is poised to win the hearts of consumers and break their piggy banks open.

The rabid desire to feast our eyes on the phones started sometime in January, where journalists who attended the Consumer Electronics Show were treated to a glimpse of the Palm Pre unveiled by ex-Apple tech guru Jon Rubenstein. Fast forward to 9am on February 16th, the doors to MNC were open, and all hell broke loose. Journalists streamed in like vultures to a dead corpse. Hungry, abrasive and sick to the stomach in tech lust, the latest handsets were the only thoughts on our minds. After getting our hands all over our objects of desire, here is our pick of the crop.

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5

Around a year ago, Windows Mobile 6 was announced and version 6.1 shortly followed suit. Though they were applauded for being feature-packed and user-friendly, both operating systems were somewhat disappointing as they weren't as savvy or intuitive as users wanted it to be. And they just looked sorely lackluster alongside Apple's mighty iPhone OS. Would 6.5 make critics happy or just have them slam it all over again as they have done with Vista?

For one, 6.5 boasts a home screen with customizable widgets that display updates from users' favorite Web services, letting them look at these updates at a glance. It also includes an improved touch-screen interface, which makes it easier for you to tap onto tabs or drag items across the screen using your fingertips. Though we probably can't say whether or not this software is worthy of praise, it is certain that the new version will have to make do for now, till the eagerly anticipated version 7 come to our shores and handsets.

Also unveiled at the Microsoft booth was My Phone. No, it's not a handset but more of a mobile phone service: think of it as Microsoft's answer to Apple's MobileMe software. My Phone is all about harmonizing calendars, address books, to-do lists and backing up these data online. Shutter bugs can also wirelessly send photos and video from their phone directly to the My Phone service, making it simple to share content at a snap. This service is mainly aimed towards business customers that are using the Windows Mobile software as Microsoft needs to get them back after RIM "stole" them away.

Will this service prove an incentive to get customers to switch from Apple's MobileMe or BlackBerry users? Here's our take - it might tickle the fancy of existing Windows Mobile users, but for this software to attract new users, it will be a challenge altogether.

i-mate

Always wanted to throw your thousand dollar handset off the wall after having a heated phone argument with the spouse? Well, now you can with the i-mate 810-F handset. The 810-F has been designed to meet the rigors of the most extreme environments. Essentially, it can be stamped on, dropped in water and even thrashed under a car wheel, and it promises to survive with nary a dent. To top it all off, it comes with a lifetime warranty (Terms & Conditions Apply, but of course). Its long specs list also has enough goods to meet the needs of most users - the list includes 2.2GB worth of internal storage, 128MB DDR memory, a 624MHz PXA processor, 2MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and more.

Motorola

Slipping off the ranks of the "Who's Great" in the mobile handset manufacturer report card is a former mobile phone mover-and-shaker, Motorola. So far the only semi-impressive handset that we have seen from Motorola is the Aura which is exclusive to a particular operator. And if you buy it off the shelves, then you are probably the few that are willing to splurge over two thousand dollars on a handset that looks sweet but does only basic tasks.

Will this be a great comeback for the Yankee company to leave their sordid past behind and come back knocking on the door of greatness? We like to think so as we have a soft spot in our hearts for Motorola but frankly, we don't see it happening in the near future.

Garmin-Asus

If Batman and Robin were a force to be reckoned with, then the latest partnership between Garmin and Asus should be putting some fear into the hearts of other manufacturers. The Kings of the Eee PC and the Kings of the GPS have joined forces in a bid to churn out GPS-enabled handsets.

First, we saw the birth of the nuvifone. Now, just a few weeks into the relationship, the twin terrors have released yet another handset, this time it is based on Windows Mobile operating system and it's called the M20. I shudder to think what would happen if the company had a few months on their hands.

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