Last week, companies like Nokia and Samsung were able to showcase their new devices at the 2012 (MWC) Mobile World Congress. The four-day event, which was held at Barcelona, was indeed filled with lots of smartphones and tablets. Some of them were packed with impressive specs while there are those that can be considered as mid-ranged handsets. Anyways, we have the hunch that you would like to know the best gadgets that were showcased at the Mobile World Congress. So instead of doing a round-up, we somehow thought of doing a post that would highlight the Top 10 Best MWC Gadgets. We aren’t really particular of the hierarchy but the last three will be our best choices.
1 – Huawei Ascend D QuadHuawei may be known for producing a lot of budget-friendly Android smartphones but it did manage to please the elite crowd with its all-new line of high-end handsets. The Ascend D Quad is part of Huawei’s Ascend Series and it can definitely take pride of its 4.5 inch IPS+ LCD display, 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, 1080p HD quality video recording, 1.3MP front facing camera, 1.2GHz quad core Huawei K3V2 processor, Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus sound enhancement, up to 32GB of micro SD card storage, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of ROM. The smartphone runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and it flaunts its 8.9mm thin body that doesn’t go any heavier than 130 grams. In fact, Huawei claims that it’s the world’s fastest quad core smartphone.
Slated to arrive on the second quarter of this year, Huawei claims that the Ascend D Quad will be much cheaper than its competitors.
2 – ZTE EraZTE is a well-known consumer electronics company from China. We’ve already seen a couple of devices from this handset and tablet maker but this time, we’re going to talk about the ZTE Era. Currently being dubbed as one of the world’s thinnest quad core handsets, the ZTE Era highlights its 1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad Core Processor with a fifth battery-saving core. Appearance wise, the smartphone looks very elegant as it flaunts its four virtual buttons. Just like the Huawei Ascend D Quad, the handset runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and it can also take pride of its 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and geo-tagging that’s fully capable of 1080p HD quality video recording. You can also make use of the phone’s front-facing VGA camera for video chats.
As of now, the ZTE Era is currently heading to Europe and China. Do expect that it will be made available sometime within the second quarter of 2012.
3 – Sony Xperia PThe Sony Xperia P belongs to Sony Mobile’s ever-growing family of Xperia handsets. Officially announced at the Mobile World Congress, the smartphone joins the Xperia Ion and the famed Xperia S. At first glance, you can definitely notice the phone’s distinctive, minimalist design and you can even choose among its black, silver and red colors. Specs wise, the Sony Xperia P highlights its 4.0 inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with 540 x 960 pixels of full screen resolution, scratch-resistant glass coating with Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine, Timescape UI, 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus, LED Flash and 3D Sweep Panorama, 1080p HD video recording, front facing VGA camera, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM and 1GHz STE U8500 Dual Core Processor. The phone is currently being powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread but its firmware will later on be upgraded to Android Ice Cream Sandwich v4.0. You’ll have to wait until mid-Q2 before you can see the phone in the shelves of your local handset retailers.
4 – LG Optimus 4X HDThe fourth one in our list is an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich powered smartphone that’s currently being called as the LG Optimus 4X HD. The phone flaunts its high-definition screen that’s perfect for viewing your favorite HD video streams. That being said, the phone features its 4.7 inch HD-IPS LCD display that goes alongside with its 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus and LED flash that’s fully capable of 1080p HD video recording, 1.3MP front facing camera, ULP GeForce Graphics, HTML5 Browser with Adobe Flash and 1.5GHz Nvidia Tegra Quad Core Processor.
To date, no official word of confirmation has been uttered regarding the phone’s price and official date of launch. Fortunately, LG did state that the Optimus 4X HD will be released in the market sometime within the second quarter.
5 – HTC One SIt would be a bummer to think that not all have heard of the HTC One S, HTC’s thinnest smartphone. It only weighs around 119.5 grams while its body doesn’t go any thicker than 7.8mm. The One S may not be as powerful as the HTC One X but it can definitely allow you to take advantage of impressive specs. The One S flaunts its 4.3 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, 540 x 960 pixels of full screen resolution, HTC Sense UI, 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and simultaneous HD video and image recording, 1.3MP front facing camera, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB RAM and 1.5GHz Dual Core Krait Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor. Like most of today’s newly-announced handsets, the HTC One S runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich v4.0. It will be made available sometime within the second quarter of 2012.
6 – HTC One XWe’ve already told you about the HTC One S. Now, it’s time for us to highlight its powerful sibling – the HTC One X. And just like the One S, the smartphone can also allow you to record your videos in 1080p HD quality since it is equipped with an 8MP rear facing camera with autofocus, LED flash and simultaneous HD video and image recording. As we’ve already said, the One X has the edge over the One S since it is powered by Nvidia’s 1.5GHz Tegra Quad Core Processor. The handset can also take pride of its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, 4.7 inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, HTC Sense UI, Beats Audio and NFC support for mobile payments and transactions.
Likewise, the smartphone has not yet been released in the market. It will hit the shelves sometime within Q2 2012.
7 – Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 If you think that the 5.3 inch Samsung Galaxy Note is a bit large for a smartphone, then there’s no reason for you to doubt the identity of the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Obviously, it’s a 10.1 inch tablet with features that can somewhat be compared to the phone-tablet. By that, we mean that the slate can also make use of its unique S-Pen Technology that allows you to doodle on your memos and photos. Specs wise, the Galaxy Note tablet flaunts its PLS TFT capacitive touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels screen, 3.15MP rear facing camera with autofocus and LED flash, 1080p HD video recording, 2MP front facing camera, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor. The tablet weighs 583 grams. No statement has been released regarding the slate’s official date of launch.
8 – Asus PadfoneThe Asus Padfone isn’t your typical type of smartphone. It may flaunt its 4.3 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen but mind you, it can actually be converted into a 10.1 inch tablet with an optional keyboard docking station. As a matter of fact, we can say that the Padfone can be considered as one of this year’s most noteworthy smartphones. In terms of performance, the handset a ‘la tablet can take pride of its 1.5GHz Dual Core Scorpion Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor that goes alongside with its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform. But that’s not all. You can also take advantage of the Padfone’s 8MP rear facing camera with LED flash, front facing VGA camera and 16GB – 32GB of storage options. The phone will be made available in the market this coming April for a price that’s yet to be known.
9 – Samsung Galaxy Beam Projector How would you like to own a smartphone with a built-in Pico Projector? If you do want to own one, allow us to tell you more about the Samsung Galaxy Beam. The smartphone sports its integrated 15 lumen HD Projector that can cast your presentations onto a 50 inch wall. Ideal for businessmen and educators, the Samsung Galaxy Beam can now be pre-ordered in the UK for a very decent price of 320 Pounds. It is equipped with a 4.0 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen that’s been paired with its Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and 1GHz Dual Core Cortex A9 Processor. You can also rely on the handset’s 5MP rear camera with LED flash and 1.3MP front camera that you can use for video calls.
10 – Nokia 808 PureViewLast but not the least is the Nokia 808 PureView, MWC’s Best New Mobile Handset. The award-winning smartphone may not be powered by Nvidia’s Quad Core Processor but it can definitely take pride of its whopping rear facing camera with 41MP sensor. Now, that’s what you call as a super camera phone! But that’s not all. The phone humbly boasts its Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon Flash. No doubt, a lot of photography enthusiasts would opt to get one. Furthermore, the Nokia 808 PureView flaunts its 4.0 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1.3GHz ARM 11 chipset and front facing camera for video calls. It is currently being powered by Nokia’s Symbian Belle OS.
As of now, what we do know is that the unlocked version of the said smartphone will be hitting the UK shelves via Unlocked Mobiles this coming April 23rd.