Sony announced that it will be launching a Firefox OS mobile device in 2014. Bob Ishida - the company's deputy CEO has confirmed that Sony's engineers are currently working with Firefox OS Mobile and HTML 5 evolving technologies which show great potential.
The news was delivered during a joint event between Sony and Telefonica, where the Spanish carrier announced that it will carry the Xperia Z Android flagship and the Xperia Tablet Z. Telefonica, together with other Sony carrier partners will also be involved in the development of a Firefox OS handset.
All in all, the announcement is great news for Mozilla. Now that Sony has joined the ranks ZTE, Huawei, Alcatel, and LG, Firefox OS has increased chances of carving a slice out of today's ultra-competitive market.
Is the X Phone a buttress against Samsung success?
There's reportedly a disturbance in the Android force, one that's got Google shaking in its Chrome-toed boots.
Samsung is said to be the progenitor of Mountain View's angst as the Galaxy maker continues to overshadow the rest of Android market.
Great news for the operating system and mobile ad revenues, but not so much for Google.
The news comes from the Wall Street Journal, which cited a 2012 meeting in which Andy Rubin, head of Android, extolled Samsung's success on the platform but warned that Google could find itself in an undesirable position if Samsung got a little too far ahead of its competitors.
What gives?
Samsung accounted for 39.6 percent of the global smartphone market last year, with most of those devices running some version of Android. Other Android makers - HTC, to name one - are struggling to stay afloat against the South Korean manufacturer and Apple.
According to the Journal, the fear is that as the top dog, Samsung may see space to demand more of Google than it would as a junior player.
Even more worrisome is the possibility that, like Amazon, Samsung could develop a homemade OS that borrows heavily from Google's system, creating a direct and likely gutsy competitor.
However, Google has a plan in place to slow Samsung, one that centers around Motorola Mobility. Rubin went so far as to call the purchase a hedge against Samsung's growing power.
Products made by Motorola under Google don't yet hold a candle to Samsung, yet there is hope, especially if future additions to the Nexus line and rumore X Phone give Google an edge on hardware.
How much longer these two are able to play nice will make for good viewing, too.
The iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 update from Apple won’t work with evasi0n, according to one of the developers behind the untethered jailbreak for iPhone 5 and newer iOS devices.
Apple’s latest beta, which the company began pushing to iOS developers late last week, patches one of the five bugs that the evasi0n jailbreak exploits, evasi0n creator David Wang told Forbes.
“If one of the vulnerabilities doesn’t work, evasi0n doesn’t work,” Wang said.
“We could replace that part with a different vulnerability, but [Apple] will probably fix most if not all of the bugs we’ve used when 6.1.3 comes out.”
Untethered jailbreak cat-and-mouse game
Apple’s undoing of the three-week-old untethered jailbreak doesn’t mean this is the end of the jailbreak store Cydia or custom software on iOS devices.
Wang told Forbes that his team of “evad3rs” found other bugs in the iOS platform besides the aforementioned five exploits, and could build an entirely new jailbreak based on them.
Yes, Apple’s move looks like it will be just the latest update in the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between the Cupertino company and the jailbreak community.
iOS 6.1.3 lockscreen fix
As the first untethered iOS 6 jailbreak, evasi0n was downloaded 270,000 times as soon as it went live. It continued to break records with almost 7 million downloads over the next four days.
While avid users of Cydia will want to avoid updating, the iOS 6.1.3 patch may be essential for other security-focused iPhone and iPad users.
Besides patching one of the five exploits used by the evasi0n untethered jailbreak, the iOS 6.1.3 update is set to fix the persistent lockscreen bug.
Even though Apple knew about this lockscreen bug before it released the iOS 6.1.2 update, users can still bypass the not-so-secure lockscreen without entering the “required” four-digit keycode.
Once again, the benefits of jailbreaking an iOS device come with giving up a little bit of security.
As much as you might love using an Android phone, there are a few things which as still easier with Apples. Media streaming is a prime example, thanks to Apple's AirPlay protocol.
This could change, if a new project partnership between chip-maker Qualcomm and music player doubleTwist bears fruit. Together they have created MagicPlay, a new open-standard streaming protocol which they are hoping OEMs will incorporate into the next generation of Android smartphones and tablets.
The MagicPlay technology is actually based on an older Qualcomm wireless concept called AllJoyn, which connects compatible (read: Qualcomm) chips creating peer-to-peer networks over short distances.
Wireless connectivity is something doubleTwist knows a thing or two about, having created th successful AirTwist wireless media syncing tool to complement the standard doubleTwist media player for Android phones. AirTwist connects with a client installed on PCs and updates the media library on your phone, so that you always have the most up-to-date music to listen to.
Any takers?
From here, Qualcomm will begin the uphill battle selling MagicPlay to the manufacturers and trying to convince them to use MagicPlay in their media apps rather than the older (and clunkier) DLNA protocol and the new (and considerably more streamlined) Miracast.
Either way, it's a win for consumers. After years of wishing the latest droid could dock and stream like the iPhone, we may finially see something resembling a standard that all the manufacturers can embrace; both in phones and in their home theatres and TVs, too.
There's something satisfying about pressing that giant 'Shazam' button
Shazam, the music-tagging app that tells you what you're listening to so you don't have to Google the lyrics, has surpassed 300 million users worldwide, the company announced on Monday.
That's no small feat - according to a report from Strategy Analytics, smartphone users totaled just over one billion as of October.
Any app used by almost a third of smartphone users can probably be considered a success.
To celebrate, Shazam announced plans to release redesigned apps for iPads and Android tablets "in the coming weeks."
More social than ever
We still use Shazam mainly to find out the names of whatever annoying new songs are playing on the radio and in bars, but the company announced that the new Shazam tablet apps will make social and mapping features more prominent.
Users of the new Shazam apps will be able to view activity streams to find out what songs and TV shows are being tagged most often and see what people are tagging in any city in the world.
Shazam CEO Andrew Fisher called it "the most efficient way to experience more of the media around you" in a press release on Monday.
The app will include a newly redesigned home screen that emphasizes social features, an interactive map that shows tags around the world, improved friend features, faster tagging, automatic re-submission if your initial tag attempts fail due to poor reception, and better integration with other social networks for easier sharing via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Gmail.
Free users get some too
Shazam also announced that users of the free version of the app will be getting some nice bonuses soon as well: faster tagging and lyrics display for tagged songs.
The press release also mentioned that the iOS Shazam app is universal, so it seems as if the incoming iPad update will work on iPhones and iPods as well.
No word on whether the same applies to Android devices, but TechRadar has reached out to Shazam to find out. The company has yet to respond.
Windows Phone's array of apps is growing, but still well short of big two
Ask an Android or iPhone loyalist why they aren't considering a switch to Windows Phone 8 and they'll probably reference the inferior app catalogue.
Well, if those same skeptics were to ask Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, he'd tell them that users of Microsoft's operating system now have 130,000 applications at their fingertips.
That's exactly what Elop did during Nokia's MWC 2013 keynote in Barcelona, where the Finnish company unveiled the affordable, mid-range Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 Windows Phone 8 devices.
Speaking on Microsoft's behalf Elop said: "Today we are proud to announce that we have achieved the level of 130,000 Windows Phone applications. That's 130,000 applications tailor made for the Windows Phone experience."
Quality and quantity
Of course, the figure still pales in comparison to iOS and Android - which are both hovering around the 750,000 mark - but it does represent solid progress for Microsoft in its attempts to attract the developer community.
Despite referencing the numbers, Elop still believes that it's more about the quality of the applications that have arrived as well as those Microsoft and Nokia are working to bring to the WP platform.
"Together with Microsoft we are bring unique experiences from some of the world's top brands to our phones. It is more than just about the volume of applications, we are also focussed on the quality of the application experience," Elop said.
"We are opening up our core technologies and APIs in areas like imaging and location-based service to the developers. We believe that access to these capabilities will inspire never before seen applications that will be unique to Nokia."
Nokia is hoping to crack the lower end of the market - an area where it has enjoyed the majority of its success - with its new Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 handsets, and open up Windows Phone 8 to a new group of consumers. Hopefully for both companies, an end to the app stigma will do the trick.
The Lumia 720 is one of Nokia's just-announced cheaper Windows Phone 8 devices
The rumors were true - Nokia seized the global stage at Mobile World Congress this week to announce a new line of super affordable phones, including the Lumia 520.
But one Nokia executive on the convention floor revealed that even cheaper Lumia devices are a possibility.
Nokia's Hans Henrik Lund, vice president of smart devices marketing, spilled the beans to CNET.
The Lumia 520 was announced at the start of MWC at a cool €139 (US$183, UK£121, AU$178) price point, but Lund reportedly said that that's "not the lowest price point we can get to."
Nokia's hitting every price point
With its onset of Windows Phone 8 smartphones like the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, Nokia has been focusing on the high end of the price spectrum.
But that changed on Monday when the Finnish phone company introduced the Lumia 520, Lumia 720, Nokia 105, and Nokia 301 to the world.
Astute readers will notice the lack of a "Lumia" in those last two names, and that's because they're not part of the Lumia line at all - they're not even smartphones, in fact.
It's unclear from the statements reported by CNET exactly what Lund was referring to when he said that the price could go lower, but given the context and the site's other details it does seem he was referring to cheaper Lumia devices.
Lund did explain that Nokia will likely stick with the multi-hued, polycarbonate motif for the time being.
As far as future devices, he didn't offer anything concrete, but said, "We see our future in having a family including devices at all price points." That's certainly been evident in its MWC announcements so far.
Sony is the fifth manufacturer to promise a Firefox OS device
Sony has thrown its considerable weight behind the new Mozilla Firefox mobile operating system, promising to launch its first device on the open source platform next year.
The Japanese manufacturer has teamed up with network Telefonica (which owns O2 in the UK) with the aim of bringing a device (or devices) running the HTML5-friendly software to market sometime in 2014.
The announcement came at MWC 2013 in Barcelona, where Sony and Telefonica revealed a multi-year deal for the latter to stock the former's Android-based Xperia devices in territories around the world.
Earlier today, Chinese manufacturer ZTE became the first company to reveal a Firefox-based handset with its 3.5-inch, entry-level ZTE Open device, which will go on sale later this year.
However, Sony's entry into the arena promises a more premium experience, with the company underlining the 'great potential' of Mozilla's mobile offering.
"At Sony Mobile we continue to evaluate innovative technologies that can help deliver the premium user experiences that Sony's consumers expect," said Bob Ishida, deputy CEO and head of products business group at Sony Mobile Communications.
"Our engineers are now working with Firefox OS Mobile and HTML5, evolving technologies which show great potential. In addition, we continue to work with our operator partners, including Telefónica, on a development project with an ambition to bring a product to market in 2014."
Among the flurry of news gusting out of MWC 2013 in Barcelona today, LG and HP have inked an agreement to transfer ownership of the open source webOS.
In joint press releases, both companies confirmed LG's purchase of the Palm-created and largely left for dead operating system from HP in a deal of undisclosed details.
After ditching the webOS-based TouchPad, HP is seemingly allowing the black sheep system to live on under a new owner.
LG's plans for its buy, at least to start, will center on the living room.
"To support its next-generation smart TV technology, LG has entered into a definitive agreement with HP to acquire the source code, associated documentation, engineering talent and related websites associated with webOS," the press release read.
Deal deets
In addition to the aforementioned, LG will also pick up licenses under HP's intellectual property, including patents from Palm that cover the fundamental operating system and user interface technologies.
HP may be the happiest of all as it releases the OS, cutting ties with a side of the operating system that it couldn't get off the ground while retaining ownership of Palm's cloud computing assets, including source code, talent, infrastructure and contracts.
"Today's announcement paves the way for continued innovation on the webOS platform and on LG's roadmap of innovative solutions for many years to come, while allowing HP to focus its resources on strategic business opportunities such as cloud computing," the release read.
Could we see the OS appear in smartphones at some point? We're waiting to hear back from LG if that's in the cards.
With the deal, LG plans to add Sunnyvale, Calif. and San Francisco, Calif. locations to its existing R&D cites. It's already set up shop in the U.S. in San Jose, Calif. and Chicago.
Under the agreement, LG will assume stewardship of the open source projects of Open webOS and Enyo. And Palm users need not fret they'll be left in the lurch: HP will continue to support them.
The LG Optimus L7 2 finds itself in a peculiar position as it sits at the top of the L-Series 2 range, but it's still a budget device.
LG is refreshing its bottom end offering at MWC 2013 with a trio of new devices taking over from their namesakes (minus the number 2) which launched at the same show last year.
All three are expected to launch during the second quarter of this year in markets across the world, and the Optimus L7 2 has been confirmed as coming to the UK, but it will arrive a bit later than the Optimus L5 2 and Optimus L3 2.
LG reckons the Optimus L7 II will retail for around £150-£160 (around $225-$240/AU$220-AU$235) SIM free, with contract prices likely to be around the £15 - £20 per month mark.
At first look the LG Optimus L7 2 could be mistaken for a premium handset thanks to its smart design, with the rounded corners reminding us a little of the Samsung Galaxy S3, only not quite as large.
Pick it up and you'll immediately recognise that relatively cheap plastic feel and the lack of any significant weight goes further to reveal this isn't a top end device.
It's still comfortable to hold though and an even balance makes it easy to manipulate in one hand, although we would have preferred the back to be slightly more curved to give a snugger fit in our palm.
There's a power/lock key on the right side of the handset, while on the left you get a volume rocker switch and an additional quick key - all of which are easy to hit whether you're holding the Optimus L7 2 in your right or left hand.
The quick key also features on the Optimus L5 II and you can programme this button to launch the app of your choosing, plus you can set it to act as the shutter key when in the camera app.
It's a useful feature to have and one we reckon we'd use a lot if it was on our current smartphone (currently a HTC One X, since you ask).
On the front of the LG Optimus L7 2 there is a 4.3-inch IPS display with a relatively mediocre 480 x 800 resolution, but it's bright, clear and perfectly functional.
There's a 1GHz dual-core processor and 768MB of RAM to run the action on screen, which consists of the Android Jelly Bean operating system.
Everything runs without a hitch and while it may not be as slick and speedy as the top of the range handsets, the LG Optimus L7 2 has a pleasing user experience.
LG has applied a basic overlay to Android which sees the addition of manufacturer specific apps and a range of quick settings in the notification bar allowing you to toggle features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC.
In terms of LG specific apps the Optimus L7 II comes equipped with Quick Memo which allows you to draw or write on top of any screen you're currently viewing, just in case you need to jot down a quick message.
While Quick Memo also features on the other two handsets in the L-Series 2 range, the more powerful Optimus L7 2 comes with a couple of other goodies, the first of which is QSlide.
QSlide allows you to access another application while watching a movie, with the video becoming a transparent layer on the display, with a toggle to adjust the opacity depending on the other task you want to perform.
The LG Optimus L7 2 handles the transition from video player to transparent multi-tasking with just a second load time and there was no hint of slow down as we navigated around the phone with our video still playing in a ghostly manner over the top - impressive
Another handy addition is the Q Translate app which is capable of reading 60 different languages and then translating the text for your delectation.
In online mode you're able to convert whole sentences to your native tongue, but if data connection evades you the offline mode will still translate single words.
There's only 4GB of internal storage on the Optimus L7 2 which is a little disappointing, but luckily LG has included a microSD slot under the back cover allowing you to expand your memory options.
Also under that back cover is a 2,400mAh battery which should hopefully give you a decent amount of life, but we'll put that to the test during our in-depth review.
Round the back you have an 8MP camera, which is impressive at this price point, accompanied by a single LED flash while on the front there's a VGA snapper for video calls.
Shutter speed, as with the other two L-Series handsets, is a little sluggish on the Optimus L7 2 but the amusingly named "Cheese Shutter" once again doesn't fail to bring a smile to our face as we talk to the phone to take a picture.
Image quality is pretty decent, as you'd expect from an 8MP snapper and in the camera department at least the Optimus L7 2 can certainly challenge the devices in the tier above it.
The decently sized responsive touchscreen means that the default keyboard is well spaced and easy to type on, with a good level of accuracy, spell check and next word prediction.
We were a little let down by the internet browsing capabilities on the Optimus L7 II though, with pages taking several seconds to load up.
We hope it was due to the congested Wi-Fi network the handset was connected up to, but the jury's out until we put the handset through our thorough review process.
Early Verdict
The LG Optimus L7 2 is a surprisingly capable budget smartphone which offers up plenty of features for not a lot of cash.
We were impressed with its 8MP camera, stylish design and smooth operation, although web surfing could do with a bit of a boost.
Out of the three new L-Series 2 handsets the LG Optimus L7 2 is our favourite and we reckon it will offer consumers pretty decent value for money when it lands later this year.
Far from being the joke the concept was initially seen as, Asus is serious about its tablet and accompanying slot-in phone and has re-tooled it for 4G LTE, Android 4.2 and provided it with a cracking Full HD display.
Indeed, display tech is a key new ingredient in the Infinity mix – the phone part boasts a Super IPS 5-inch retina-beating display at 441ppi which, while looks stunning, doesn't appear that much better than any other top end Android handset (hello, Samsung Galaxy S3). The iPhone's retina display is 326ppi, if you want to know the figures.
As with the Padfone 2 (which is coming to more countries including the UK), the slide in and out motion works exceedingly well both in terms of the physical movement – it's completely secure and rubber gromits mean the phone doesn't fall out – and the software, which switches from one screen to the other when you dock and un-dock.
The Infinity was announced by Asus' Jonny Shih on stage at MWC 2013, where he was joined by Qualcomm's Paul Jacobs – the new device packs a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU and uses the US firm's third-generation LTE tech.
This thing is fast; there's absolutely no lag but then you'd expect that with a quad-core chip. Asus reckons it's possible to get 19 hours of 3G talk time out of the device when it's all fully charged.
The Padfone Station dock converts the phone into a 10.1-inch tablet with 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. It can also be used as a battery pack, which gives you three times the battery life and it also has its own 1MP front-mounted camera and a micro USB port.
The phone/tablet combo has the same-style aluminium unibody design housing as the Padfone 2. In terms of the other key specs there is 2GB of RAM, plus NFC and 64GB of flash memory.
The tablet is able to replicate many of the phone's functions and also has a dialler. Undocking takes you to the same app on the phone. The tablet can also output 1080p Full HD video via an adapter for its micro USB socket.
The Infinity can also capture 8 still photos per second in burst mode.
Asus previewed the Padfone Infinity includes Echo, essentially the same as Apple's Siri, but with some typically Asus effects. Say 'cheese' and it will take a photo of you.
Early verdict
The Padfone is a thing of beauty. It's not for everyone but many of us do have a use-case for it. f you have a tablet yet find yourself using more things on your phone then Asus believes you'll be in its Padfone queue.
The device is certainly a looker and does have a lot to offer - the smartphone itself is superb. It does have a premium price point of 999 Euros though - $1325 or AU$1287 - and so it will be interesting to see if Asus can shift them. In the UK, Asus is launching the Padfone 2 for now, though it hints the Padfone Infinity will arrive - probably around £799.
If you happen to have some Ultra HD resolution video or games on your phone, you're in luck: LG has developed the tech you need to transmit it to an Ultra HD TV without any wires and it's showing it off at MWC 2013.
The snappily named Wireless Ultra HD Transmission tech uses Wi-Fi to beam the 4K content between devices while reducing the amount of power used by your phone.
The tech works over Wi-Fi and promises minimal lag and no data loss. LG boasts that it delivers "flawless visuals" thanks to the fact that videos are automatically matched to the receiving TV set's screen resolution as you transmit them.
Power up
LG says it actually uses less than half the power of comparable tech by relying less on the phone's CPU - unfortunately the company hasn't exactly been illuminating on what picks up that slack but we hope to find out more on the show floor.
The company is pretty pleased with the new tech, though, with Dr Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG's mobile arm, exclaiming: "With the development of this cutting-edge technology, LG again confirms its industry leadership in the area of display and mobile convergence for a truly enjoyable viewing experience."
Yes, all that viewing we've been doing until now has been a real nightmare.
No word on when we'll see this next-gen tech make its way onto our smartphones (or smart TVs) but you'll likely need to invest in an LG phone and an LG TV to take advantage.
ZTE brought two interesting phones to the MWC that are as different as can be. The ZTE Grand Memo is a 5.7” Android super-phone and is the first to use the Snapdragon 800 chipset. The ZTE Open, on the other hand is an entry-level Firefox OS phone.
ZTE Grand Memo
The ZTE Grand Memo earns its name with a big screen – 5.7” in diagonal. Rather disappointingly, the resolution of the screen is just 720p. Not that 258ppi pixel density is all that bad, but we expected more. Update: there's some conflicting information, but it seems that the screen will have 1080p resolution after all. That pushes the pixel density up to 386ppi (well over the Retina display mark).
Especially considering the chipset - the ZTE Grand Memo uses the top end Snapdragon chipset available, the Snapdragon 800. The CPU cores are clocked at 1.5GHz and should be faster than the cores in the other Snapdragon chipsets clock for clock and the Adreno 330 GPU should double the performance of the 320.
ZTE Grand Memo
The phablet is only 8.5mm thick, but thanks to the extra height and width, the ZTE engineers managed to cram a 3,200mAh battery inside it.
The camera on the ZTE Grand Memo is a 13MP shooter with 1080p video capture. On the connectivity side, the phone has LTE Cat 3 (100Mbps down, 50Mbps up) and dual-band Wi-Fi with 802.11ac support – the latest Wi-Fi spec available.
ZTE Open
The ZTE Open is on the other end of the spectrum – it has a 3.5” HVGA screen, 3.2MP camera, 1GHz single-core processor and 256MB RAM. It’s powered by Firefox OS, which was officially unveiled yesterday.
ZTE Open
The Open will tackle entry-level Android phones in emerging markets, by promoting an open source OS with easy to make HTML5-based apps.
The phone features Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 and A-GPS with Nokia HERE maps.
The display sports a full HD resolution and the Grand Memo also packs a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 13MP camera, Android Jelly Bean and a 3,200mAh battery into a frame which is 8.5mm thick.
Super fast speeds
4G connectivity is included in the ZTE Grand Memo along with Wi-Fi 5.0GHz, providing you access to some speedy web connections.
Dolby Digital sound is incorporated into the handset, to deliver the sound quality which apparently does justice to the large, full HD display found on this handset.
The ZTE Grand Memo will be available later this year, but exact release date along with a price is currently unknown.
Possibly the worst-kept secret in midrange mediocrity, the 4G LG Optimus F7 was officially by LG last week. It's a midrange handset that comes packing some useful features in a handy size.
Amusingly, this midrange smartphone comes with a very similar spec sheet to the supposedly 'high-end' Motorola Razr HD – namely a 4.7-inch 720p display, dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and an 8MP camera. The Optimus F7, though, packs 2GB of memory to the Razr HD's 1GB.
That may actually be an unfair comparison, because the F7 looks and feels like a lower-tier handset in exactly the same way that the Kevlar-backed Motorola does not. It's plastic shell positively screams 'compromise' though there is some lovely chrome trimming to be found on the edges. We like chrome trimming.
The LG cannot match the HD's AMOLED screen either, but that doesn't mean it's bad - it's the same resolution but was noticeably less vivid. Viewing angles weren't as nice but with the price difference we're probably talking here, it isn't half bad.
The F7 throws Jelly Bean around easily enough and there wasn't much sign of that 'just ok' CPU holding it back. We were able to swoosh in and out of all the menus without any sign of delay and the camera was fast and responsive too. Apps loaded quickly and it was able to switch between them easily enough,
The F7 will go on sale later this year – certainly before the summer – though word is that it might never make it to the UK shores at all.
Early Verdict
It looks like a decent midrange effort that wouldn't look out of place at a tech show - just don't expect leading features.
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z comes with a wealth of top-end specs
MWC 2013 has kicked off and TechRadar is at the show checking out the hottest handsets and tablets.
For a complete rundown of all the latest news check out our dedicated MWC 2013 channel. If you'd rather just peruse the highlights, then keep on reading as all the key announcements and hands-ons are below.
Ford at MWC 2013
Ford rolled up at MWC to announce that Spotify is coming to the car dashboard. It'll work with Ford Sync allowing you to play wirelessly play music through your car's stereo system and to control it via voice commands.
Spotify for Ford Sync has been designed to integrate the two services as seamlessly as possible. So there is no separate app, and nothing you need to install on your phone other than the regular Spotify Mobile app.
Set for an April release, the 7" tab features a 1.6GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, a slightly low-resolution 1024 x 600 screen, 1GB RAM and 8GB of built-in storage.
Huawei at MWC 2013
Huawei isn't messing around – it's rocked up with what's apparently the world's fastest smartphone, the Ascend P2. It's the first smartphone to feature LTE CAT 4, which Hauwei claims will allow the Ascend P2 to deliver some blistering web browsing speeds, faster than the CAT 3 toting Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE and iPhone 5.
Breaking into the smartphone market hasn't been easy, admitted Huawei, saying "We're an ambitious young brand which plans to be one of the top 100 companies in the world in the coming years."
So what did we make of the Ascend P2 when we got our hands on it? TechRadar phones and tablets writer John McCann found it to be "a solid mid- to high-end smartphone with some decent features and a pleasing array of specs" though he felt that it doesn't have the build quality of the iPhone 5 or HTC One, nor the same snappiness as the Galaxy S3.
Bizarrely, LG didn't bring any phones to MWC but instead used the venue to launch a range of washing machines.
Actually, that's a lie. What it did bring was the LG Optimus L3 2, the successor to the original Optimus L3 which launched at MWC last year.
It's a dinky little phone, which Techradar's John McCann got his dinky little hands onto. "The LG Optimus L3 2 seems to be a well equipped smartphone for its bargain basement price and could well prove to be a popular choice for parents looking for a first handset for their little ones," he wrote in our hands on.
Designed for developing markets, the first Firefox OS devices will be available to consumers in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela.
We got some alone time with the rather uninspiringly named ZTE Open, which TechRadar deputy editor Dan Grabham described as "a colourful, cheap option" that's "hardly iOS or Android-beating in terms of feature set". It's not an OS that we're likely to see on a high-end handset any time soon, then.
Nokia brought a couple of cheap and cheerful phones to Barcelona, namely the 105 and 301, which feature, well, not much really. The 105 can be picked up for about the same price as a takeaway pizza and will apparently last a month on one charge, while the Nokia 301 builds on the 105's lowly specs by upping the screen size to 2.4-inches and chucking in a 3.2MP camera.
While we initially thought these handsets would be for emerging markets only, it turns out that Nokia also hopes you'll want one as a back-up phone.
You won't be surprised by the 105's specs, then. As John McCann writes in our hands on: "There's no camera, app store or social network integration, but what you do get is a phone which will make calls, handle text messages and even boasts a headphone jack if you fancy listening to some tunes."
Got a bit more to spend? Then why not splash out on the Nokia 301? There's no touchscreen but you do get a low resolution 2.4-inch display which sits above a 12-button keypad.
"As with the 105, the Nokia 301 will likely do very well in emerging markets," writes our John McCann, adding: "With the advent of low-cost and feature packed Android handsets in Europe it will probably struggle to break through."
So it was the Nokia Lumia 720 that caught our eye on the Nokia stand. The new handset joins Nokia's Lumia range, slotting in around the Lumia 620, 820 and 920 for Windows Phone 8.
We sent deputy editor Dan Grabham off to check it out, and here's what he said: "The Lumia 720 doesn't have the high end features we've come to expect from the more expensive Lumias but it does have a decent spec sheet for something that's bound to be available on next-to-nothing contracts."
Samsung announced the long-rumoured Galaxy Note 8 tablet on Sunday ahead of the show's opening after it was photographed on the Samsung stand.
While we got some specs - 8-inch 1280 x 800 Super Clear LCD display, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, 1.6GHz ARM-quad-core processor and 2GB RAM – Samsung has so far neglected to name a price. We do know that the release date has been set for Q2 2013, though.
TechRadar's phones and tablets editor Gareth Beavis got a good chunk of time with the supersized Note, where he noted (ahem): "The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a great device that finally gives the Korean firm a chance to compete at the 8-inch size range with a tablet that doesn't skimp on specs". However, while Samsung remains tight-lipped on the price he points out that it's hard for us to give a firmer opinion at this stage.
We were impressed with the Sony Xperia Z phone when we recently reviewed it and so we were delighted to see Sony break out the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, a 10.1-inch device which is very capable of taking on the likes of the iPad and Galaxy Tabs on both specs and price.
As Gareth Beavis writes in our hands on review: "Sony is going all out with the bigger brother to the Xperia Z, offering a host of top end specs to convince iPad- and Nexus-lovers to look again.
"It's got pretty much everything you could want on an Android tablet these days, starting with a pretty up to date version of the OS (Android 4.1.2) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core chip, clocked at 1.5GHz."
Below are the rumours that we reported on before the show kicked off.
February is always the most exciting month of the year for mobile phone fans, as it's when the entire phone industry has a big, boozy party somewhere in Europe and shows off the new phones and tablets it'll be launching over the spring and summer.
The show has been dominated in recent years by the vast number of new Android models that continuously swamp the market, with the big players like HTC, Samsung and Sony using the event to thrill punters with their newest ranges.
Last year saw HTC unleash its impressive One series, LG debuted the Optimus 4X HD and even Nokia decided to go large at the tech event for once, showing off its bonkers 808 PureView model complete with 41MP camera.
In short, if you care about the mobile arms race, MWC is the most exciting time of the year.
Previously held in Barcelona's palatial Fira Montjuic halls, this year's MWC is switching venue to a less glamorous (but more convenient for stressed journalists and marketing managers) spot a little nearer the city's airport. And in a building twice the size. Imagine how many cheap Android tablets it'll be able to contain this year.
MWC 2013 kicks off on 25 February. We'll be there, sobbing into a laptop in an unlit corner somewhere. Here's what we're expecting to see from the big names of mobile.
LG
Back at MWC 2012, LG wowed attendees with the Optimus 4X HD, a powerful 4.7-inch phone that helped signal the start of the race to stick quad-core processors in mobiles.
It also showed off the Optimus 3D Max and the oddball Optimus Vu, but the less said about those the better, as with 2011's reveal of the original Optimus 3D.
As for 2013, LG's already carried out a bit of teasing, with the new Optimus G Pro set to be shown offm which is what we assume the brand was referring to when it announced plans to show off a "tier one" smartphone at MWC 2013.
Given that the original Optimus G was a quad-core monster that LG soon rebranded as the Nexus 4, any sequel arriving so soon is unlikely to be much of a leap above the first phone, as even in 2013 we'd still be impressed by a quad-core phone with a 4.7-inch display.
But has the Nexus 4 done enough to make LG a respected brand name and a major player?
Sony's just announced a new flagship model at this year's CES tech show, so it's unlikely to have anything hugely new and exciting at MWC. But it will give the media a chance to play with its new Xperia Z, the exciting, quad-core, 5-inch monster the hardware maker is set to launch this March.
In fact, it looks like Sony's following the same hardware launch plan as last year. In 2012, the Xperia S was announced at January's CES event prior to MWC, with Sony using MWC to launch the Xperia P and U, a couple of smaller models based on the same design.
We've already heard a rumour of the Sony Xperia SP (oh good, more double lettering) and of course there's that Xperia Tablet Z to be checking out as well if it decides to pop up on European shores.
HTC
HTC unleashed the One series of phones at last year's MWC, showing off the One V, One S and the glorious One X as it tried to reinvigorate its line up.
But in 2011 it disappointed us a little, showing minor upgrades of its old HTC Desire range, the awful Wildfire S and the niche Salsa and ChaCha models to a very, very quiet fanfare. In fact, it wasn't even a fanfare, just a mouse playing Three Blind Mice on the recorder.
We've already seen loads, and loads, and loads on the HTC One - the company's new flagship model - when it was announced pre-MWC, so we're not expecting to hear any more from the Taiwanese firm this time around.
Loads of companies will be showing phones of a similar size and power level, but we'll always have a soft spot for HTC's lovely old Sense interface - and with the new Sense 5.0, there's a lot to get excited about.
Samsung
Samsung disappointed the nerds of the world last year, when it opted to announce its flagship Galaxy S3 model a couple of months later at its own private event. But even if it repeats that trick this year and doesn't show off the Galaxy S4, it's guaranteed to be bringing along plenty of other Android phones.
Last year Samsung underwhelmed us all by using MWC to announce the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi, a Galaxy S2-styled media player, plus the rather odd and niche Galaxy Beam, complete with integrated media projector.
So either we see the Galaxy S4 and Samsung has a stormer, or it brings along some cheaper models and we write it off. And it very much looks like the latter, with the Samsung Galaxy Fame and the Galaxy Young hardly setting our tech hearts all a-quiver, and the S4 set for a reveal later in the year.
However, there's a small chance we may see something really exciting. Samsung's working on hardware powered by the new Tizen OS, a supposed Android rival that Samsung claims it'll be bringing to market some time in 2013. Good luck with that.
One of the low key oddities from Samsung's 2012 MWC showing, the Galaxy Beam
The latest news from the Samsung rumour mill is that we'll see a new tablet which will slide into the Note family, currently made up of the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 10.1.
Reports suggest that the slate in question is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, which will feature an 8-inch Super Clear LCD screen, 2GB of RAM, a 5MP camera and a 4,600mAh battery - and seems to have been already revealed too.
It looks like Samsung may be planning on going a bit tablet crazy at MWC 2013, with other reports suggesting it's readying a new range of slates to fall under the Galaxy Tab 3 banner.
We could see three tablets slide into this new family, with 7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch models all making an appearance as the Korean firm looks to solidify its offering across the market.
Nokia
Nokia's had a wide selection of phones at last year's MWC, showing off the bonkers Nokia 808 PureView and its 41MP sensor, alongside the rather less exciting budget Windows Phone powered Lumia 610 and the high-end Lumia 900.
One Nokia-based rumour claims it's working on a slimmer update of the Lumia 920, which would use an aluminium body to reduce the weight of its hefty flagship phone. Nokia's traditionally preferred to show phones off at its own events, so it's hard to guesstimate whether it'll have new stuff at MWC or not. It's a maverick. It makes its own rules.
Huawei's really made a name for itself in the UK over the last year, thanks to its winning budget Ascend G300 and the recent Ascend G330 update, plus the powerful Ascend P1.
At last year's MWC it announced the impressive looking Ascend D Quad, a 4.5-inch model in a slim 8.9mm case, alongside a 10.1-inch version of its MediaPad tablet. Neither of which made it to the UK officially, so we were left a bit disappointed by its commitment levels.
Huawei's also just announced a tasty pair of smartphones at CES in the form of the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate, so it's likely to elaborate more on these at MWC 2013 rather than announce many new phones. It's recently stated "we will be launching two more exciting innovative products at MWC 2013," according to CEO Richard Yu.
Huawei's Ascend D2. Already announced, bound to be popular in February
RIM
MWC 2013 is going to be absolutely critical for RIM. The troubled BlackBerry maker is revealing its BB10 hardware and software at a standalone event at the end of January, so MWC will be a chance for the masses to properly fiddle with the new OS and the two phones it'll initially be running on.
Last year's MWC was a bit of a disaster for RIM. All it managed to show was the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 OS update for the super-flop tablet. This year it ought to have significantly more buzz surrounding its presence, although it should have already announced the phones that will be running BB10 by the time we stumble off the plane onto Spanish tarmac.
ZTE
MWC 2013 should be another good year for the budget makers, as we're expecting to see bigger screens and more powerful processors hitting the cheaper end of the market.
Last year ZTE announced the ZTE PF112, a 4.5-inch device said to be running on the dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, but that pretty much sunk without trace and is yet to go on sale.
And the ZTE Era, a promising 4.3-inch quad-core model, is also missing presumed never to hit the UK.
One MWC 2012 phone that did arrive was the Mimosa X, which ZTE renamed the Grand X for the UK. It was a bit of a disappointing mid-range model that undid much of the maker's hype.
So don't get too excited by what the ZTE man is waving around, it might just be a balsa wood model that'll never see the light of day.
In fact, ZTE's started making its pledges for 2013 already, with the promising ZTE Grand S just announced at CES. It's another member of the 5-inch / 1080p / quad-core club, which ought to be a big winner... if it ever appears on the shelves.
It seems ZTE may have given the game away though with a couple of revealing hashtags which accompanied its press invite; #ZTEGrandMemo and #ZTEMozilla.
Rumours suggest the Grand Memo will be the Chinese firm's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Huawei Ascend Mate, while the ZTE Mozilla could be the first handset to run the HTML 5 based Firefox OS.
And it's also pledged to be the first brand with a Tegra 4 phone on the shelves, but we're not expecting to see that at Barcelona's finest mobile trade show. Later in the year, power fans, later in the year.
Acer
Niche smartphone maker Acer always has a packed show stand, with the company using MWC 2012 to announce its Liquid Glow models, which were a vast improvement on the Liquid E and Liquid MT it took to MWC 2011.
Since then, Acer's launched a few decent mid-range Android models, like the CloudMobile and Liquid Gallant, although we'd expect to see it make more of a deal about its tablet ranges at MWC this year, seeing as that's where the Android hot money is going these days.
But it looks like we were wrong, given there's going to be a new phone under the banner of the Acer Liquid Z2 appearing in Barcelona's fancy new halls this year.
Asus
Last year's MWC was a big winner for Asus, which updated its winning Transformer tablet range with a couple of impressive quad-core models.
But now, in 2013, flush from its success making the Nexus 7 for Google, we expect Asus to reveal something a little cheaper. Plenty of rumours have suggested it's planning a "$99" Android tablet, which may or may not end up on sale in Europe.
More likely is a new Transformer to add to the range - imagine if the brand made one of THOSE that didn't cost the earth. Plus we love the 'alien' vibe the teaser has got going on.
Asus also made a big deal of its PadFone hybrid at MWC 2012, which teamed a 4.3-inch phone with a bizarre 10-inch docking tablet display. Given the lukewarm reception that oddity received, we'll eat this crusty Dell keyboard if any more phone/tablet hybrids appear this year.
