By SHERWIN LOH

UPSTARTS Apple and Android went backstage at the world's biggest cellphone gathering in Barcelona, Spain, last week, as the veterans took the spotlight.

The likes of Microsoft, Samsung and Sony Ericsson heralded their new initiatives at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held from Feb 15 to 18, to tell the world how they would reclaim their thrones in a burgeoning mobile market.

On the software front, Microsoft previewed the latest version of its Windows mobile operating system (OS). Dubbed the Windows Phone 7 series, it works with the Xbox Live gaming arena, as well as Zune video and music content playback on all future Windows devices.

In a muted keynote address, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer acknowledged that there had been missteps with the previous Windows mobile OS and that there was a need to 'recast our strategy and design approach' with Windows Phone 7 series.

The next Wave forward

One major change would be the way the new OS is presented to consumers. For the sake of uniform design and user interface, Microsoft wants upcoming devices from the different vendors to feature standard tools like capacitive displays and three-button controls. So handset makers, whether HTC or Sony Ericsson, will have little room to design their own user controls.

A year-end release of cellphones on the new OS will mean a face-off against new devices using MeeGo, a new Linux-based software platform based on Intel's Moblin and Nokia's Maemo platform, which was also announced at MWC.

To reach a wider audience, MeeGo will branch out from being a traditional mobile OS to include use on computers, netbooks, tablets and other entertainment devices as well.

Also on the software front, Samsung, after months of teasing, finally premiered its first device running on its in-house mobile platform, Bada.

The Samsung Wave, which features an extremely bright Super Amoled screen, is primed at the smartphone space now dominated by Apple and BlackBerry devices, with Android handsets hot on their heels.

Surprisingly, Samsung clarified that Bada is more of an interface and less of an OS as previously believed.

What is a smartphone without Web browsing and Web browsing without mobile browsing smarts? Nothing.

So, the folks from mobile web browser, Opera, showed off its amazingly fast browser in action on the iPhone. But the company did not allow photography as the app has not been 'approved by Apple'.

Hardware hurrahs

On the hardware front, Sony Ericsson, one of the world's top five cellphone makers, stressed its focus on the smartphone arena by announcing three new devices.

Everyone, from Sony Ericsson to even sports brand Puma, has a handset offering (see pages 8 and 9).

Also rearing their heads at MWC were Android-based handsets.

Phones based on the Google OS included Acer's Liquid e and HTC's new Legend and Desire devices. Motorola was in the picture too, with Quench, its eighth Android-based gizmo.

Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo, in its vein of showing prototypes, came up with a new version of a separable phone: The display and Qwerty-cum-numeric keypad can be split into two. This allows multitasking so users can talk while surfing the Internet simultaneously.

Its eye-controlled earphones, which allows users to work their mobile devices with mere gazes, also caused visitors to take a second look during live demonstrations.

Nvidia showed off prototype tablet devices running its Tegra 2 chip, allowing for full HD video playback, as well as Flash 10.1 support.

But what could probably ring in the loudest cheer is the the announcement by telco's big boys for an international apps platform across devices and brands. That would allow handset owners to get and use apps regardless of maker, model and platform.

The alliance, called the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), is supported by 24 of the world's largest telcos, including Vodafone, China Mobile and SingTel.

However, whether WAC can compete with established brands like BlackBerry and Apple and resolve other issues across the devices remain to be seen.

'To succeed, the WAC operators will have to overcome the sometimes considerable prejudice that developers have towards operator-driven developer communities,' explained Ovum's senior analyst, Tony Cripps.

sherwinl@sph.com.sg

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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