Mobile pizza

3GSM - standing back

Last year Mobile TV definitely dominated the show. I found this year’s 3GSM difficult to pin down, perhaps because it was bigger and more frantic.

Now that I’m back in the UK, it is a little easier to get a perspective on it. So here are a few observations.

I was talking to a manager from Motorola on my way back. He thought there was more ‘content’ at this year’s show. I can’t say I noticed much content there, but he perhaps has a wider definition of ‘content’: read the Internet getting into mobile and mobile opening up beyond operators and handset manufacturers.

• There were several products, from games to Java portals, that did not rely on the mobile operators buying into them
• Yahoo and Google were clearly present. The former through a highly visible stand, the latter more behind the scenes, striking deals
• .mobi were there much more convincingly than they were last year
• WAP portal products were also well represented – e.g. Volantis and Momac

The network operators seemed to be taking the back seat a bit: Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange had big set-ups, but nothing particularly exciting. Only Telefonica and DoCoMo seemed to be there to show off new products and services.

Finally, I noticed GPS far more than last year. I might just have been more alert because we have been playing with it over the last 6 months, but the number of GPS navigation applications on show was remarkable. And we started to see GPS handsets being launched by most manufacturers.

3GSM - icon-based language

This is a nice idea from an Israeli company called Zlango. They have created an entire icon-based vocaboulary and are using it across web, mobile and print.
I like the idea of creating a language and they have certainly done a good job with the icons. I wasn't too impressed with some of the applications they have created (the mobile version is a Java application that uses SMS to send messages between users... a bit clunky), but you can't get everything right.

3GSM - handsets

Had to take a look at the handset manufacturer stands. The talk of the show was the LG Prada handset - but I didn't get to see it.

Nokia had my favourite stand, in the sense that it really gave you a chance to play with all their services. No new handset to write home about, but the S60 interface is getting better and better.

Design-wise, Samsung and Sony-Ericsson had the best looking handsets.  Samsung's extra-thin slider is impressive. Sony's W880 was even better: great sound and very fast.

3GSM - everyware

The event is even larger than last year, with an extra hall dedicated to mobile content.

This is however a prototype that's hidden away in a remote booth. It's a mobile handset with a flexible screen that wraps around the main body.  I've seen digital ink displays before, but this is the first time I see it used in a way that makes the most of it.Download flex_screen.mp4

On a similar theme, one can also find keyboard-sized flexible solar panels that can be used to charge mobile phones anywhere, and - certainly less newsworthy - jackets with built-in controls.

Put it all together and the picture of the mobile experience begins to change.