BARCELONA- As usual, it has been a hectic 4 days at the MWC this year, with many exhibitors, new trends and, of course, plenty of gadgets on display.
Overall, the impression is that there were more visitors compared to 2010 and renewed optimism for the sector as a whole, following the gloomy economic backdrop to the 2010 edition.
There were rafts of new gadget announcements, with the LG Optimus 3D smartphone with 3D viewing as well as recording capabilities (no goggles required!) capturing the attention. You can see photos from the LG stand above during the Optimus demo.
Rare was the announcement of new products that didn't mention a tablet-type device, both 10 inch and 7 inch. Each tablet type will fill a different usage niche -though on a personal level, I prefer the 7 inch versions (like the sleek Blackberry Playbook on show) rather than a larger tablet than gets closer in size and weight to a laptop device.
On a geographical level, the might of the Chinese industrial powerhouse was evident, with an even bigger presence than last year in terms of exhibitors and, from the various Chinese OEM's I spoke to, a clearer mobile strategy following the tentative moves of the last couple of years. It is clear that many of these manufacturers would like to re-grade their products and move them up the value chain by giving them brand support (rather than white-labelling for operators).
Finally, when it comes to the OS domain, let's just take a second to pause and consider the rise and rise of Google's Android system. Within one year, Android has risen to the top of the pack and for many stakeholders, is THE operating system of choice. It is not unrealistic to project that in one year, the once mighty Symbian/Java combo will be relegated to the bottom of the pack. Quite how the Microsoft WindowsPhone tie-up with Nokia will pan out is difficult to see, but the potential for it to be a contender cannot be denied.
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