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Android, 4G, and Large Screens Headline the CTIA Show
The hot topics at the CTIA Wireless 2010 show were Android, 4G and large screens. Those were embraced by the HTC EVO 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S smartphones. An analyst said consumers care more about functions, and called the HTC EVO 4G "impressive." With 4G, the main focus was on the build-out of Sprint Nextel's WiMAX and Verizon's LTE.
Sprint has announced that it will begin selling the EVO, the "world's first 3G/4G" handset, in June. The device, running Google's open-source Android platform, is being showcased by the carrier as the kind of mobile device one can expect with the next generation of wireless networking .
'Android, Android, Android'
Michael Gartenberg, a partner at the Altimeter Group, is attending CTIA and said the big news at CTIA was "Android, Android, Android."
He pointed out that the Android visibility is important to handset makers, the media, and some tech-savvy buyers, but "most consumers don't make purchasing decisions based on operating systems." Instead, he said, they often base their decisions on functionality. By that standard, Gartenberg said HTC showed some "pretty impressive" functionality for the EVO, including using it to download and stream high-definition video through a Roku set-top box to a HDTV.
Samsung's Galaxy S also runs on Android, and features a Super AMOLED four-inch screen, which could increase brightness and battery life as much as 20 percent. It also has what Samsung called a Layar Reality Browser, which offers location-based search, and personalized preferences are used to gather information from online sources into a daily briefing.
Other new products grabbing some of the spotlight include the Windows Mobile 6.5-based HD2 from HTC, announced in the fall but only now available for sale. Its 4.3-inch 480x800 display is described by the maker as "the largest touchscreen on the market." Also getting noticed is Dell's first phone in the U.S., the Android-based Aero, which will be available through AT&T.
And not be left out of the new enthusiasm for open source, Samsung highlighted its new mobile operating system , Bada, which will be featured in all of its high-end phones.
The Next Generation
Gartenberg said the other headline from the show is the "build-out of the next-generation wireless network ," primarily Sprint's WiMAX technology or the LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology from Verizon Wireless and others.
Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA, said "4G is the dominant theme this year," adding that the innovations range from mobile money applications to mobile television.
Ken Dulaney, vice president for mobile computing at Gartner, noted that another big headline was large-screen devices. "We're seeing a lot of larger screens, up to 4.3 inches." Beyond that size, he said, he wouldn't describe the device as a smartphone, since you need to be able to put it to your ear.
Some of the devices with screens above that size are being called tablets, which are also showing up at the CTIA show. Apple's much-publicized iPad is launching in early April, so competitors were eager to ride the new attention to that form factor.
Dell showed its Mini 5 Android tablet with a five-inch screen, Panasonic promoted its Touchbook "convertible" that can change from a notebook into a tablet, and Marvell showed a $100 Android tablet.
Wireless Business Solution Zee Tawasha