From the Editor's Desk: Mobile World Congress hangover edition

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It's good to be home.

Don't get me wrong. Mobile World Congress is a blast. That we get to work for a week in Barcelona, Spain, is but one perk of this job, and certainly not one that should be taken for granted. As always, it's great to see old friends and make a few new ones, too. And to top it all off, we had great weather this year. (The past two had been cold, wet and relatively miserable, especially for those of us from Florida.)

Oh, and we got to see the next generation of smartphones. So, yeah, there's that, too.

And with that, a few thoughts on the far side of MWC ...

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What was your favorite thing from Mobile World Congress?

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With Mobile World Congress behind us, and all of the wildness dying down, we are left wondering what your favorite thing was from this years event. With tons and tons of new phones announced, innovative ideas flowing, and news beyond what we could comprehend it was a wild few days. Was it the Samsung Galaxy Beam, HTC's new line of phones, or the Carrier IQ information they announced?

Hit the break with us and check out some of our very own favorites, and be sure to sound off in the comments and let us know what your favorite was!

Mobile World Congress day three wrap-up

Things are winding down in Barcelona, the fellows are enjoying some of the local delicacies and getting ready for the trip home. But just because Mobile World Congress is finishing up doesn't mean they didn't work their collective tails off today, making the final sweep of the show to make sure no stone was left unturned, no device left un-handled,  and no hors d'oeuvre was left uneaten.  We're thorough like that.  While Phil and the gang pack up their belongings, hit the break with me and see what they found today.

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Eric Schmidt's Mobile World Congress keynote now online

One of the highlights yesterday in Barcelona was Eric Schmidt's keynote address. Schmidt always entertains, and as former CEO and current chairman at Google we're usually listening when he speaks. At Mobile World Congress this year, Schmidt was focused on one thing -- the digital divide. We did get to see a nifty demonstration of Chrome for Android Beta from Android Product Director Hugo Barra, but for the most part it's an hour of hearing Schmidt's thoughts on how to bring connectivity to areas of the world that don't have it, and why that matters.

It's worth a look. There's no hidden gems about Jellybean or some secret-stealth project the folks at Mountain View might be working on, but it's a look at what drives Schmidt, and in turn Google, to go forward. You can find it embedded after the break.

Source:  Google Youtube channel

Dancing Androids - Mobile World Congress edition

Youtube link for mobile viewing

You didn't think we'd go an entire show without seeing some dancing Android robots, did ya? Intel had few at its booth.

And, no. We didn't dance.

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ViewSonic intros affordable ICS tablets at Mobile World Congress

Just in case you haven't had enough Android hardware from Mobile Conference 2012, even little ol' ViewSonic had some stuff to show off. Along with demonstrating some of their stuff announced at CES, ViewSonic had a new tablet called the E100. Beyond its 9.1 mm profile and a decent 9.1-inch 1024 x 768 display, there's a single core 1 GHz processor under the hood. So, a bit underwhelming, yeah? Well, the Wi-Fi model will be retailing for $399, so it's got that much going for it. The E100 will be landing around late March, with a 3G version launching shortly thereafter. 

Following that, ViewSonic announced an even cheaper lower-end tablet called the E70. It's aiming for 150 Euros (which undercuts even the Kindle Fire and BlackBerry PlayBook) when it lands in Europe come Q2. The 7-inch device is also running Android 4.0 ICS on a modest single-core 1 GHz processor. ViewSonic implemented some light customizations on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but it doesn't look like much more than the SPB shell. It still supports 1080p video output through HDMI, despite the low-end specs. It includes both micro and mini USB slots, which is kind of neat. The mini slot can be used for USB host functions (like popping in a thumb drive if you've got an adapter). 

HTC One at Mobile World Congress highlights reel now online

Youtube link for mobile viewing

HTC held one of the biggest events at Mobile World Congress this year when they introduced the One series. It's not hard to understand, they certainly look good, and from what we've seen they blow us away with speed and usability. Even Sense has been trimmed and now looks, and in our opinion runs, much better. I think most Android fans are looking forward to seeing them be released.

What most of us didn't get to see was the presentation and show they put on in Barcelona. We missed them demo the .7 second shutter on the new camera hardware. We missed when Peter Chou told us about the new way they are integrating Beats Audio. And the info about micro-arc oxidation would have been great to sit in on. That's why we're pumped to see that HTC has posted a five-minute video with highlights of their event. 

It's not as fun as being there, but it will have to do. And it makes us want to see these phones on the shelves even more.

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Who to follow from Mobile World Congress

We know you love to keep up to date on all the latest and greatest Android news, and that is why you are here, right? Well as you know some of the Android Central folks have made the long trek to Barcelona to bring you all of the latest updates as they come pouring in from Mobile World Congress. While we will be posting as much as we possibly can on the blogs, following them on other social networks can give you a sneak peak of what's to come, and some extra behind the scenes action. Whether you prefer Twitter or Google+, give these guys a follow, or a circle, and let's get ready for the mayhem to take place.

• Phil Nickinson - Twitter | Google+


• Alex Dobie - Twitter | Google+


• Simon Sage - Twitter | Google+


• Daniel Rubino - Twitter | Google+


• Android Central - Twitter | Google+

Of course, keep it locked here for all of our coverage of MWC 2012. Let the madness begin.

Android @ Mobile World Congress!

Welcome to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This is the annual event in which we'll see some of the newest phones from the world's top manufacturers, as well as app developers. The event is in its last year at the Fira de Barcelona -- in 2013 it moves to the nearby (and newer) Gran Via facility.

We're live in Barcelona all week, bringing you all the announcements as they happen, along with hands-on coverage of all the new Android phones, tablets and apps. We're expecting big things from HTC, Sony, LG and others. Plus there's always a bunch of cool stuff that we might not get to see in the States. So keep it locked to AC in the days ahead for all the latest developments as they happen! If you can't wait that long, be sure to check out our MWC preview article.

A quick reminder that for those of you in the United States, Barcelona is between 6 and 9 hours ahead, depending on your time zone. Your best bet? Wake up early and keep your eyes glued t this page. (Sponsored by copious amounts of tapas, cervezas and smartphones.)

Here's a quick look back at what we've seen in the past year or so at Mobile World Congress:

• HTC unveiled the Legend and Desire lines in 2010, and sequels in 2011, including the ChaCha Facebook phone.


• Samsung at Mobile World Congress in 2011 unveiled the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy S II.


• Sony Ericsson has improved its Xperia line each year at MWC -- including the Xperia Play in 2011.


• LG unveiled the Optimus 3D and Optimus Pad at MWC last year.


• Google had one hell of a "booth" -- more like an entire hall -- in 2011.

In addition to all things Android, we'll be lending a hand for our sister sites, CrackBerry.com, WPCentral, iMore and webOSNation, so be sure to check them as well. Events kick off on Sunday, Feb. 26, and run all week. Be sure to bookmark this page for the latest Android news.

Live from Mobile World Congress!

Greetings, boys and girls, from beautiful Barcelona, Spain! We're live at Mobile World Congress. That is, we will be live starting Sunday afternoon (U.S.) time when things get going -- namely Huawei, HTC and and Sony, among others. Mobile World Congress officially kicks off Monday morning at the Fire de Barcelona -- the lovely venue you see before you here (as shot from atop the renovated Arenas de Barcelona).

A quick reminder that for those of you in the United States, Barcelona is between 6 and 9 hours ahead, depending on your time zone. Your best bet? Wake up early and keep your eyes glued to our Official Mobile World Congress 2012 Page™. (Sponsored by copious amounts of tapas, cervezas and smartphones.) Also be sure to check our our comprehensive Mobile World Congress Preview for a look at everything we now (and everything we think we know) is coming this week.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, and stay tuned for Greatest Android Coverage in the World -- from Mobile World Congress!

Mobile Nations Special: Mobile World Congress 2012 kickoff

Phil, Simon, and Alex have splashed down in Barcelona and are ready to assault Mobile World Congress 2012, Mobile Nations style, and bring you back absolutely everything Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, (and even iPhone and iPad if they can find it!). Listen in!

• Our podcast feed: Audio | Video


• Download directly: Audio


• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio | Video


• Subscribe in Zune

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From the Editor's Desk: Mobile World Congress edition

Welcome to Barcelona and Mobile World Congress. And things are already pretty insane. And we're not just talking tapas here. Though if you want to talk tapas, I can go on for days. And if history repeats, probably will for a week or two once I get home. My wife's already prepared for me to eat only (and, yes, many) small portions of meat and cheese for days.

But enough about the food. 

Saturday was a travel and decompression day for many of us here. Arrive in the early morning after flying through the night. Find your apartment or hotel, get settled in, and head out on the town. Eric from Phonescoop got about 30 or so of us together Saturday night. Great to see friends old and new. And, somehow, we made it home.

But enough about the drink.

Let's talk about about the news of the past week, and what we're about to see here in Spain.