CTIA Wireless review | Celebrating new gadgets

What's new in wireless?

After attending the largest U.S. wireless convention late last month in Orlando, Fla., I have a clue.

This year's CTIA Wireless was no different than in years past — it is the time and place for the wireless operators, chip makers and application developers to reveal the latest mobile gadgets and gizmos for fun and business.

To get a sense of what's to come, join me for the highlights:

Dual-sliders

Breaking mold on function, style

We've all seen the phones that have tried to do too many things, and it's not pretty. But three phones introduced at the show break the mold, maintaining functionality and style.

First, is the Samsung Upstage launched by Sprint Nextel. The phone takes advantage of both sides of the device, by having a portable music player with a touchpad and a large display on one side, and a traditional phone with a full numeric keypad on the other. Essentially, this allows people to carry two devices in one.

At three-eighths of an inch thick, and at $150 with a two-year contract, the phone carries a lot of bang for its buck.

It allows users to download full-track songs over the air for a new price of 99 cents each; it supports a regular pair of headphones and has a 1.3 megapixel camera with video camcorder and stereo Bluetooth.

The second phone that falls into this category is the Helio Ocean — a "dual-slider."

When the phone is horizontal, a full keyboard slides out from the bottom. When the phone is vertical, a numeric keypad slides out. This allows a user to type comfortably, while also keeping the look and feel of a regular phone.

The Ocean, manufactured by Pantech, will be available exclusively on the Helio network, which is an operator that buys minutes wholesale from Sprint and Verizon Wireless and resells them primarily to younger users.

The Ocean is also feature-packed. It has GPS-enabled Google Maps to allow you to track your friends' locations, and rich e-mail capabilities. E-mail from providers such as Yahoo! and Microsoft will automatically be pushed down to the device, something not typically found in a consumer device.

It costs $295 and will come out this Spring. The third device that falls into this multifunction category is the Nokia N95.

It too is a "dual-slider." When horizontal, a small section on the left slides out to reveal designated music-player keys. When the phone is vertical, a numeric keypad slides out from the bottom. This is a very high-end phone, sporting a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The screen supports DVD-like footage at 30 frames a second, and it comes with GPS.

No word on how much the phone will cost or what country it will be available in first.

iPhone, LG Prada

Stars of show only glimpsed

A joke in the industry is that, oftentimes, the coolest thing at the show is the thing not at the show. Two phones fell into that category this year: the Apple iPhone, which only made a short appearance on stage during AT&T's keynote, and the LG Prada phone. Perhaps, only by coincidence, these two phones are similar.

Unlike the first category that emphasized lots of keys coming from all different directions, these two phones are key-less. Both rely on a touchscreen.

The iPhone, which will cost as much as $600 and will be offered by AT&T, the former Cingular Wireless, in June, has an Apple operating system that offers music functionality and a full-Web browsing experience.

You've probably heard less about the LG phone branded by Prada, the ultra expensive and chic fashion house.

At the LG booth on the show floor, the slim, black Darth Vader-like phone was locked up in a glass box. Even when the salivating trade press asked to hold it, requests were denied.

Having not held an iPhone yet, I would guess the experience must be similar. The touchscreen takes accuracy to a new level. Technically, it's called a "capacitive" screen, meaning that it uses changes in static electricity, rather than contact to register when a user has depressed a specific key. Untechnically, that means the thumb works well and you don't need a stylus.

LG was reluctant to talk much about the phone, which is available in Europe and Asia now. It was mum on the price and on when it would come to the U.S.

New stuff

Saving the best for last

Every year, I spend the final day at the show — a Thursday — frantically wandering the floor, seeking out the greatest new stuff. Kyocera is always accommodating when it comes to my routine, noting that a CTIA is never done without a visit from The Seattle Times.

This year, they had lots of cool stuff to show me, but one thing really stood out from the bunch. And, it was not a phone but an accessory called the Bluetooth Music Gateway.

The gateway plays audio wirelessly from a cellphone to a PC, home-entertainment system or Bluetooth-enabled headset. That means music that is stored on a cellphone can be played through your living-room speakers when the gateway is plugged into the entertainment system.

If your phone doesn't have music on it, a Bluetooth adapter can be plugged into your iPod to have the same effect. This could be especially handy during a party, or while cooking in the kitchen. From afar, you could quickly skip songs, pause or adjust the volume.

A Kyocera phone worth mentioning is the E5000, which showcases its new branding strategy.

Kyocera Wireless is a San Diego-based subsidiary of its Japanese parent, so the new brand, using the tagline "Tomorrow is Rising," blends Asia's reputation for advanced technology with the United States' sense of entrepreneurialism.

The E5000 is a high-end phone with smart designs and lots of features. The notable design features come in the flip-phone's hinge — it is stainless steel and in the shape of an S, connecting the keypad to the screen. It also comes with a high-speed 3G network called EV-DO, offered by both Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, a 1.3 megapixel camera and music keys on the outside of the phone.

Announcements

Mobile banking on horizon

The next item is less tangible, and is still in its infancy, but a number of announcements made at the show provide assurance that mobile banking is on the horizon.

John Philip Coghlan, president and CEO of Visa, said during the keynote that cellphones are just starting to be used as debit and credit cards. A short video on the technology featured swimmer Michael Phelps as he made purchases in a deli, checked his balance and sent money to his mother, all with a few clicks or by swiping his phone in front of a reader.

Still, for mobile banking to take off, most phones will have to get a new chip in them and partnerships will have to be formed. Visa said it was working with Qualcomm, the chipmaker, and Kyocera. Separately, AT&T announced that it formed partnerships with several banks, alongside mobile banking company Firethorn Holdings.

Mini laptops

7-inch screen, 30 gigabyte hard drive

Next up are two devices that are in a category of their own — something being referred to as "ultra-mobile PCs," or miniature laptops.

HTC, the Taiwan mobile-device manufacturer with its North American headquarters in Bellevue, released the HTC Shift and HTC Advantage.

At half the weight of the average laptop, the Shift uses Windows Vista with 3G connectivity. It includes a 7-inch touchscreen, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The smaller Advantage uses the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, and has a full keyboard that connects magnetically. It also comes with 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The Advantage will be available through Amazon.com and other retailers this summer. The Shift will be available in the U.S. by September. Prices have not been announced.

Tricia Duryee: 206-464-3283 or tduryee@seattletimes.com