Last week, every mobile company on the planet brought out their brightest digital stars for the Mobile World Congress (MWC). While smartphones were the sexy devices, there was one handset that everybody must go out and buy. The Nokia 105 is amazing. It is a dumb phone that shows that simple electronics can still be objects of desire. The Nokia 105 offers battery life with up to 12.5 hours talk-time and 35 days standby. Yes, that's right - charge it once a month. A bright color screen displays clear menus and the handset makes phone calls and does SMS. It's dust and splash-proof. There's an FM radio, flashlight, multiple alarm clocks, a speaking clock and games. The Nokia 105 comes in blue or black, with a cost to own of $20. Even if you're a smartphone user, this tiny phone is excellent as a back-up device and for travel. It's also a good phone for young kids, since it's hard to destroy and keeps children off social networking, but connected to their families. Another great phone introduced at MWC 2013 is the ZTE Open. It's the world's first smartphone to run on Mozilla's Firefox OS open mobile ecosystem. It features a 3.5-inch, HVGA TFT touchscreen display, has 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM combined with a 3.2MP camera. It supports Bluetooth 2.1, WIFI 802.11b/g/n and aGPS and has a 1200mAH battery. Mozilla's Firefox OS is HTML5-based and completely open source so ZTE Open users will be able to run Web apps and view their favorite websites without losing any of the features they love. This includes dynamic content and unique features such as more personalized search services. Mozilla's Firefox OS is free from restrictions. It provides a high-speed open standards platform perfect for developers looking to create HTML5-based websites and apps. Developers will be able to distribute their apps through the Firefox Marketplace. What was the “Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet” at MWC 2013? According to the judges of the Global Mobile Awards 2013, that honor went to the HTC One. The award recognizes the mobile device that the judges believe holds the most promise for success in the market this year. This smartphone combines sleek design, a unique home screen experience, awesome audio and breakthrough camera technology. The HTC One has an “Ultrapixel” camera designed to take the best possible low light photos by using a combination of a bright f/2.0 lens, optical image stabilization, and “UltraPixel” sensor, with 2.0 micron pixel size. The smartphone is bursting with innovations such as HTC BlinkFeed, HTC Zoe and HTC BoomSound. BlinkFeed is a live stream of personally relevant information on the device's home screen. Zoe combines pictures and a video clip to create a 30-second video clip, set to music, great for sharing. BoomSound introduces front-facing stereo speakers on the HTC One with a dedicated amplifier to enhance any music, video or gaming experience. The HTC One is expected in the region by the end of March, priced between Dh2,300 and Dh2,700.
