New products launch at World Mobile Congress

Yesterday Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson unveiled their latest smart phones ahead of the conference. Samsung’s The Wave is expected to be launched in May and will have access to its own app store for downloading maps, games and lifestyle software.

Sony Ericsson unveiled three new smart phones, two of which – the Experia X10 Mini and the Experia X10 Mini Pro – will run on Google’s Android OS software.  A third product, the Vivaz Pro, will  offer a touchscreen, qwerty keyboard and HD recording.

A new platform, Creations, has also been announced by Sony Ericsson, which will allow consumers, publishers and developers to create mobile content from handsets and share it through a community network.  

A Sony Ericsson spokeswoman says that ‘a user-generated community area’ will allow consumers to aggregate content, and ‘upload, share and create apps’.

A group of 24 telecommunications companies have formed the Wholesale Applications Community in a bid to build an open platform for all mobile users. Rob Conway, chief executive of GSMA, believes this move will impact on app developers and network operators, as applications can be developed ‘regardless of device, operating system or operator’.

Meanwhile, three prototype phones from the Design Council and Technology Strategy Board’s Mobile Phone Security Challenge will go on display for the first time at the conference.