Minor vendors steal the handset thunder

As usual, there were some exciting new handsets unveiled at Congress this year, but - this time around - not by the usual suspects. Nokia posted itself outside of the Congress gates and selected its visitors like a bouncer would select who’s coming in and out of its VIP club – but nothing new came out of that door except a few software updates. LG also took the decision to keep it low-key and broke with its usual tradition to expose its wide portfolio in a blaze of glory. Motorola did attract some attention around its new Android devices but the real buzz came from elsewhere. In the hot corner of Hall 8, the most exciting handsets present at the show were staring at each other, starting with the Puma phone made by Sagem. This partnership managed to produce a very refreshing consumer experience and is ready to go mass market in April. This touchscreen device features a user-friendly interface which combines all of Puma's sport and lifestyle widgets in a few simple clicks. On top of that, the device holds a solar panel on its back to improve battery life and is home to 'Dylan' (your friendly Puma pet).

We believe that the Puma phone will do particularly well, along with Sony Ericsson's X10 which was very captivating – based on Android and Qualcomm's chipset. But the firm's X10 Mini was the real surprise, which again refreshed our views of what a cool and user-friendly touchscreen device can look like, taking us away from the giant displays and form factors we have seen so far. Last but not least, Samsung's Wave - based on the manufacturer's new operating system, bada – splashed excitement out of the same corner. The device presents some great features, including its AMOLED display which renders HD videos and will make you want to watch a full length movie on a mobile screen. Outside of Hall 8, HTC was very much present especially with the introduction of its 'Desire' and 'Legend' Android devices, while ODMs were also making some noise around low-cost smartphones.

(This article is part of a series of follow-ups on Mobile World Congress 2010 from the GSMA Intelligence team.)