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BARCELONA, Spain--After a hard day on the trail, the last thing you need is a smartphone that can't cope with the rigors of outdoor life. Fortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 can take a licking and keep on ticking.

The Xcover 2 is basically the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini in a rugged shell. It's IP67-certified, which is a fancy way of saying it's dust-proof and waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. It'll survive a dunking in your drink or the bathroom, and it'll survive you washing it afterward.

Just because it has an … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Mobile network operators traditionally use Mobile World Congress to call for lower taxes and more wireless spectrum. This year, a new word has entered the wish list: harmonization.

The mobile industry today must deal with a hodgepodge of electromagnetic frequencies that differ from carrier to carrier and country to country. Franco Bernabe, chief executive of Telecom Italia, wants to see not just more spectrum for wireless operators, but also spectrum that's not so fragmented.

"It's not just about having the right amount of spectrum. It's critical that the spectrum is harmonized on a global basis,&… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--It's not easy to be on the cutting edge when your wallet's a little on the light side. Fortunately the Samsung Galaxy Fame gives you the latest Android Jelly Bean software without breaking the bank -- but in other respects, you can't escape how cheap this phone is.

The Galaxy Fame launches alongside the Samsung Galaxy Young. Both phones have Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean software on board, making them a wallet-friendly way to put what is pretty much the latest software in your pocket.

The Fame is powered by a 1GHz processor with 512MB … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--LG Electronics overhauled its Android product line today, with the flagship Optimus G Pro leading the way.

The company divides its Optimus line into four categories: its G series for deep-pocketed early adopters, the F series with the mission of "4G LTE for everyone," the lower-end L series, and the Vu tablets.

The company announced the Optimus G Pro specifications last week, and now it's showing off the "phablet"-size device with its mammoth 5.5-inch screen. Soon it and its smaller Optimus G sibling will be joined by more in the line. … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Do you remember the Alcatel One Touch Scribe X from CES last month? Well, the Alcatel One Touch Scribe Easy is a lot like it, but less tailored in appearance and more midrange in specs.

The Scribe Easy's main premise is that's it an extremely affordable Android 4.1 device (4.2 at launch) that comes with a cool magnetic cover and a stylus you can use to transcribe handwriting into text in several custom apps.

For the roughly $130 U.S. full retail price, the specs are fine: a large, 5-inch, 800x480-pixel screen, a 1.2GHz … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--With the Lumia 720 and 520, Nokia has a shot of getting back in the China game.

The announcements at today's Mobile World Congress press conference were about Nokia filling out its portfolio with a few more budget-friendly smartphones, as well as two basic cellphones it files under the category of "first phone."

But in doing so, the company has given itself additional ammunition to re-enter the Chinese market with a bit more swagger. As with many other parts of the world, the company has struggled to offset the declines in its traditional Symbian phone business … Read more

Nokia took the wraps off four cell phones today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, that run the gamut of entry-level handsets to high-end Windows 8 devices.

With the entry-level Nokia 105, the Finnish handset maker is thinking small. The durable 105 features an itty-bitty 1.5-inch screen and costs 15 euros, or about $20. Created for markets such as China, Indonesia, India, and Nigeria, the Nokia 105 focuses on calls, long battery life, and only a few little extras.

There's no camera, no volume rocker, and the only buttons on this handset are on the central, rubbery … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--When I first heard the leaked rumors and specs surrounding the Nokia Lumia 520, I was sure I was going to be looking at a handset with a passable chassis that I'd only grudgingly like because of its stellar price. Instead, when Nokia representatives handed me a red and yellow Lumia 520, I had to admit, it looked pretty good (it'll also come in cyan, white, and black).

If you're reading this from the U.S., you should pay extra attention because, in addition to coming to other markets, it'll be available through T-Mobile as … Read more

Read the full Nokia Lumia 720 review from CNET UK.

BARCELONA, Spain--Of the four new handsets Nokia introduced at Mobile World Congress, the Nokia Lumia 720 is by far the most high-end.

The Windows Phone 8 device has a 4.3-inch LCD display with a ClearBlack filter that reduces outdoor glare and with a highly sensitive screen that responds to your navigational gestures, even if you're wearing gloves or have long nails -- just like the Lumia 920 and 820 series.

The rest of the body looks achingly familiar with squared-off edges and a more consistently flat body than … Read more