CTIA Wireless 2007: the Week that Was

After three days, countless cell phones and too many cocktail parties, the CTIA Wireless fest in Orlando finally drew to a close yesterday. I'm now back in New York City, trying my best to make some sense out of the chaos. While I couldn't point to a single, overarching theme at the show, I've managed to pick out a few general themes, plus some picks for my favorite new handsets.

Design is key: This year more than most, I've been seeing new phones with particularly arresting designs. One of the biggest trends is the mirrored external display; Sony Ericsson took an early lead on this with phones like the Z610 clamshell, but at CTIA this year LG debuted its mirrored, brushed-metal LG VX8700 Shine phone, while Nokia had its N76 flip with an external mirrored display capable of showing videos, and Sony Ericsson dipped into the mirrored well again with the snazzy Z750. Meanwhile, Kyocera made some waves with its new runway-ready handsets, especially the "S"-shaped, stainless-steel E5000 clamshell. Samsung's UpStage music phone wasn't my favorite handset at the show, but its dual-face design will certainly be influential. Finally, Motorola generated some much-needed heat with its cool RIZR Z8, the "kickslide" phone that curves to fit your face.

Consumer phones get the message: Most consumer-oriented phones pay little more than lip service to e-mail; usually, you get links to mobile Web e-mail sites on your WAP browser, maybe an app that collects messages from a Web mail account (if you're lucky), and that's about it. Recently, however, consumer handsets (not counting business-leaning smartphones like the Moto Q or the Samsung BlackJack) seem to be getting more serious about messaging. Sony Ericsson's new, U.S.-bound Z750 handset, in addition to being an eye-catching clamshell, also supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and push e-mail. Even more surprising was Helio's new Ocean, which takes a clear shot at T-Mobile's Sidekick 3 and the LG enV messaging phones with its ActiveSync support for mail, contacts and events.

Touch-screen phones fall a bit flat: There's been a lot of talk on new touch-screen handsets since Apple dropped its iPhone bombshell in January, so Samsung and LG got some extra attention at CTIA with their respective touch-screen models. Unfortunately, after all the hype and expectations, it was letdown to realize that these phones are, in fact, just phones. LG showed off a working model of its Prada handset, the KE850, and yes, its nearly featureless, jet-black face and animated icons are something to see. But after tapping around for awhile, it dawned on me that we're still talking about the same features you'll find on just about any phone; calling, messaging, texting, a calendar and a media player. Nothing life-changing here. It was harder to judge Samsung's Ultra Smart F700, since the display model of the touch-screen, QWERTY slider had a dead battery, but still, seeing the thick, bulky phone and the somewhat dinky keypad in person was a disappointment. Which leads us to...

Red-hot iPhone cools off: When Steve Jobs interrupted CES back in January to announce the iPhone, it felt like a hush literally fell over Las Vegas. Suddenly, all anyone wanted to talk about was the new touch-screen wonder. But that was then, and now, about two-and-a-half months later, the iPhone honeymoon is definitely over. Sure, it's not surprising to hear rival manufacturers taking digs at the iPhone, but almost everyone I talked to at the show (ranging from fellow reporters to casual observers) seemed to have about a dozen reasons each why the iPhone would fail. In fact, I felt like the only goofball at the show who still wanted to buy one. Why the loss of enthusiasm? Again, I think that after taking a cold, hard look at the iPhone's features, not to mention the sky-high price tag, most people have concluded that beyond Apple's characteristically smooth, intuitive interface, there's nothing all that earth-shattering in store.

Best of show: Helio's earlier phones have all failed to impress me, but I think the MVNO may have a hit on its hands with the Ocean; everything on that phone, from its unified messaging interface to its new Helio Up feature for photos, seems to be clicking. Nokia's thin and light N76 flip-phone won me over with its sleek lines and razor-sharp display. While Motorola can't seem to get enough of its tired RAZR line, I admired the powerful RIZR Z8 with its impressive video abilities and cool kickslide action. LG's slick, silver VX8700 also manages to stand out from the crowd, while the Sony Ericsson Z750 is sure to make a splash when it arrives in the States.