Barcelona, Spain is the place to be this week as Mobile World Congress is in full swing, complete with a look at Samsung's latest "phablet" and a peek at a web-based smartphone.
Ars Technica is reporting that AT&T and Mozilla are demonstrating the so-called "WebPhone" at Mobile World Congress this week. The proof-of-concept application combines WebRTC support from Firefox, AT&T's API platform and Ericsson's Web Communication Gateway for a plugin-free technology capable of offering "a full range of telephony services" through a browser-based app.
Described by AT&T as a "vision for the future of seamlessly integrated communication," the WebPhone essentially unhooks traditional phone services from the actual phone, enabling access to calls and text messages from anywhere using an internet connection and WebRTC-enabled browser.
While the future remains unclear for WebPhone -- especially when carriers have to sign off on the technology -- Samsung's latest Android-powered Galaxy Note 8.0 phablet is very much real and ready to take on the iPad mini.
According to AppleInsider, the stylus-enabled Galaxy Note 8.0 is Samsung's latest attempt to deflect Apple's domination in the tablet space, with a display ever-so-slightly larger than the iPad mini and a higher resolution at 1280 x 800 (189ppi) versus Apple's 1024 x 768 (163ppi).
If you prefer your tablet mostly encased in metal, you're not likely to want the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, which continues the Korean manufacturer's practice of using a plastic housing with a metal ring around it. No word yet on pricing or availability for its latest offering.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
