From CTIA 2011 - The dual screen Echo, 3D phones and the new Playstation phone the Xperia Play

We're here in Orlando for CTIA Wireless 2011. Most of the big announcements in consumer mobile come out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Companies always save a few announcements for CTIA though. And while Mobile World Congress attendees get the splashy unveilings, CTIA presents the best opportunity to get hands on with these same products in their actual working form.

Kyocera Echo
My favourite smartphone concept of the show is the Kyocera Echo... and it's not even concept; it's ready for retail. This candybar style phone does some pretty nifty Transformer style acrobatics to become the first actually viable dual screen phone.
We'd have liked to see a dual core processor pushing the dual screens. I hope this one takes off so other smartphone makers will start copying it, making the dual screen smartphone a new category as opposed to a one-off oddity. Also, this will push developers to create dual screen specific apps.
The major achilles heel here, as you might expect, is battery life. You don't double up the screens without sacrificing some longevity. Kyocera is bundling an extra battery with separate charger in with the phone. That's not a good sign.
At $200 on a two year contract with Sprint, the Echo could be a contender. Power management woes aside.

Check out our in-depth interview for way more Kyocera Echo info

Also, check out the Gadget TV First Look at the Kyocera Echo

3D from LG / HTC
Glasses-free 3D is no longer just for the 3DS any more.
We saw a few 3D-capable smartphones. Most notable were the offerings from HTC and LG.
The HTC EVO 3D is a capable 1.2 GHZ dual core smartphone with a gig of RAM. It does everything you'd expect of an Android smartphone.
More interesting though is the glasses-free 3D. While we obviously can't show you the effect with our decidedly monocular cameras, suffice it to say images jump off the screen, rip your face off, poke you in the eye and leave you screaming in agony.
On the back, dual 5-megapixel cams let you shoot your own 3D videos and stills to fill in the decided gaps in the availability of real 3D content.
The LG Optimus 3D is another glasses-free 3D phone. Another dual-core 1.2 processor, dual 5-megapixel cams and the same 4.3-inch screen size as the HTC EVO 3D.

Check out our interview with Keith Nowack of HTC for much more info on the HTC EVO 3D

See our on-location CTIA 2011 interview for way more LG Optimus 3D, AKA the AT&T Thrill

Xperia Play
The first Android phone that's all about gaming, the Xperia Play, perhaps better known as the Playstation phone, is here.
It's a capable Android smartphone on its front. Slide the screen up though and you reveal immediately recognizable Playstation style controls. A direction pad and the X, circle, square, triangle buttons. In addition, two touch pads take the place of the analog control sticks you're used to.
Xperia launches with a commitment from biggest gaming studios working in mobile, most specifically Ubisoft and EA, to make games for the PhoneStation.

Check out our in-depth interview for more detail on the Xperia Play