The Many Tablets of Mobile World Congress [PICS]

BARCELONA -- Although most manufacturers were focused on smartphones at this year's Mobile World Congress - and we've seen some amazing ones, such as the HTC One X or the LG Optimus 4X HD - there was no shortage of tablets in Barcelona.

The problem with tablets, of course, is that they all look the same, so some manufacturers tried to ruffle things a little bit. Fujitsu showed a waterproof tablet, for example, while LG introduce an smartphone/tablet hybrid called the Optimus Vu, featuring a 5-inch screen with an unusual 4:3 aspect ratio.

However, this year's conference - perhaps more than ever - showed that, when it comes to smartphones and tablets, it's what's on the inside that counts. With most major manufacturers having access to similar technology, such as Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip, it's the software and the apps that make the difference.

There's another interesting point that I've argued during the conversations with the journalists and the developers at the MWC - the simplicity of today's smartphones and tablets may be a good thing, as it makes manufacturers focus on the details. Having a device that's just a little lighter than the others, or is slightly better built makes a difference, which ultimately results in very polished, almost perfect smartphones and tablets.