While there is consensus around 'not a lot' as a description for what's happening in MWC this week, one thing is happening - experiments.

Google has given away thousands of Nexus One phones to attendees of its Android Developer Workshop. (Guess how many Israelis became Android developers for half an hour to get one...). Multiply by whichever number you decide, it is a significant marketing expenditure.

O2 and Samsung are trialing NFC - Near Field Communication. Hundreds of phones with NFC chips have been given to customers, each phone loaded with 75 Euros. All the restaurants and cafes on the show have NFC readers. So much for 'no free lunch'...

Nokia has been experimenting with playing Apple - not showing up for what used to be its major event of the year. There are Nokia people around, but no booth and almost no handset announcements. Not sure if THAT would turn them into Apple. I did get to see the new Nokia Booklet, a notebook, and it's sleek. Nevertheless, will you pay 600 dollars or more for 1.2Kg of notebook, just because it bears the Nokia brand?

And finally, the biggest experiment of all. Can you have a global mobile conference with almost no Chinese visitors? That's what you get when you schedule this major event for the Chinese New Year celebration. If it wasn't sad it could have been funny.