MWC 2016: The most important products announced so far
We are just past the half way point at Mobile World Congress 2016, which has so far given us smartphones, tablets and Internet of Things solutions in abundance from some of the industries biggest players.
If you haven’t been paying attention for the last couple of days, here’s a quick round up of some of the big stories you might have missed.
Tablets
There’s been an emergence of business-focused 2-in-1 tablets at this year’s MWC, with the likes of Fujitsu, Lenovo and Huawei all getting in on the act.
Microsoft first led the way in this category with its Surface Pro devices, followed by Apple which released the iPad Pro last year. Aimed at the modern mobile worker, these hybrid devices aim to provide the mobility of a tablet with the power and performance of a laptop, thus enabling employees to work anywhere.
Huawei held a press conference in Barcelona on Sunday to launch the MateBook, its own 2-in-1 effort which it hopes will "redesign the new style of business". Running Windows 10 and powered by an Intel 6th Generation Core m-series processor, the MateBook certainly looks well places to disrupt the market. I got my hands on the device and it is an impressive piece of kit, starting at $699 for the cheapest option.
Lenovo has also targeted professionals with the TAB3 10 Business, an Android tablet that offering full support for Android for Work and featuring a range of security and encryption options to ensure work-related data remains secure. Starting at just $199, it is a much cheaper option than the Huawei MateBook and will be available from June this year.
Not wanting to be left out, Fujitsu has focused on security with the STYLISTIC Q736. Powered by the 6th Generation Intel Core i7 vPro processor, the Q736 features Fujitsu’s unique PalmSecure technology which scans the veins in your palm to provide a more secure biometric reading.
Smartphones
On to smartphones now, which of course are a prime focus at MWC. HP kicked things off with the Elite x3, which is actually more than just a smartphone -- it’s a mobility ecosystem designed to drive the next generation of mobile computing. The Elite x3 bridges phablet, laptop and desktop use cases through a single device -- a phablet with a 6-inch display, the latest Qualcomm 820 processor and a massive 4,150 mAh battery.
As with the Huawei MateBook, the Elite x3 is a slick looking device and its versatility could make it very popular with today’s mobile workforce that needs to be able to switch between smartphone and laptop.
From a more consumer point of view, Samsung and LG have also both launched new flagships at MWC. The Samsung Circus rolled into town on Sunday evening to announce the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, both of which have made steps forward from their predecessors. A surprise appearance from Mark Zuckerberg added to the excitement at an event where virtual reality was also heavily featured.
LG added the G5 to its mobile portfolio, doing away with the leather casing of its predecessor for an all-metal finish which, although not quite as polished as the Galaxy S7, is still a marked improvement on the G4. Add Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM into the mix and you’ve got yourself a top-quality smartphone.
Other
MWC isn’t all about hardware and there have been a few other interesting stories to emerge over the last couple of days. Probably the most notable is Samsung’s semiconductor arm positioning itself as an advocate for a cashless society, with its NFC and digital payments solution ready to take on the burden of our spending habits.
Moving on to cars, Ford has announced that its automotive connectivity technology SYNC 3 is coming to Europe and that it is working on autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.
There’s still one more day to go at MWC 2016, so be sure to check back for more news and updates from the biggest mobile show on earth.
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