Four things I'll never forget from MWC 2016
It feels like just yesterday, I was standing in the crowded show floor at Mobile World Congress shuttling back and forth between sales meetings, customer dinners, panel sessions and media interviews. But it’s all over now and there was so much that I saw, heard and experienced at the conference that’s earned itself a reputation for being the "Oscars of the Mobile Industry".
Amidst all of it, there were four things that I’ll never forget from this year’s event.
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.
Xiaomi announces Mi 4s, an updated version of its former flagship
On top of unveiling its new Mi 5 flagship, at MWC 2016 Xiaomi has also announced an updated version of its previous top-of-the-line smartphone, Mi 4. Called Mi 4s, the new handset comes with an improved design, up to date hardware and, best of all, a price tag of around $260.
Mi 4s utilizes the same processor as found in the more affordable Mi 4c, which I have reviewed here, namely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. That makes it significantly faster than Mi 4, but less impressive in this regard than the new Mi 5, which sports a top of the line Snapdragon 820 chip.
Xiaomi's new Mi 5 offers flagship hardware at an affordable price
Xiaomi is once again proving that you do not need to spend a lot of money to get your hands on a flagship smartphone. Its new Mi 5, which is the successor to the popular Mi 4, offers top of the line hardware for just over $300.
Mi 5 offers just about anything you could want in a flagship smartphone. It makes you wonder whether it is worth ponying up for a similar device from LG or Samsung, which costs at least twice as much.
Ford announces new Kuga at MWC 2016
Ford has announced today that it will unveil the new Ford Kuga SUV during the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona this week.
If you were wondering what the hell is a car doing on a fair for mobile things, keep on reading.
MWC: Mobile isn't everything; it's a few things
Mobile technology, data and analytics, mobile security, smart homes, fully autonomous cars, drones, wearable gadgets, enterprise mobility, Internet of Things, mobile commerce, app monetization, 'Internet +' -- you name it, they’re talking about it at Mobile World Congress. And the mix of people that crowded the huge halls of the venue all came from different industries and countries.
Amidst it all, I kept seeing the same three words pop up everywhere on signage in the exhibitor halls, in video ads and everywhere else -- smart, connected and Internet of Things. The more I saw and heard these three words, the more convinced I became that mobile -- in this very moment in time -- isn’t necessarily everything as the conference theme suggests. Instead, it’s a few things. To help illustrate what I mean, here are a few of those things that stood out for me on the first day of Mobile World Congress.
Are you ready to cut the cash?
One of the big debates happening at the moment is when -- and indeed, whether -- we will see the emergence of a cashless society where digital payments rule the roost.
We are already seeing it happening. Last year, cashless payments overtook physical currency in the UK and the release of services such as Apple Pay has helped propel mobile payments into the mainstream.
Lenovo unveils TAB3 10 Business tablet
As the BYOD trend continues to grow throughout SMBs and enterprises alike, more and more mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are being introduced into the workplace.
With this in mind, Lenovo has unveiled the TAB3 10 Business at MWC 2016, an Android powered tablet designed to combine the power and versatility of Android 6.0 with the service capabilities that matter most to business users.
Huawei MateBook first-impressions review
At MWC 2016, Huawei has announced the MateBook 2-in-1 tablet, entering an ever-growing market already populated by the likes of Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface Pro devices.
Aimed at business users, the Intel-powered MateBook provides the mobility of a smartphone with the power and performance of a laptop, enabling the modern mobile workforce to work anytime, anywhere.
Samsung unveils Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge -- here is everything you need to know
MWC 2016 does not officially start until tomorrow, but Samsung has already taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphones. Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge make their debut today, arriving with new features, more powerful hardware, more refined software and a nicer design.
Compared to their predecessors, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are not separated just by the curve of their screen. This year, Samsung has went with two different sizes, giving Galaxy S7 a 5.1-inch panel and Galaxy S7 edge a much larger 5.5-inch display.
Continuum-enabled HP Elite x3 tries to breathe life into the Windows 10 Mobile enterprise market
HP is aiming to ignite the enterprise market for Windows 10 Mobile phones with the newly announced HP Elite x3. The 5.96-inch phone is verging on phablet territory and includes support for Windows 10's Continuum, allowing for conversion into -- essentially -- a fully-fledged computer.
A nippy Snapdragon 820 lies under the hood, and the 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM is joined by 64GB of storage, expandable through the use of a microSD card. Other stand-out features include not only a fingerprint scanner, but an iris scanner, as well as wireless charging and a USB Type-C port. Windows 10 Mobile may yet begin to gain traction, but HP is hoping that by catering to the business and enterprise markets, it will be able to carve itself a niche.
Huawei MateBook is ready to take on Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro
MWC 2016 may be barely under way, but the announcements are already pouring out thick and fast. As well as smartphones and smart car dongles, you can expect to see plenty of laptops and tablets, and one of the first to vie for your attention is the impressive-looking Huawei MateBook.
Clearly aimed as a rival to Microsoft's Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, the MateBook is a 12-inch hybrid tablet running Windows 10. Weighing in at just 640 grams, and measuring a mere 6.9mm thick, the tablet has an optional keyboard cover and stylus. Powered by an Intel Core M3, M5, or M7 processor Huawei claims 10 hours of battery life for the MateBook.
Samsung Connect Auto turns your dumb car into a smart car
It's not just brand new vehicles that can be considered smart cars. Today Samsung launches Samsung Connect Auto, a plug-in module that can transform any car with an OBD II port in a smart car, connected into the Internet of Things.
Powered by Tizen, Samsung Connect Auto is a small dongle that features a GPS receiver, LTE modem, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. It has been designed to provide drivers with real-time feedback so they can adjust their driving style and improve fuel efficiency. More than this, the dongle also gives the car and its occupants with a Wi-Fi connection, and could provide information to insurers about driving style and frequency to help drive down insurance costs.
MWC 2016: LG G5 is a beautiful, transforming, modular smartphone
Mobile World Congress 2016 kicks off today in Barcelona and one of the first announcements from the show is the LG G5. This is a modular smartphone that features a number of swappable modules that can be used to tailor it to different needs.
Powered, naturally, by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the LG G5 features a removable battery, but it is the add-on 'friends' modules that are of particular interest. At the moment there are just two modules available -- the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY, Hi-Fi DAC audio player, and LG CAM Plus, which transforms the smartphone into something more akin to a traditional camera. But the LG G5 does not rely on gimmicks; it also has some impressive specs.
Five not so obvious things you can expect at MWC 2016
At Mobile World Congress (MWC) tides will start to turn. There won’t be an overnight revolution powered by shiny new gadgets, but technologies we’ve seen evolving over recent years will start to demonstrate their real potential.
We expect to see five major technology themes come to the fore in Barcelona this year:
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