5G, 5 CAMERAS AND FOLDABLE PHONES: KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MWC 2019
Launched in 1987, Mobile World Congress is one of the worlds largest events in the industry. The annual exhibition sees competitive mobile tech companies displaying their latest cutting-edge technologies, and this year didn’t disappoint. With over 2000 companies exhibiting and over 100,000 attendees, MWC provides the perfect platform to launch the latest innovative gadgets and spark creative conversations.
With the overarching theme of ‘Intelligent Connectivity’, MWC 2019 Barcelona brought us the newest gadgets and current trends. From the latest 5G network to foldable phones, let’s take a closer look at what the future has in store for mobile.
THE FUTURE IS 5G
5G was the dominating topic at MWC 2019 and is on track to deliver faster network speed and improve latency. Brands took to MWC to showcase their smart devices and the following list displays the leading 5G smartphones set to dominate in 2019:
- Huawei Mate X
- Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
- Xiaomi Mi MIX 3
- LG V50 ThinQ
- ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G
This latest launch has come with an influx of questions from both consumers and tech companies – when will they become readily available to purchase? how does 5G actually work? and is data privacy affected? are just some of the questions being thrown around at MWC following the 5G discussions. For now, all we can confirm is the commercial production of 5G products is imminent – so keep your eyes peeled for further 5G updates!
5 CAMERAS
Nokia has massively stepped up their game with the introduction of Nokia 9 PureView. This limited edition device is the first of its kind, boasting not one but five(!) rear cameras, and will be on sale for £535.
FOLDABLE PHONES
A myriad of companies demonstrated their plans for foldable phones at MWC, but Samsung and Huawei took the spotlight. A flexible screen allows the phone to act as both a phone and a tablet, giving the consumer the option to switch between the two, all on one device. The impressive devices are both set to be on sale for around £2000, with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold set to launch in stores in April and Huawei’s Mate X, winner of Best in Show, to follow.
BACK TO BASICS
Punkt has stripped back and taken a different approach to competitors at MWC this year. Branded as ‘a phone for independence’, the minimal phone is designed as a companion phone, intended to be used in assistance to a smartphone. This unique device has no apps, no browser and does not have the option to connect to social media. It has ultimately been designed to limit unnecessary distractions. This simplicity does however come at a price, setting consumers back £263.
SMART TOOTHBRUSH
Brushing teeth is a mundane task that most of us do without even thinking, however Oral-B has switched up the playing field once again with the introduction of Genius X, an improvement on the preexisting Genius 900, to convert the simple cleaning product into an analytic tool. The Oral-B Genius X is set to use AI technology to track brushing movements and provide personalised feedback via mobile to improve dental hygiene and even track cortisol via saliva to monitor levels of stress.
By Evie Smith, Account Executive