The Mobile World Congress is taking place in Barcelona this week and we are getting excited about seeing new phones, innovations and technologies. A lot has been happening since last year’s congress so there is a lot to expect this time round.So what are we looking out for and what are we expecting at the 2015 Mobile World Congress?
Wearables
The 2014 Mobile World Congress saw a lot of new wearables and we fully expect that trend to continue this year. Manufacturers have invested heavily in developing and refining wearables and in trying to convince us we need one. Now that ball is in motion, those manufacturers need to keep it in play.
Samsung
Samsung announced in a press conference on Sunday 1stMarch, their new flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The Edge looks particularly good, with that curved screen. We expect that to outsell the standard S6 for a while. Highlights include wireless charging, a metal case, a 577 ppi screen, integrated payment system with Samsung Pay and a new anti-theft system.
HTC
HTC also had a press conference on Sunday where they announced the HTC One M9, the HTC Vive and the HTC Grip. The One M9 is their flagship smartphone and features a nice metal unibody, a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and lots of other features. The HTC Grip is a wearable fitness band that allows HTC to join the burgeoning wearables market.
The other big news from HTC was the Vive. Rumours had been rife that Valve was planning a VR headset to compete with Oculus Rift. The HTC Vive is it. We don’t know much about it yet, but it’s looking good!
Huawei
Huawei announced two new products that offer something a little different. First up is a new wearable that is probably the most attractive smartwatch on the market right now, the Android Wear. They look like something a footballer would own yet also feature all the toys you would expect.
The second new product is the Talkband N, which is essentially a pair of headphones with magnets on the rear that hold both earbuds together like a necklace when you’re not using them. A quirky but interesting take on running kit.
What’s coming up?
As far as we can tell, there’s nothing from Sony or LG this year and Nokia is conspicuous by its absence. BlackBerry said they were going to outline their mobile roadmap at this year’s MWC, so we’re looking forward to that. Tech company Haier is said to be announcing its entry into the smartphone market from appliances and there are bound to be plenty of other things we have missed!
