Mobile World Congress (MWC), the annual event of the wireless industry and a tech haven for mobile aficionados is underway in Barcelona. We have seen cool new smartphones, laptops, and tablets being launched by industry giants like Sony, Nokia, LG, Lenovo, as well as the new flagship Galaxy S9 and S9+ series from Samsung, which unfortunately was leaked before its official reveal. Though the list of products on display is huge at MWC 2018, there are some particularly exciting ones that stand out for their innovation and oomph factor. We have shortlisted the best ones for your reading pleasure:
12. Lenovo Yoga 730
Lenovo is known for its famed series of Yoga laptops, which combine the best of design and performance to provide an enhanced experience for the user. At MWC 2018, the company debuted its Lenovo Yoga 730 laptop. Following are the key features:
- Available in 13-inch and 15-inch models
- Ultra high-definition/4K display
- 13% lighter than the previous models. 13-inch version weighs 2.5 pounds and the 15-inch is just 4 pounds
- Eighth-gen Intel Core processors, optional Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics for the 15-inch model
- Integrated with Amazon’s Alexa assistant, can easily handle voice-controlled tasks
- Pricing: $880 for 13-inch model, $900 for 15-inch
11. Huawei MateBook X Pro
A recent trend in smartphones has been the reduction of bezels on the screen, so as to have a larger viewing experience. So should laptops be any far behind? The Huawei MateBook X Pro has a 14’ inch touchscreen with tiny bezels. To achieve this, the webcam has been shifted down into the first row of the keyboard, which is a pretty clever move since it ensures privacy if the webcam is left switched on.
The main features are great as well- 8th gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU + a full-sized USB port, apart from the USB-C port.
10. Samsung DeX Pad
Turning the mobile into a desktop for better functionality is something we all prefer, and the same was offered by Samsung last year with its DeX dock for the Galaxy S8/S8+. At MWC 2018, the South Korean electronics giant has introduced the second generation model of the DeX, called the DeX Pad. The new device allows you to put your phone flat on the dock (than propping it up like in the first version), and also convert the phone into a trackpad to operate the desktop mode better. Pricing has not been announced yet.
9. Bisecu Smart Bike Lock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5r5FCIDvO4
Bike-lovers would agree that bending down time and again to lock your machine can be quite annoying and tiring. Enter the Bisecu smart bike lock, which is a small circular gadget that can be fitted to the front wheel and connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Once you stop riding and get off the bike, Bisecu automatically locks itself; when you approach your bike again, it again unlocks. What happens in the case of theft? The front wheel of the bike would be frozen, a notification would be sent on your phone, and a 100 decibel alarm that is enough to scare the pants of any thief would be set off.
8. Meater- Wireless Meat Thermometer
The Mobile World Congress throws up some really unique devices at times, and Meater, a wireless meat thermometer is one of them. Cooking meat requires care and precision, and more often than not, you have to check the oven multiple times so that you don’t overcook that tenderloin steak. With Meater, you can keep a tab on how your meat is doing through an app on your phone.
Matt Blyden, Meater’s marketing manager says: “The app has been designed to monitor the internal temperature of the oven or barbecue and the internal temperature of the meat. You chose on the app how you would like the meat cooked, whether it is rare, medium or well done, and the app tracks the temperature. When it nearly gets to that point it beeps on your phone.”
7. Vuzix Augmented Reality Smart Glasses
Smart glasses have been a staple of popular spy movies like Mission Impossible, and with NY-based company Vuzix’s AR smart glasses, you can get a similar experience. These glasses allow you to read text messages from your phone, provide GPS directions, and also take snaps without having to take out your phone.
6. See Through Walls Sensor by Vayyar
Whenever I have played Counter Strike, I wished there was some kind of weapon or gadget through which I could be made aware of the approaching enemy. Who knew that such a thing would become a reality at the MWC? Israeli 3D imaging company Vayyar has developed a sensor that can actually see through walls and solid materials using radio waves. You just need to stick the sensor to your mobile and place the phone on the wall, and whatever is behind it will be visible on the screen. Cool stuff!
5. SanDisk 400GB A2 microSD card
SanDisk launched a 400GB microSD card in 2017 and at MWC 2018 it has introduced a similar card, the ‘Extreme A2 microSD UHS-I’ with even better transfer speeds. It is 50% faster than the existing cards with read and write speeds of 160 MB/s and 90 MB/s, respectively. This will allow you to get both your personal and professional work done in a jiffy.
4. LG V30S ThinQ
Let’s move over to the smartphones now. LG unveiled an upgraded version of its V30 smartphone at MWC 2018, the V30S ThinQ, which features new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities such as AI CAM that can optimize photo-shooting functionality, and a new Voice AI mode (apart from Google Assistant). Other updates include higher RAM (from 4GB in the V30 to 6 GB), and 128 GB internal storage, compared to 64 GB in the V30. The screen size remains the same at a 6-inch OLED edge-to-edge display, but unfortunately the processor (Snapdragon 835), and battery (3,300 mAh) are also the same as for the V30, which is a bit of a downer.
3. Sony Xperia XZ2
Sony seemed to have vanished into oblivion from the mobile space but the company is set for a comeback with a new flagship phone, the Xperia XZ2. It offers a new curved back design, slim bezels at the top and bottom of the screen, wireless charging, stereo speakers and an enhanced 4K HDR video capture mode. It will be interesting to see how much success the company achieves with the Xperia XZ2, given the fact that Chinese companies are putting out high-end phones loaded with advanced features almost every quarter.
2. Nokia 8110 4G
There was a very long period of time in the mobile world when Nokia ruled the roost, with its classic designs, high durability factor, and new features. HMD, which now manufactures smartphones under the Nokia brand, channeled into the Nokia nostalgia with terrific success last year, when it revived the iconic Nokia 3310 in a revamped model. This time, they have gone into the treasure chest to revive another model- the 8110 slider phone, originally known as ‘The Matrix’ phone. With 4G capabilities and Google Assistant mode, the new Nokia 8110 is sure to find many takers among ardent fans.
1. Vivo Apex
Already calling it now. The Vivo Apex concept phone with retractable selfie camera and virtually no bezels is the coolest thing from #MWC18 @futureshift
Check it out for yourself in our video below 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/LEpxlDsjlX
— Raymond Wong📱💾📼 (@raywongy) February 26, 2018
One of the most innovative things to come out of MWC 2018 is a device which might not even go into production in the near future. However, it does usher in a new design that will probably serve as the blueprint for future smartphones. The Vivo Apex is a concept phone that packs in a lot of futuristic technologies in a single mobile device- a bezel-less screen (they are not non-existent, but really thin-top and sides are 1.8 mm and the bottom is 4.3 mm), a selfie-camera that slides out and retracts to the in-display fingerprint sensor, and a screen that vibrates phone calls into your ear. Just look at the video in the tweet above. It is ridiculously cool.