Mobile World Congress 2017 Updates
The world largest fair of mobile devices, the Mobile World Congress 2017 kicked off on Monday in Barcelona and ends on Thursday.
Wiko bets on the selfies market
Like many brands at this year's Mobile World Congress, the French manufacturer Wiko is also betting on audiovisual quality and the selfies market. The new top-of-the-line WIM has a front camera with a 16-megapixel sensor but also focuses on delivering high-quality footage with a video stabilization system that allows you to shoot on the move with a higher resolution.
Like other mobile phones of the brand, it has a fingerprint reader that can be customized to access the phone, make calls or open certain applications. It has an internal memory of 64 GB and costs about 400 dollars. It was also presented a simpler version, and light, Wiko Like.
A hybrid of Lenovo
The Chinese brand introduced the Miix 320 at the Mobile World Congress. This is another hybrid device between laptop and tablet, and is intended, according to the company, to professionals who spend little time at the desk and do not need top-end systems to work.
It is equipped with Windows 10 and has 4 GB of memory, but stands out by having a battery that can last up to ten hours (adapting, according to the brand, to people who spend a lot of time without access to an electric current) and for weighing just over a pound with the removable keyboard. It costs about 185 dollars.
Lenovo Tablets for Children
Lenovo launches the Tab 4 series. It is designed for the younger ones: with vibrant colors, playful and didactic game applications pre-installed, anti-scratch and anti-shock protective cover, and easy to customize parental control options. All devices will be available this May, priced between 169 dollars and 299 dollars.
The top-of-the-line Yoga 720 described as "thinner and more flexible", stands out by the technology of fingerprint reading and uses the technology Hello Windows that allows to make purchases on the Internet safely through this system. It is available with 13 and 15 inch screens, with prices starting at 820 dollars.
Bright Alcatel
The Alcatel A5 LED is the first smartphone with a customizable LED cover. It was created for "energetic young people looking for entertainment," according to the company's statement. Allows users to customize the cover pattern and color through settings, receive light notifications, and use the phone as a multicolored flashlight as when they go out at night or attend concerts.
The 5-megapixel front camera has a more intense flash that allows better selfies, even in darker environments. It will be available in Europe in May 2017, with prices starting at 199 euros.
ZTE's vision for 5G
ZTE has used the event to showcase its vision for 5G, the next generation of mobile networks, which many vendors want to have until 2020. Gigabit Phone is just a concept. It will allow you to create 360 degree virtual reality videos and save documents and images online on the move.
The other novelty of ZTE at the Barcelona Congress was the launch of Blade V8 - The V8 Mini mobile phones and the premium version, the V8 Lite. They have been described as "the perfect smartphone for photo enthusiasts" in the company's statement.
The V8 Mini lets you take 3D photos by combining two pictures of your dual cameras (13 and 2 megapixels), and taking high-quality selfies due to the moonlight flash functionality.
Mobile phone to connect to PlayStation
Sony has announced the XZ Premium, a 5.5-inch mobile phone that supports video game graphics and can connect to the PlayStation 4. In other words, when you leave, buyers will be able to access console video games from your phone.
It has a 19-megapixel rear camera, and "*motion eye#" technology that lets you capture videos directly in slow motion. The mobile phone is made with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, designed to survive falls on hard surfaces.
It is still a prototype, has been shown protected by a glass, and can not be tested by visitors to the fair in Barcelona. Launch is scheduled for Spring 2017
Huawei bets on image
Huawei took advantage of the Mobile World Congress 2017 to showcase the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus and focus on Leica technology for photography.
With a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor, a 12-megapixel RGB sensor and enhanced algorithms, the new P-Series delivers superior technical and artistic photography features on a smartphone
Both phones have dual lenses on the back (a 20-megapixel monochrome lens and a 12-megapixel RGB lens), which allow photographic processing effects such as bokeh which gives a misty effect to the background of the photograph. The cameras also allow 3D facial detection.
The new model has nine different color options.
The nostalgia of Nokia
The Nokia presentation may have disappointed some: after all, there was no presentation of a top-of-line. In addition to the return of the Nokia 3310 - which will cost around 50 dollars -, the most expensive device presented was the Nokia 6, which costs about 229 dollars. It has been available in China since the beginning of the year.
Contrary to the latest mobile phones from Nokia, the new line uses an Android operating system instead of Windows Phone. The bet on reviving the Nokia brand for mobile phones comes from HMD Global, which started to manufacture and market the handsets in 2016, not Microsoft, who bought the Nokia mobile phone business in 2013.
HMD's simple and economical proposals are part of a strategy to bet on the low to mid-range mobile market and reach more customers. “We also believe that everyone deserves access to the premium quality and attention to detail that is usually reserved only for flagship devices. With our new range of Nokia smartphones, we aim to democratise technology and bring this experience to everyone.”, HMD services director Juho Sarvikas said in a statement.
New Samsung tablets
As anticipated, after Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 controversy - in which defects in the battery of the mobile phone caused the devices to disconnect themselves and some batteries to blaze during the charging -, the company decided to focus on the tablets during the Mobile World Congress in 2017.
They have a stylus pen (which does not have a bracket on the device, a detail that has already given rise to criticism) and a removable keyboard.
Both the Galaxy Book 10 and the more advanced Galaxy Book 12 have up to ten hours of battery life and promise to charge quickly. The included S Pen allows the user to easily take notes and edit content (such as videos and graphics).
It also launched the Galaxy Tab S3, a direct evolution of Samsung Tab S2, 2015.
The price or release date of the models is not yet known, though the company says Tab S3 should be ready by March.
Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
References:
- https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/
- https://twitter.com/WikoMobile
- http://blog.lenovo.com/
- http://www.alcatel-mobile.com/global-en/
- http://www.ztedevice.com/
- http://blogs.sonymobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Xperia-MWC-2017-press-release-5530a861ea42d36abe5418b3a2a539c4.pdf
- https://twitter.com/HuaweiMobile
- https://twitter.com/SonyMobileNews
- http://www.ztedevice.com/
- http://www.hmdglobal.com/press/2017-02-26-a-new-era
