A man checks his mobile phone as he walks past an advertising during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona March 3, 2015. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)
Ahh, Barcelona. So beautiful. So crowded. So full of smartphones.
Mobile World Congress officially opened its doors on March 2, although a slew of big name press events crowded the schedule at press day on Sunday, March 1. Digital Trends is at the show in full force, reporting live from all the major events — where cool smartphones, funky new wearables, and gadgets of all sorts have been unleashed in landslide.
With the first day of the show now over, Digital Trends’ crack team of editors have handpicked nominees for The Top Tech of MWC in five key categories: mobile, wearables, cool tech, apps, and accessories. Follow the link to find out more about each nominee.
Stare to Unlock
Just how many ways are there of unlocking your phone? We’ve got passcodes, patterns, fingerprints, and now, thanks to the ZTE Grand S3 — biometric retinal scanning. We’ve seen this tech before, and even heard rumors of it showing up in other devices, but this is the first time we’ve seen it properly implemented on a real smartphone.
How to be Invisible
Whether you like it or not, we live in a surveillance state. Cameras are absolutely everywhere nowadays, and to make matters worse, advancements in facial-recognition tech could soon give governments and private corporations to power to not only recognize us, but also cross-reference our faces to other personal data found online.
But not to worry. At MWC in Barcelona this week, security software maker AVG is demoing a pair of concept glasses that can bamboozle even the most sophisticated facial recognition tech. Follow the link to learn how they work.
Too light? Yeah, right
The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet is sublimely slim, ferociously fast, and offers a cutting edge Android 5.0 Lollipop experience. As an entertainment device, the large screen and enhanced sound make it ideal, and there’s a keyboard attachment for the business crowd. It’s also waterproof, and it has great battery life. This is as close as you get to an iPad on Android.
Zuckerberg wants everyone online
While the Internet may be ubiquitous to those of us living in the Western world, for billions of other people in emerging markets, getting online remains a technological and conceptual challenge. Carriers are slowly expanding coverage in these new markets, but not all users know about all the offerings of the Internet, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg wants to help change that.
That’s what brought the CEO of the world’s largest social network to Barcelona on Monday to speak at Mobile World Congress 2015. Follow the link to learn what’s on his mind.
Android Wear gets classy
Not everyone wants a sporty-looking smart watch, and while the G Watch R is a good looking piece of wearable tech, the solid black body and chunky bezel wasn’t for everyone. Step forward, LG Watch Urbane, an all-new design with a slightly tweaked name, and the same G Watch R specs underneath.
The numbered bezel has gone, and the body now comes in classy gold or classic silver. The flattened, polished bezel catches the light very attractively, and there’s no fuss around the edges, or a multitude of buttons to ruin the minimalist and attractive style. Follow the link for all our thoughts on the new watch.
Sexier than Apple’s Watch?
The Huawei Watch is drop dead gorgeous. It’s the finest Android Wear smartwatch our writer has seen, shedding the bulky look of devices like the LG G Watch R, absurdly futuristic devices like Samsung’s Gear S, or imperfect and somewhat chunky designs like the Moto 360. The Huawei Watch is just the right size and shape.
The best phones from Samsung. Ever.
It’s a new year, and that means a new Galaxy S phone, but this year is different. This year, Samsung has given its flagship Android phone a design makeover — and a curvy sister that’s sure to catch your eye.
That’s right, there are two Galaxy S6 phones this year: the standard S6 and the sexy new Galaxy S6 Edge, which is identical in almost every way save its screen, which falls right down the sides of the phone like water running off a ledge. Which one fits your style best? Read on for all the details.
Full coverage
MWC day two is in full swing, and DT will stay on top of the news for you. Stick with us all week to stay on top of all the show’s news, and follow our writers on Twitter for breaking news, photos, and details as it happens.
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