MobileWorldCongress2016
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MWC Revisited: The most interesting wearables
Wearables failed to make much of a splash at MWC 2016. The category seemed to be an afterthought for many manufacturers -- such as HTC and Samsung -- which instead focused on smartphones and virtual reality products. Unlike in 2015, when we saw new smartwatches from Huawei, LG and others, Android Wear was mostly missing from this year's Barcelona show. Now, that's not to say the cause was completely lost, since there were a few wearables that grabbed our attention. Especially the one designed for cows, not people. Don't you agree?
Mad Catz has a gaming pad for Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
Now that the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are officially out of the bag, it's time for peripheral makers to introduce products for Samsung's latest flagship smartphones. Not surprisingly, Mad Catz is spearheading that movement. The company has brought a refreshed version of its S.U.R.F.R mobile gamepad and media keyboard to Mobile World Congress 2016, and it works perfectly with the new S7 and S7 Edge. While the add-on has been around since last year, this model is part of Mad Catz's recent commitment to the Designed for Samsung program, an effort by the Korean tech giant to offer quality control guidelines for accessories.
Up close and personal with Xiaomi's gorgeous Mi 5
After a few minutes playing with Xiaomi's Mi 5, a thought runs through my head: "I really shouldn't be surprised." The company has found enormous success in its native China, to the point that new allotments of phones sell out in minutes. Since Xiaomi phones have virtually no presence in the United States (or the Western Hemisphere, for that matter), my previous experience with them was limited to fits of fondling in Hong Kong phone shops. Xiaomi just held its first European press conference here at Mobile World Congress and brought new Mi 5s to share, and now — finally — I get the appeal.
LG's cute Rolling Bot takes a casual stroll at MWC
LG has a new friend for its G5 flagship smartphone. LG named it Rolling Bot. Rolling Bot is cute, though right now it doesn't do very much. You can control it with a G5, but it moves very slow -- so slow. There's a laser in it, so your cat will probably love it.
Here's our first look at the HTC Vive consumer edition
After announcing that the consumer version of the Vive VR headset will be going on sale for $799, HTC finally let us get a close look at its hardware today at Mobile World Congress. For the most part, it looks a lot like the Vive Pre we saw back at CES, but HTC says it reworked the headband and added other tweaks to make it a lot more ergonomic. We weren't able to touch the headset (by threat of tackling), so we can't say if it actually feels any different. Pre-orders for the Vive will begin on February 29th, and it'll start shipping out in early April. Chris Velazco contributed to this report.
Zuckerberg finds it funny some still don't trust Internet.org
Despite onstage sweat, several wireless microphone issues and pointed (but important) questions from his interviewer, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held his ground at Mobile World Congress tonight. For the most part, the keynote discussion wasn't very different from his previous talks at the conference, which included a recap of Facebook's recent initiatives. But Wired's Jessi Hempel, who moderated the chat, pushed him to open up around India's recent ban of Facebook's Free Basics program (a part of the Internet.org initiative).
Oral-B's new smart toothbrush tracks movement with your phone
Oral-B debuted its Smart Series of connected toothbrushes last year, and at Mobile World Congress 2016, the company announced a new model. The Oral-B Genius touts Position Detection tech that uses motion sensors and your phone's camera to track your oral hygiene. Those bells and whistles keep tabs on location, pressure and brushing time to offer feedback on how well you're cleaning your teeth. All of those details come to you through the companion app on your trusty handset. In fact, there's a holder that comes with the high-tech toothbrush so you can put your phone on the mirror in front of you while brush.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Gear 360 event: Here's what you missed
Samsung wasn't going to let LG have all the limelight. The mobile giant's press show at MWC was memorable, to say the least, not just for the launch of the Galaxy S7 (and S7 Edge), or even the Gear 360 VR camera, but because parts of the show were delivered over Gear VR headsets. Oh, and some chap called Mark Zuckerberg showed up. Catch a breakdown of everything that happened right here.
LG came out fighting at Mobile World Congress
MWC proper hadn't even started, yet LG was already poised to be the talk of the show. Its G5 flagship surprised everyone with its snap-on accessories, but that wasn't the main talking point. The company also introduced a dizzying array of accessories that covers everything from audio to aerial drones. There was a lot to cover, but we break it all down for you right here.
Motorola chief Rick Osterloh weighs in on life under Lenovo
Motorola's split from Google and absorption by Lenovo left many people wondering if one of the world's most interesting phone makers would get mismanaged into oblivion. Motorola President Rick Osterloh sought to clear the air with a candid chat session at Mobile World Congress, where the answer was a pretty emphatic "no." "We've done an enormous amount of great stuff as part of a broader company," he said.
Kyocera shows off another solar-powered prototype smartphone
Last year, during Mobile World Congress, Kyocera teased a rugged smartphone with solar charging built in. What made that concept device interesting was how its sun-powered films were laid out: they sat between the LCD and touch panel, as opposed to being somewhere on the outside of the body. Now, Kyocera's building on this idea with a new prototype handset, which it has once again created in tandem with Sunpartner Technologies, a French company that focuses on solar tech.
Cyanogen's 'MOD' platform is a whole new level of Android tweaking
Android has always been the mobile platform of choice for tinkerers, a trend that also directly led to Cyanogen's success as a custom version of the OS. Now Cyanogen is launching a platform called "MOD" that'll give developers access to portions of Android they could never reach before. For example, Microsoft has developed a mod that puts Skype right into the Cyanogen Android dialer. Another one lets Cortana take voice-activated selfies. It's an entirely new frontier for Cyanogen -- which has often been described as an Android mod -- but also a necessary one.
KnowRoaming's money-saving sticker SIM goes hardware-free
KnowRoaming's magical SIM sticker auto-detected when your phone was working outside its home territory, switching to local carriers and saving you a bunch of money in the process. What's smaller than a sticker that goes on your existing SIM card, though? No sticker at all. in a collaboration with Alcatel (and TCL), it's announced a Soft SIM software platform, which sounds duller than it actually is. In short, it means no SIM tinkering necessary, and your phone will automatically link up with whatever network it needs to deliver voice, data and SMS services.
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are beautiful, if unsurprising sequels
When Samsung outed the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge last year, we all generally lavished it with praise. It was for a good reason -- they were easily the nicest phones Samsung had crafted in years, even though one was clearly more popular than the other. This year isn't really about reinventing those formulas, but about refining them, and the results are the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. You'll be able to get your own starting on March 11, but read on to get our early impressions.
Lenovo has a lot of cheap Android tablets
In addition to unleashing Windows 10 fury on an unsuspecting Spanish public, Lenovo is also introducing a new line of Android tablets named "TAB3" here at MWC 2016. There's the TAB3 7 and TAB3 8, which, if you couldn't guess, had 7- and 8-inch displays, respectively. They're super, super cheap Android 6.0 tablets, available in a range of colors. And then there's the TAB3 10, which is a cheap tablet for business people.
HTC's new Desire phones are inspired by 'streetwear fashion'
HTC's Desire phones have never been the most thrilling. Sure, the low- to mid-range devices fill a purpose for those who can't afford (or don't want) the latest and greatest smartphone, but ... it's difficult to get excited about them. Perhaps with this in mind, the Taiwanese manufacturer has spiced up the range with three new devices inspired by "streetwear fashion."
Live from Samsung's MWC 2016 press event
Now that LG has shown us the G5 and "Friends," it is Samsung's turn to take the stage at Mobile World Congress 2016. If last year's event in Barcelona is any indication, all signs point toward the Korean company prepping to reveal the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, its latest flagship smartphones. There's also chance we'll learn more about the new Gear S2 smartwatch, which comes with an electronic SIM card. Whatever it may be, we're here to bring you the news as it happens. The keynote starts at 1PM ET/10AM PT -- grab some popcorn and keep your eyes peeled to this post.
HTC's Vive will cost $799, ship in early April
If you've been eagerly awaiting HTC's Vive VR headset, we hope you've been saving up. At Mobile World Congress today, HTC announced that the consumer version of the Vive will cost $799. That price includes the headset, two wireless controllers with haptic feedback and two location sensors. While it may seem expensive at first glance, we've been hearing for a while that the Vive would be pricier than the Oculus Rift, which sells for $599. Of course, the Oculus Rift doesn't come with motion controllers -- those will be coming later this year (and we still don't know what they'll cost).
Huawei's MateBook is its spin on the Surface
Just how hot are convertible PCs these days? Enough for Huawei to make one its very first computer. Today the Chinese electronics giant announced the MateBook, a 12-inch hybrid Windows 10 tablet, at Mobile World Congress. Just like Microsoft's Surface line, it transforms into a functional Windows 10 laptop with the addition of a keyboard cover (which, thankfully, is included in the box). There's also a stylus accessory that looks very similar to the Surface Pen.
LG made a robot ball and a VR headset for the G5
LG basically just shot for the moon with the new G5, but that's not all the company's been working on. There's a fascinating spate of accessories to go with the phone, though what's really weird is how LG is characterizing them. They're not just accessories -- oh, no. They're "friends."
