MobileWorldCongress
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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."
LG's modular G5 is its most daring flagship phone ever
LG is in a tricky position: starting with the G2, it's made consistently lovely flagship smartphones, but it can't even crack the top five top-selling mobile brands. The time has come for something seriously off the wall, and, well, LG went for it. Say hello to the LG G5, the most ambitious smartphone the company has ever made.
Live from LG's keynote at MWC 2016
LG is getting ready to kick off the festivities at Mobile World Congress 2016. We're expecting to see LG's new flagship smartphone, the G5. And this is just the start of a very interesting -- and tiring -- day. The company's press conference starts at 8AM ET, so be sure to stay tuned into this page and watch the livestream here.
We're live from MWC 2016 in Barcelona!
It feels like we never left. We are back in Barcelona to attend Mobile World Congress 2016, the European showcase for smartphones, tablets, hybrid laptops, internet services and a whole lot more. Back in 2015, we saw the introduction of devices like the One M9 and Galaxy S6, so you can expect more flagship announcements from the usual suspects -- including HTC, LG and, of course, Samsung, which is expected to reveal the GS7 and GS7 Edge.
Alcatel tries its hand at crafting a 2-in-1 Windows 10 tablet
It turns out the 2-in-1 Windows tablet PC bandwagon is too tempting to resist. Alcatel — a company best known for its cheap smartphones — just pulled back the curtains on the Plus 10. Yeah, that's right: Alcatel just built a PC.
Alcatel doubles down on cheap-good phones with two new Idols
Alcatel OneTouch had a surprise hit on its hands with the Idol 3, a reversible smartphone seated at the crucial corner of cheap and good. Is it any surprise, then, that the Idol 4S popped here at Mobile World Congress? (In a word: no.) We don't have a price to go with the phone yet, but it seems poised to keep the company's mobile momentum rolling along nicely.
What to expect from this year's Mobile World Congress
Team Engadget is slowly trickling into Barcelona as you read this, which can only mean one thing: The beautiful nightmare of Mobile World Congress is nearly upon us. The next few days will see some of the world's biggest, most important industry players try to outdo each other with smartphones, tablets and plenty more. If that sounds like an insane week, well, you're right (and we wouldn't have it any other way). Read on for a preview of what we expect the biggest news to be.
LG brings a smarter pen experience to the Stylus 2
LG's promised trickle of details leading up to the G5's debut is in full force, but it's also teasing out at least one other model. Like last year, the outfit is selling a stylus-equipped phablet, the LG Stylus 2. Here's to hoping that the Korean tech company keeps that nomenclature from the prepared release rather than making us Yanks and folks in Korea request a "Stylo" again.
Samsung's Galaxy S5 has an 'ultra power saving' mode to maximize battery life
Samsung's new Galaxy S5 doesn't skimp on battery power, with an expected 10 hours of web browsing and 12 hours of video playback on a single charge. When you're on hour 11 of watching cat videos with no charger in site, the handsets new "ultra power-saving mode" will keep your handset purring along by making the screen black-and-white and turning off all the non-essential services on your phone. Even better, Samsung says if you put your phone in standby mode with only 10 percent of the battery left, it will still last "up to 24 hours" before running out of juice.
SanDisk's 128GB microSD card holds 24 hours of HD video
SanDisk just took the wraps off of its new 128GB Ultra microSD card. On sale today for your favorite microSDXC-enabled phone or tablet, the card offers twice the storage of current cards, making it the largest-capacity microSD card on the market. Doubling up the storage space wasn't easy, in fact SanDisk used custom manufacturing to stack 16 memory dies -- each thinner than a human hair -- within each card. It's an impressive engineering feat, but let's be honest, we really only care because it will let us store 24 hours of those HD cat videos that help us make it through the day.
Alcatel shows off new Firefox OS devices, including its first with LTE
It's been a year since we first got a glimpse of Firefox OS at MWC 2013, and unsurprisingly we're already seeing some more models show up once again in Barcelona. This time around, Alcatel is making a strong statement to Mozilla about its commitment level; the company's showing off a grand total of four devices, including a tablet concept. All still under the Fire brand, the trio of smartphones range from a budget-minded 3.5-inch device to a nicer quad-core model with 4.5-inch qHD display and LTE. First, let's tackle the latter. The Fire S (which stands for 'speed') is the company's first Firefox device with LTE built-in, and while we're not looking at top-of-the-line specs here, they're certainly better than most we've seen on a smartphone bearing Mozilla's B2G project. The handset features OS 1.3, a 4.5-inch qHD display, 8MP rear camera with a 2MP front-facing cam, a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU and even NFC. The other two in the trio aren't especially drool-worthy, but they're still notable for potential users in emerging markets -- obviously a rather large demographic for Mozilla. The Fire E (which stands for 'elegant') has the same 4.5-inch qHD display as the S, but it uses a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 5MP rear camera and VGA front-facing cam. It also doesn't feature LTE, as the S does. The C (which stands for 'cost-conscious') has a 3.5-inch HVGA display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, VGA camera and other basic goodies.
Alcatel introduces Idol 2 series to take on midrange competition
Alcatel OneTouch is slowly but surely climbing the ranks of the smartphone world, having evolved from a line of low-end featurephones and smartphones just a couple years ago to a more established brand with good quality hardware. It's not slowing down the pace at which it introduces new devices, either -- this week, it's launching roughly a dozen or so handsets. Two of them are the first devices in the company's new Idol 2 family (a successor to this lineup) -- the self-titled 5-inch Idol 2 (shown above) and its smaller friend, the 4.5-inch Idol 2 Mini -- and each one comes with a 3G option as well as an "S"-branded LTE variant. The Mini, which measures 8.5mm thick, will come out first, with an estimated launch in the first week of March. The devices will feature a qHD display, a quad core 1.2GHz processor, Android 4.3 (upgradeable to 4.4), NFC, an 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The 3G model will be available for 169 euro ($232), while its LTE sibling will go for 209 euro ($287). The former choice also offers a plastic build, while the higher-speed handset has been bestowed with a metal back and plastic at the top and bottom for attenuation. Each model comes in your choice of four colors, although the Idol S Mini includes a chocolate hue instead of hot pink. As for the larger Idol 2, it should be inbound by April or May at a cost of 199 euro ($274) for 3G and 249 ($342) euro for LTE. The duo will be around 7.3mm thick and offer improved HD Audio, as well as Android 4.3 (upgradeable to 4.4 KitKat), a 720p IPS display with nice viewing angles, Cat 4 LTE, a quad core 1.2GHz processor, NFC, 8MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front-facing camera. Fortunately, all of the above devices fit pretty well into the Idol family, as most of them all have the same feel, texture and genuinely decent build. They're also comfortable to hold. Overall, Alcatel OneTouch hopes that the Idol 2 series will compete well in the midrange market against legions of similar phones, but given its steady growth and increased marketing budget in 2014, we believe that they're doing something right.
Samsung Gear 2 smartwatches coming in April with Tizen OS and better battery life
Even in an industry known for evolving at an impossibly quick pace, it's rare for a product to be replaced in just five months. If you've read our review of Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, however, it probably makes sense why the manufacturer would want to antiquate it as soon as possible -- while an interesting concept, the wearable was clearly half-baked. This morning, Samsung is starting off Mobile World Congress by announcing the Gear 2 (shown above, right) and the camera-less Gear 2 Neo (above, left), both of which (the company hopes) will address most of its predecessor's pain points when it arrives in stores worldwide this April. The absence of Galaxy branding is no typo, by the way; the new Gear will run on the Tizen operating system, a platform which Samsung has been investing large amounts of money and resources into. It's not the company's first device running that OS -- that honor goes to the NX300M camera -- but regardless, it's hard to know exactly how different the user experience will be on a Tizen-powered smartwatch instead of an Android-based one. According to Samsung, we can expect a battery life of 2-3 days (two to three times better than the first Gear's one-day life), an "enriched application ecosystem" and some sweeping changes to the external design. Check out the gallery below and join us after the break for more details.
