mwc2018
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Android's official augmented reality toolkit is available to the public
Google's take on a mobile augmented reality framework is no longer limited to a modestly-sized preview. It just released ARCore 1.0, letting anyone publish Android apps that take advantage of the toolkit to meld virtual objects with the real world. To no one's surprise, Google has already lined up apps from big-name brands to take advantage of the new platform. Snapchat has an AR "portal" that takes you inside FC Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium, while Porsche lets you explore the Mission E Concept as if it were parked in front of you. A number of games (such as Ghostbusters World and a range of titles from NetEase) and home furnishing apps (Sotheby's, JD.com, Easyhome and Otto) are also on tap.
Samsung Galaxy S9: What to expect from Unpacked 2018
Samsung is primed to unveil its latest flagship, the Galaxy S9. Fortunately for anyone desperate to hear what's coming on February 25th, there's been no shortage of leaks and renders before the big day. It's not good news for the secret-keepers at Samsung but gives us plenty of threads to pull at ahead of the big reveal in Barcelona. How will the Galaxy series fare against the latest trio of iPhones? Can it best the talking-poop emoji?
Google Assistant will get support for Routines 'in the coming weeks'
Today's Google Assistant is much, much more capable than the version that first debuted on the original Pixel and Pixel XL. Don't expect that progress to slow anytime soon, either: Google laid out some new plans to improve the Assistant just in time for Mobile World Congress, and they extend far beyond just teaching it more languages.
Google Assistant will soon recognize the language you're speaking
In advance of the Mobile World Congress, Google has announced some exciting new language features for Assistant. Later this year, Google Assistant will have multilingual features. This means that people who speak different languages over the course of their day can switch seamlessly between languages. Google Assistant will be able to identify the language you are speaking and follow along. The feature will be available first in English, German and French, but support for more languages is planned.
Sony’s new flagships ditch an aging design for full screens
Sony's phones have looked largely the same for years now, but that's apparently about to change. The electronics company has redesigned its flagship phone to be full screen. Venture Beat has pictures and descriptions of the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, which will be revealed at MWC 2018.
UK tech brand Acorn taps nostalgia to sell a rebranded phone
Acorn, the British computer company that dominated the market in the late '70s has been revived, once again. This time out, the outfit is pushing its own smartphone, the Acorn Micro Phone C5, which appears to be a rebadged Leagoo S8. Should you want that device, albeit with the Acorn logo and a little union flag symbol on the base, then you can throw some cash at Indiegogo. Backers will need to spend between £90 ($125) and £150 ($210) to snag the handset, assuming the company hits its target of £450,000 ($628,456).
MWC 2018: What to expect from the world’s biggest phone show
Team Engadget is en route to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, and while the show officially starts on Monday, you'll start to see some of this year's key news and announcements as soon as this weekend. We don't want you going into things blind, though, so here's a primer on what to expect from the world's biggest and best phone-makers once MWC 2018 gets off the ground.
Intel will bring 5G to laptops in 2019
5G hardware is closer than you think. Intel's upcoming XMM 8000 series modems will power 5G in notebooks in the second half of 2019, the company announced today. That'll include machines from Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft. (Yes, that means we'll see a 5G Surface next year.) You can expect their mobile network speeds to be blazing fast, naturally, but they'll also take advantage of 5G's low latency. That'll led you do things like play online games with the same responsiveness as a wired network connection.
LG updates its cheap K-series phones with new hardware
After renewing its high-end mobile push through 2017 with new G and V series phones, LG is taking another shot at the low-to-mid range with these K-series devices. The new K8 and K10 (with three sub-models that vary in RAM, built-in storage and color) will debut at MWC 2018 next week and pack specs that match their slots in the lineup. The metal-framed 5.3-inch K10 claims a 13MP rear camera snagged from the G6, but with only a single lens, to go with its 8MP front camera and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Cat's S61 is an ideal phone for blue-collar workers
Two years ago, I was shown a Cat-branded smartphone with a thermal camera for people who work in construction and other outdoors-y, get-your-hands-dirty professions. I wasn't the target market, of course, and struggled to judge whether the feature was a gimmick or not. Turns out it was the latter; Bullitt, the British phone maker that built the Cat S60, is back with a new model called the S61. The heat-sensing FLIR camera now goes up to 400 degrees celsius (the S60 maxed out at 120 degrees) so workers can analyze faulty engines, electronic equipment and more.
Land Rover Explore is a rugged phone with swappable backs
At last, we have a Land Rover phone that doesn't look like it was built from parts found on a factory floor. The new 'Explore' is the work of Bullitt, a British company that has made handsets for Caterpillar, Kodak and JCB in the past. It was actually unveiled at the ISPO trade show earlier this month — Bullitt held back the spec sheet, though, thinking it would be a better announcement at MWC. Today, we have those all-important details. And at first blush, it's a strangely alluring device blending rugged looks with a modular, Moto Mod-inspired 'Pack' system for people who love the great outdoors. It might be the first car-branded phone that isn't terrible.
Archos' electric scooter taps Android for directions
It's not just bicycle makers hoping Android will improve your two-wheeled transportation. Archos has unveiled a Citee Connect electric scooter with a 5-inch Android computer in between the handlebars. The hardware won't rival your phone (it an uses unnamed quad-core chip, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage), but it does have 3G built-in for directions and other tasks that might be handy while you commute around town. There's also a dedicated mobile app that can control the scooter's built-in reel lock.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus dual cameras detailed in latest leaks
At this rate, there might not be much mystery left to the Galaxy S9 when Samsung reveals it on February 25th. WinFuture and Evan Blass have posted a flood of leaked images and details that appear to confirm key features of the S9, particularly its cameras. Sure enough, the larger (6.2-inch) S9 Plus should have dual 12-megapixel rear cams that will give it a clear hardware advantage over the 5.8-inch standard S9 -- your choice won't boil down to screen size like it did with the S8.
Samsung's Galaxy S9 may offer its own version of Apple's Animoji
Samsung has a history of going toe-to-toe (or sometimes, finger to finger) with Apple on features with its Galaxy S phones, and the Galaxy S9 may be no exception to the rule. ETNews sources have claimed that the S9 will include a "3D emoji" feature that -- surprise! -- counters the Animoji you find on the iPhone X. The smartphone would reportedly use upgraded facial recognition (no word on how closely it matches the iPhone) to create 3D faces that mimic your facial expressions and add a little spice to your messages. The technology would also lead to "more secure financial transactions," which implies that you could use your face for Samsung Pay in the same way that iPhone X owners can stare at their device to use Apple Pay.
LG will unveil the new V30 with an AI camera at MWC 2018
LG will unveil a new version of its flagship phone, the V30, at the annual Mobile World Congress this year -- and as the rumors said, it'll have an AI-powered camera. The Korean company has developed "Vision AI" to make the phone's camera smarter and easier to use. Vision AI can automatically analyze what you're taking a photo of and can recommend the best shooting mode among the eight (portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise and sunset) available. It can take the object's angle and color, any reflection in the surroundings, as well as the lighting and saturation levels into account to conjure up the best image possible.
Leaked Galaxy S9 render shows a modest design update
Samsung did a pretty great job with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus smartphones last year -- and as expected, the company isn't radically changing the design language for their successors. That's if you believe a leak published today by VentureBeat -- reliable phone leaker Evan Blass has obtained images of the front of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and at first glance they look very similar to last year's models.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S9 on February 25th
Samsung has started sending out invites for the Unpacked event this year, where it will take the wraps off the Galaxy S9. The date? February 25th. Its upcoming flagship phone will make its debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, just like what DJ Koh, the Korean conglomerate's mobile chief, promised at CES. The teaser Samsung posted on Twitter hints at the S9's "reimagined camera." While the company didn't say anything more than that, one of the phone's rumored features is a variable aperture camera.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy S9 in February
You won't see Samsung's upcoming flagship phone before CES 2018 ends, but you won't have to wait that long to get a peek, either. DJ Koh, the Korean conglomerate's mobile chief, has announced at a press conference in Las Vegas that the company will launch the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the Mobile World Congress. Samsung will also reveal when the phone will be available for purchase at the annual trade show, which will take place at the end of February in Barcelona, Spain.
