Best of MWC 2019 – Foldable smartphones, 5G connectivity, and more

Smartphones that fold in half, doctors using 5G connectivity for surgery, and a $3500 mixed reality headset made for the factory — MWC 2019 was one newsworthy event after another. If you didn’t have time to keep up, don’t fret. We’ve got all the best announcements and devices right here.

Best of MWC 2019 – Foldable smartphones, 5G connectivity, and more
  • When is the Mobile World Congress? The Mobile World Congress is an annual event that highlights the recent innovation and trends in the mobile world. This year it took place Feb 25-28 at Barcelona.
  • Did 5G make any progress at MWC 2019? Apart from a whole new batch of 5G smartphones, MWC 2019 also witnessed a remote surgery being conducted with 5G connectivity. Dr. Antonio Maria de Lacy, the chief of the gastrointestinal surgery unit at Hospital Clinic Barcelona, used a 5G connection at MWC 2019 to guide surgeons during a procedure.
  • What were the most popular trends at MWC 2019? It was all about foldable smartphones. While Samsung launched theirs a few days before MWC, Huawei and LG unveiled their counterparts at the event.

Today marks the final day of the Mobile World Congress 2019. This yearly event is all about mobile devices and brands of all sizes pull out all the stops to show off their latest inventions and innovations. This year’s event had one obvious trend: foldable devices. But, there was so much more that happened. Here’s the best of MWC 2019.

Huawei Mate X Foldable 5G Smartphone

Featuring an innovative folding design, you can use this device in its folded form for regular smartphone tasks. Likewise, you can unfold the Huawei Mate X to enjoy a larger screen for entertainment or multitasking. Simply unfold the foldable 5G smartphone to reveal an 8-inch tablet, providing almost twice as much viewing area.

Use this device in its folded form for regular smartphone tasks

Use this device in its folded form for regular smartphone tasks

Microsoft HoloLens 2 Advanced Mixed Reality Headset

Offering a more immersive experience than its predecessor, this device comes with multiple upgrades. Providing a wider viewing angle, HoloLens 2 is comfortable to wear for longer. Likewise, it fits over your glasses and comes with a dial that you can use adjust the size. Passively cooled, the advanced mixed reality headset lasts for up to three hours per charge. But it’s all about businesses. The highly immersive experience from the HoloLens 2 is designed to help surgeons, architects, engineers, and more.

Samsung Galaxy Fold Smartphone

Unfolding the 4.6-inch display turns the Samsung Galaxy Fold Smartphone into a 7.3-inch tablet. And, the device comes with 512GB of storage as well as 12GB of RAM. The foldable smartphone is also compatible with the S Pen, making it easy to jot down notes and ideas. It will be available on April 26, 2019.

HTC Vive Focus Plus Standalone Enterprise VR System

Designed for simple deployment and management, this device combines six-degrees-of-freedom controllers, impressive graphics and ergonomic comfort. Thanks to the 6DoF tracking, the Vive Focus Plus allows for immersive and intuitive hand motions and VR navigation.

It combines six-degrees-of-freedom controllers, impressive graphics and ergonomic comfort

It combines six-degrees-of-freedom controllers, impressive graphics and ergonomic comfort

LG V50 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen Smartphone

Designed to offer an outstanding user experience, this handset uses 5G connectivity to be 20 times faster than 4G. Additionally, the LG V50 ThinQ features a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision Display along with 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It provides an immersive experience whether you’re playing a game or watching a video.

Nubia Alpha Wearable Foldable Smartphone

Featuring a wraparound display, this device combines a smartphone and smartwatch in one. The Nubia Alpha has a flexible 4-inch OLED display that comes in an anodized stainless steel body with a link bracelet. There’s also a gold variant that comes with an 18k gold body. Both variants are heat- and water-resistant. Utilizing a custom-built OS, the wearable foldable smartphone supports voice commands, air gestures, multi-touch gestures and more.

It has a flexible 4-inch OLED display you can actually wear

It has a flexible 4-inch OLED display you can actually wear

HTC 5G Hub Home Media Center

It functions beautifully as an Android entertainment device, allowing for seamless 4K streaming at lightning speed. Utilizing 5G connectivity, you can also stream the content to a second display without missing a beat. In addition, the 5G Hub replaces your home router as it functions as a 5G hotspot.

Avenir Energizer Power Max P18K Pop Smartphone

Featuring an 18,000mAh battery inside, this device provides enough power for a week with regular use. Likewise, the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop Smartphone offers 48 hours of continuous video playback. Measuring 18mm thick, the smartphone comes with a 6.2-inch LCD display with minimal bezels. Ideal for shooting multiple selfies, the pop-up module has two selfie cameras.

Featuring an 18,000mAh battery inside

Featuring an 18,000mAh battery inside

Sony Xperia 1 4K OLED Smartphone

Complete with an exceptional 21:9 CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display, this Android smartphone is all about bringing your content to life. On the back is a triple-lens camera system, complete with 2x optical zoom and super-fast eye autofocus. Likewise, creators of all skill levels will love using Creator mode and Cinema Pro, both of which are powered by CineAlta.

Nokia 9 PureView Five Camera Smartphone

This smartphone features five cameras that work simultaneously on every shot. The five 12 MP cameras can collect up to ten times more light than just one smartphone camera color sensor. Similarly, the Nokia 9 PureView produces photos with an outstanding dynamic range that captures texture and detail as well as vibrant, accurate color.

Microsoft Azure Kinect DK Depth Sensing Device

This developer kit combines the power of HoloLens and Azure to simplify the process of making artificial intelligence apps. The Azure Kinect DK combines all of Azure’s high-end AI sensors in one device. Additionally, the depth sensing device makes it easier for developers to create virtual VR and AR experiences.

Which one is your favorite from your list? Share with us in the comments below.

Madhurima Nag is the Head of Content at Gadget Flow. She side-hustles as a parenting and STEM influencer and loves to voice her opinion on product marketing, innovation and gadgets (of course!) in general.
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