MWC 2017 Roundup
The Mobile World Congress of 2017 has come to an end. All the players of the mobile industry, big and small, participated in the event with a range of announcements. As our MWC 2017 roundup should tell you, this year’s event had something for everyone.
Without further ado, here are some of the biggest announcements from this year’s MWC.
LG and Google Assistant
The LG G6 has been getting a lot of attention in the MWC, and for good reason. The phone boasts a 5.7-inch display with 2,880 x 1,440 resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio, a first for smartphones. More than that, the screen’s rounded corners and very small bezels make for a stunning display.
The G6 is also the first phone outside of Google’s own Pixel line to feature Google Assistant. The device is certainly a powerful flagship with a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with microSD support, and a 32-bit Quad DAC which promises superior sound quality.
The consensus seems to be that LG made a fantastic move by simply refining its previous devices and opting for a well-rounded flagship. Though it will not break any new ground, the LG G6 is certainly a fantastic option for anyone looking to upgrade.
Nokia’s back
In December 2016, the newly-formed HMD finally secured the rights to use the Nokia brand. Though the sale was completed a mere two months ago, Nokia phones have already made an appearance at MWC 2017.
For those who wish to own a modern Nokia device, the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 devices may be appealing choices. All three devices fall in various points in the mid-range of smartphones with very decent prices.
If you are still looking back at the days of the Nokia 3310 then you should probably sit down now. The world-famous phone is back with a €49 price tag that features only small upgrades over the original, including a headphone jack, a micro-USB port for charging, and support for up to 32GB of microSD expansion.
BlackBerry’s also back (kind of)
In many ways, this year’s MWC was a throwback to the days of old. BlackBerry obviously played a part in this as the KeyOne certainly feels like a phone from a different era. The device, which is made by TCL (famous for Alcatel), combines the best of BlackBerry with today’s modern luxuries.
The device features a physical QWERTY keyboard and its insides are more or less what you would expect from a flagship device of 2016. Of course, BlackBerry fans will also get all the additional software, including the security-minded suites.
Huawei and much of the same
Though the Huawei P10 is, by all accounts, a decent flagship, the company has opted for small updates rather than a full upgrade. Anyone who already owns a P9 will have almost no reason to upgrade to the latest iteration of the flagship series.
The P10 and P10 Plus are both great devices with impressive specifications and fantastic cameras but if you were looking for something new, you are in for some disappointment. The only interesting things to come out of Huawei for this year’s MWC are its Android Wear 2.0 watches though the market for those is even smaller than its flagships.
5G is the (shooting) star
The promotion of 5G everywhere in the show raised several eyebrows. Many thought it was strange to talk about “transformative” technology when 5G has not even been standardized yet. Though such criticism can be constructive, it does not paint the whole story.
5G technology will undoubtedly change the landscape when it arrives, particularly for specific markets such as IoT and wearables. We should proceed with some caution and a grain of salt, but we should proceed regardless.
You can now own a Porsche ultrabook
Car manufacturer Porsche made a surprising announcement of a Windows 10 ultrabook. The Porsche Book One is a £2,000 device with a detachable screen and the ability to rotate 360 degrees, a hinge apparently inspired by sports car transmissions.
The device is indeed beautiful and quite powerful but really the only reason why you would be paying that much is for the bespoke design and the Porsche name.
Conclusion
This concludes our MWC 2017 roundup. Is there anything else you found interesting in the show? If so, please let us know in the comments!
