Mobile World Congress 2018 opens its doors in Barcelona

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) opened its doors in the city of Barcelona on Monday following a ceremony attended by King Felipe VI of Spain.

The MWC has been held in Barcelona since 2006, growing in importance every year with the 2018 edition predicted to attract 108,000 visitors from over 200 different countries to see stands by 2,300 exhibitors.

The 2018 MWC has as its motto "Creating a Better Future" to demonstrate its commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the benefits offered by mobile technology, such as eradicating poverty, improving education and aiding gender equality are reflected in 17 personalities on display at the MWC.

As in 2017 the event will continue to focus on the latest developments in 5G networks and their implication for the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Big Data, virtual and augmented reality, healthcare, drones, driverless cars and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, all of which will play an ever increasing role in everyday life.

The 2018 MWC is home to the Women4Tech section, which aims to close the gender gap in the world of technology. GSMA, the association which represents the interests of the mobile industry and organizes the WMC, has said that it hopes that this year women make up 25 percent of attendees, improving on the 18 percent in 2016 and 23 percent last year.

The 2018 MWC focuses on youth with the YoMo Festival (Youth Mobile Festival) which is aimed at adolescents and educators throughout Spain, while the 4 Years From Now zone looks to connect star-ups and entrepreneurs with potential investors.

Of course the MWC is also about mobile phones and devices and the Congress is a launch-pad for the world's major telecommunications companies to present their new products and ideas.

Huawei is not launching a smartphone at this year's MWC, but on Sunday presented its MateBook X Pro laptop, while ZTE presented the Blade V9 and the Blade V9 Vita smartphones.

Apple will not be present at the show, however, as the Cupertino-based company unveils its devices at its own private events.

With more product reveals due over the coming days, here are the biggest releases so far:

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung has finally revealed its highly anticipated Galaxy S9 smartphone following months of rumours and speculation.

Although the S9’s bezel-free design is “suspiciously similar” to last year’s model, says The Daily Telegraph, the new mobile now sports a “dual aperture” lens that lets in more light than its predecessor. This should result in more detailed and vibrant images.

Samsung has also developed its own augmented reality (AR) emojis, the newspaper says, which allows you to layer computer-generated graphics over real-world images. The feature is similar to Animojis on Apple’s iPhone X, although according to the newspaper, Samsung’s version is easier to share with friends.

Nokia 8110

Nokia dominated headlines last year when it resurrected its 17-year-old 3310 handset. Now the company has unveiled a new version of its 8110 sliding phone from 1999.

The original 8110 became popular after featuring in sci-fi action film The Matrix and is often referred to as the banana phone owing to its curved shape. Despite its retro design, the new 8110 can run a handful of apps including Google Maps and Facebook, reports the BBC News website.

It is due to go on sale in May for €79 (£69), The Guardian says.

LG V30S

The LG V30 may only be six months old but that hasn’t stopped the Korean tech giant from launching an updated version at MWC.

People visit LG's booth during the first day of the 2018 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 26, 2018. The four-day 2018 MWC opened its doors on Monday.

The V30S is essentially the same at its predecessor in terms of design and hardware, says TechnoBuffalo, but LG has added in artificial intelligence (AI) features that “actively analyses the world around itself to understand sight and sound just like a human”.

This helps users take better pictures, with the AI algorithm enhancing images by scanning the environment through its dual-camera set-up.

LG has yet to announce a release date for the V30S, but it is expected to arrive in Korea before making its way to international markets.

Sony Xperia XZ2

Sony has released a handful of new smartphones at MWC, with the standout model being its range-topping Xperia XZ2.

The new mobile comes with a 5.7in display boasting a resolution of 2,160 x 1,080, says Alphr, along with a 19 megapixel camera that can record slow-motion footage at 960fps. It can also record video at 4K resolution with high dynamic range (HDR) lighting effects, which bolster contrast ratios for a more life-like image.

Pre-orders open on 22 March, the website says, although pricing has yet to be announced.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)