MWC 2015 - SlashGear

MWC 2015 round-up; Samsung, HTC lead the way

Nate Swanner | Mar 6, 2015

Though we weren’t expecting a whole lot, Mobile World Congress was actually rather delightful this year. We got exactly what we came for, and even some additional surprises from top OEMs and others. There were some obvious highlights, like the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, but some other highlights like Jolla’s new tablet. HTC brought out their new smartphone for us to check out, but also slapped a fitness band on our wrist and VR headset on our face. But that wasn’t all! Here are some of our highlights from MWC 2015.

Turns out, the Jolla Tablet is really onto something

Chris Davies | Mar 5, 2015

Sometimes a few inches is all it takes to make a difference. Back when Jolla first started, a team of former Nokians taking MeeGo and spinning it into their own Sailfish OS, it became a smartphone curio. The simple UI and gesture-based navigation had promise, but compared to an iPhone, Android, or even Windows Phone device, it felt underwhelmingly simple. Now, the Finns are back with not only Sailfish 2.0, but a tablet for it to run on, and it turns out that makes for a great pairing.

Samsung’s not giving up on VR: Gear VR GS6 hands-on

Chris Davies | Mar 5, 2015

I honestly didn't think I'd have to mess up my charming, hobo-like mess of hair so often at MWC 2015, but Samsung wasn't going to let me get away without trying the new Gear VR for the Galaxy S6. An updated version of last year's Gear VR for the Galaxy Note, the new model keeps the same basic principle - your smartphone screen, when docked up-front, becomes a stereoscopic display - but updates it to suit the new Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Samsung announced on Sunday. Thing is, having already been wowed by the HTC Vive, can Samsung's altogether more straightforward headset compete?

HTC Vive hands-on: That Valve VR wow-factor

Chris Davies | Mar 4, 2015

I’m going to be blunt with you, words can’t do justice to the experience of using HTC’s Vive virtual reality headset. There’s nothing quite like slipping into a virtual 3D world, as I did this week in a preview of Vive ahead of developer units shipping this spring. Cloistered in a room at the back of HTC’s Mobile World Congress stand, and with the reassuring voice of a Vive engineer whispering in my ear, I got to try out a number of demo apps and environments created for the platform by Valve and others, including the first announced title for SteamVR.

Xiaomi unveils low-priced Yi action camera at MWC 2015

Lindsey Caldwell | Mar 4, 2015

If you've ever wanted a GoPro but couldn't part with the cash, then this may be your chance. Chinese company Xiaomi just unveiled their newest action-ready camera at MWC2015. Xiaomi's Yi camera will retail for only $64 USD, which is less than half the price of GoPro's basic Hero model which sells for $130 USD. It offers better technical specs than the GoPro Hero, but it is lacking in other respects. We'll take a look at they compare, and if we can even get our hands on a Yi cam stateside.

Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge; extended hands-on

Nate Swanner | Mar 3, 2015

With Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, one of the coolest features is the new fingerprint scanner. Rather than having to drag your finger across the home button, you can now simply lay a finger on the button and get the same effect. It’s a much better method than Samsung’s last-gen fingerprint scanner, and draws heavy comparison to Apple’s Touch ID. But just how similar is it to Touch ID? In Barcelona for MWC, we went hands-on with the new fingerprint scanning feature from Samsung, and we gotta say — we’re impressed.

Pebble Time Steel revealed plus smartstrap sensor add-ons

Chris Davies | Mar 3, 2015

It's only been a matter of weeks since Pebble showed us its new Time smartwatch, and already there's a second, metal-bodied version, the Pebble Time Steel. Echoing the second-gen original Pebble, which wrapped the guts of the first, plastic wearable in a more premium casing, Pebble Time Steel comes in stainless steel casing and has a larger battery than its cheaper sibling. Meanwhile, the Kickstarter success has also revealed exactly what it has in mind for "smartstraps" for the new Time and Time Steel watches.

AVG creates facial recognition blocking glasses

Lindsey Caldwell | Mar 3, 2015

Facial recognition software is ubiquitous. From being auto-tagged by facebook to being added to a database of images, we can't control what happens to our likeness once it gets online. These days more data is being extracted from each of our online interactions. Tracking cookies and search history give companies a clear view of your Internet footprint. Most precious of all is your own face. Enter AVG's new concept invisibility glasses which were presented at in Barcelona for the MWC 2015. Once you put them on, you're rendered instantly invisible to facial recognition software.

Intel charges at mobile again with new Atom x3, x5, x7 chips

JC Torres | Mar 3, 2015

You have to hand it to Intel. It just doesn't let go of a dream. Despite not being able to make a big enough dent in the smartphone market, it is still soldiering on, revising its strategy again and again. While many of us thought (or hoped) that the chip maker would just focus on wearables, it's taking another stab at smartphones, phablets, and tablets. This time with a new line of mobile chips under the names of the Atom x3, Atom x5, and Atom x7.

Windblocker microphone clip lets you take a call in a hurricane

Lindsey Caldwell | Mar 3, 2015

We're seeing some of the hottest technology come out of the Mobile World Congress 2015. Now Windblockers is introducing some old school tech that's perfect for the mobile world. Mobile software developers have been undertaking the task of perfecting noise cancelling software for a while now. It still has a way to go, as anyone who has ever taken a call on a windy day can tell you. Instead of waiting for the perfect in-phone software you can try Windblockers microphone cover for instant noise reduction.

You want the Nokia N1, but you can’t have it: Hands-on

Chris Davies | Mar 3, 2015

Nokia's N1 tablet may not be the newest Android on the block, but its China-only availability has meant checking out the iPad mini-esque hasn't been easy. Happily the Finns have been showing off the sleek hardware here at Mobile World Congress, and I can legitimately say I'm suddenly jealous of mainland China. Sure, the design is nowhere near original, but with a sticker price equivalent to $249 and what's possibly the best-constructed hardware of any Android tablet I've used recently, it's hard not to be impressed.

BlackBerry Leap: for “rising stars” with BlackBerry values

JC Torres | Mar 3, 2015

If you thought that BlackBerry was going back to its physical QWERTY keyboards for good, its announcement at MWC 2015 just proved you wrong. Introducing the BlackBerry Leap, the next all-screen smartphone from the embattled company. The Leap is selling itself as a smartphone for a younger generation, hence the lack of physical keyboards, yet shares in the same features that enterprise-level BlackBerry 10 devices have, including security and Android apps. All supposedly for an affordable entry-level price tag we have yet to know about.