The Google Assistant is going global, with Google's AI gaining new language support, deeper integration with Android phones, and smarter functionality. Previewing its Mobile World Congress 2018 announcements, Google has confirmed that the Assistant's current support for eight languages is being boosted to more than 30 by the end of the year.
Move over smart speakers. Smart displays are in the house! Rated as one of the fastest growing segments in the tech market these days, smart speakers of all shapes, sizes, and prices have invaded both homes and store shelves. At CES last month, Google took up Amazon on its Echo Show challenge and announced a new subclass of connected devices: smart displays. Better late than never, French manufacturer ARCHOS is joining the fray at MWC with its Hello smart display and speaker in one. Not only that, it also has another trendy device to cater to those still holding out for bitcoins and their kin.
Like Apple, Google tends to sit out the crowded annual tech events and holds its own. This year at MWC 2018, however, it is stirring things up a bit. It has already teased how it’s going to make a big splash with the first Android Go phones next week. Now it seems it will be doing more than just that. Sources report that Google will finally be making its big AR play by releasing its ARCore framework for all. something half a year in the making.
There is no shortage of car makers who lend their names and their aesthetics to smartphones. Many of those, however, are not only expensive but are sometimes just as fragile. In that regard, the Land Rover Explore is a class apart. Made by the Bullitt Group together with Land Rover, the Land Rover Explore phone is built for the great outdoors and has both the design and the features to match your off-road SUV. Preferably a Land Rover, of course.
The first Android Oreo (Go edition) phones will be revealed next week, Google has said, as it pushes its pared-back vision of Android for super-affordable handsets. Designed to drive pricing under the $50 mark in order to make smartphones more attainable in developing markets, Android Oreo (Go edition) - otherwise known as Android Go - strips out some of the platform's bloat in order to preserve usability on lower-spec hardware.
An Android that can see in the dark and has a built-in laser sounds like something from a Terminator movie, but it's actually Caterpillar's new Cat S61 smartphone. Upgraded the trade-friendly Android handset with a higher-performance thermal camera and better internal specs, the new Cat S61 also promises to oust some hardware from your toolbox.
MWC is the biggest time of year for mobile manufacturers, and for Intel, this year its all about the future. In the lead up to the show, Intel has detailed its plans for the arrival of 5G mobile networks, and what it plans to do to usher in this new era. As it turns out, the company is planning to hit the ground running with a line of 5G-capable PCs that will launch sometime next year.
LG may have said it’s tempering its smartphone frenzy, unlike Samsung, but that seems to only apply to its higher end phones. In addition to the LG V30 (2018), it will also be introducing two, actually four, new mid-range models as well. Carrying on its K series, the new K10 (2018) and K8 (2018) follow that pattern of small improvements. But for shutterbugs on a budget, both smartphones might have something to offer in terms of features and gimmicks, not necessarily quality.
What do you do when nobody is buying cheap Android tablets any more? Why, put Android onto scooters instead. At least, that's Archos' new strategy, with the French company - not averse to some weird products - unveiling a new urban transportation option that embeds Android controls into its handlebars.
MWC 2018 is almost upon us, and though we've pretty much seen what the Galaxy S9 will look like, Sony's Xperia efforts at the show are a lot more mysterious. The phone-maker has had mixed results with its Android devices in recent years, at least when it comes to the US. Still, a new Xperia teaser suggests it could be worth paying attention to Sony in 2018.
The Galaxy S9 and S9+ won’t be Samsung’s only new toy that it will show off at MWC next week. Just like last year, it might also be introducing a new premium tablet to its lineup. A listing in Geekbench refers to a certain Samsung SM-T835 that, if the pattern is followed, could be the Galaxy Tab S4. It is the first time the existence of this slate has been spotted but what little details the benchmark have already hint that this might be another disappointing tablet just like its predecessor.
LG might be sitting MWC 2018 in terms of announcing its 2018 flagship, but that doesn’t mean it will be coming to Barcelona empty-handed. Yes, it will be presenting a “refreshed” LG V30 called, not the V30s but the 2018 LG V30. And, yes, it will be featuring some AI functionality. Don’t worry, though, because LG happily hasn’t gone overboard the way its rival has. But the new smartphone AI features will be adding to the 2018 V30 and other phones will easily be compared to what Samsung’s Bixby has been promising to offer.