The much anticipated Mobile World Conference (MWC) has started! The Conference is running from 22 to the 25 February in Barcelona, Spain. The conference promises to feature the latest mobile devices to reach the market and visionary keynote speeches with a Discussion board. The MWC is attended by over 2000 different companies.

Here are the broad strokes of what to expect from the 2016 MWC.

Smartphones

The rumours have finally been confirmed!  LG and Samsung have announced their new flagship phones. Samsung announced two new smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge. Samsung’s new feature includes an increase in memory and battery size, and a larger screen. The S7’s features expandable storage which is a rare feature in flagship phones. Moreover, the phone is now waterproof, so you don’t have to be parted from your phone, even when you’re in the shower. The main innovation is how the S7 interacts with Samsung Gear 260 which is a portable camera to provide 360 images for the Gear VR.

LG has consistently launched amazing devices; with their G-Range. At MWC, they have unveiled the latest in the range, the G5. The LG G5 is very different from its predecessor, the LG G4. LG has finally given in to consumer demand and went for all metal exterior to give the phone a more premium feel. The icon volume button rocker at the back has been removed and inserted to the side. It now has a fingerprint sensor similar to the Nexus 5X. The software overhaul is also evident with the app drawer being completely removed, while the settings tray resembles the new Touchwiz UI. Whether the new design and changes will be positively received by consumers, is yet to be seen.

Tablets

Huawei has turned its focus to tablets after it’s successful release of the Nexus 6P. The latest debut, the Huawei P9, aims to compete against the iPad pro and Surface 4. Lenovo has also released some new tablets aimed at business enterprises. Not only are they budget conscience but, they feature Windows 10 operating system. The Lenovo Yoga tablets are well known for their innovative and unique hinge design which allows for greater flexibility and ease of use.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) equipment will soon become a mainstream accessory. Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook confirms this with his pledge to support the Samsung Gear VR. They have also created a social VR team to research the possible application of VR in social media.

As mentioned, earlier Samsung has released the Gear 360 camera which aims to offer consumer-level 360-degree video capturing technology.  The 360 video capturing quality hasn’t been perfected yet however, this is still a good quality device. It also has a tripod to allow for greater stability on any surface. On the downside, it doesn’t have much processing power as this is outsourced to the Galaxy device or a computer with the PC app. This is the beginning of a potentially large market to look forward to.

Overview

So far, the MWC hasn’t disappointed and the devices meet the high standards of 2016. There are more innovations to come so keep an eye on the conference. From smartphones to VR equipment, technology is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. Browse bidorbuy for the latest high-tech deals!