Folding phones, 5G and more



[ad_1]

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

Even though Samsung pre-empted the next generation of new phones when the Galaxy S10 was launched a few days before its official launch, this year's Mobile World Congress still felt special compared to previous ones. The rumor of a revolutionary new technology sparked a frenetic energy following the show. Once everything was over, we had the impression of entering a new era, both for devices and wireless communication. And even for the biggest mobile trade show in the world, a lot has happened in a week. Here is a brief summary of the five main conclusions of MWC 2019.


Foldable gadgets arrived in force

Just a sample of all the bending gadgets to come.
Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

When Royole inaugurated the first folding phone at the end of 2018, the FlexPai showed that, if flexible devices were possible, they still needed a lot of work. But at MWC, flexible gadgets have opened up with devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X, with components and designs that seemed to be several generations ahead of anyone else 's. had never seen before.

But what is even more remarkable is that it is not only the two heavyweights of electronics that have brought complex devices to the CMW. Nubia, known for all sorts of unusual concepts, including dual-screen phones and the first RGB-illuminated phone, unveiled a more refined version of its hybrid smartphone-watch Alpha. And although TCL does not plan to release a foldable device until 2020, the company still brought a handful of flexible design devices to show in Barcelona.

Flexible displays have the potential to change the way many gadgets are created. Although the MWC 2019 was their big start, it's important to note that this is just the beginning. The Galaxy Fold costing just $ 2,000 and the Mate X at around $ 2,600, the first wave of flexible devices is anything but affordable. In addition, the design of flexible phones raises many concerns, particularly with regard to sustainability. And with a number of flexible phones that look pretty thick, this is an additional hurdle to overcome for early users.


A clue to the next big breakthrough in smartphone photography

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

The number of cameras on smartphones has been on the rise for some time now, but with the Nokia 9 PureView, it feels like you're entering a whole new dimension. On the 9th, Nokia has equipped its latest flagship product with a total of five sensors – two RGB and three monochrome – and has used Light and Qualcomm to make all these cameras work together. And the result? A phone that promises to capture more details and more than a thousand levels of depth sensitivity with a single press of the shutter button. It's something that even a lot of professional photographers could probably use, but we will not know until we can actually test the Nokia 9.

Meanwhile, the Chinese smart phone company Oppo is presenting a prototype phone with a 10x zoom that uses what is essentially a periscope to surpass the typical 2x optical zoom limits that even the best flagship handsets are struggling to overcome .

In addition, about a month before the MWC, Samsung acquired CorePhotonics, the company behind the technology behind the Oppo demo, which means the same 10x zoom could be routed to the next big phone from Samsung. And with Huawei already teasing that he's going "Rewrite the rules of photography" In anticipation of the launch of the P30 scheduled for late March, it seems that Huawei is about to bring big zooms to the cameras of smartphones very soon.


Our holographic future remains in years

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

When Microsoft first announced the original HoloLens in 2015, people did not know what to think about it. It was different from virtual reality and much more than just augmented reality. And over the years, Microsoft's mixed reality platform has become a tool that is changing the way companies teach, train and empower their workers.

And with the arrival of a second-generation helmet, the HoloLens 2 has improved its comfort and ergonomics, doubled the field of view, as well as a precision hand and eye tracking that allows you to interact with the holograms as they were real. Microsoft has even created new software suites to help businesses run HoloLens 2 even faster, while providing the tools they need to customize the helmet design to their needs.

But what is sad is that for all ordinary people, with a price of $ 3,500 (or $ 125 per month), HoloLens 2 is still as inaccessible as its predecessor. There is no doubt that HoloLens 2 is an extraordinary technology, but we are still years away, what people can really have at home.


Ready 5G handsets are finally here

LG has even affixed a 5G logo on the back of the LG V50 5G that will light when connected to a 5G network.
Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

Despite all the hype about how 5G will change mobile communication as we know it, much of this discussion has been largely theoretical up until now. That's because apart from a handful of 5G hotspots for use in restricted areas, there was no phone until last week on the market.

But with the announcement of the Galaxy S10 5G, the LG V50 5G and Huawei Mate X (yes, Huawei's flexible phone is also 5G compatible), as well as many 5G prototypes of OnePlus, Oppo, ZTE and D & # 39, others, there are finally some real 5G materials to talk about. However, as none of these devices should be available before this spring at the earliest, it looks like we're still waiting a bit before we can actually test the real 5G devices.


Still waiting on 5G networks to catch up

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

For a show where 5G had been stuck on virtually every store, then on several phones and several introductory presentations devoted to its potential impact, there was not much concrete information or updates on when 5G networks would be available. . And among the four major US carriers, the biggest revelation about the upcoming 5G service came from Sprint, which projected that the top four cities with Sprint's 5G network would "most likely" come on stream in May.

Meanwhile, Verizon, AT & T and T-Mobile are largely silent about when their networks will come online, mostly with a simple reminder for the moment and asking users to log in during second half of 2019. But as the founder of OnePlus, Pete Lau As pointed out a group of specialists from Qualcomm, the 5G revolution will unfold in three phases, the first being the improvement of the speed of data transmission over the next three to five years.

Once 5G networks are operational, we will be able to start creating complete ecosystems of 5G devices and artificial intelligence software in phase 2, before finally putting everything that is interconnected in phase 3 of the 5G era. So yes, the 5G arrives, but if you expect a transformation overnight, think about it again, because we are just starting.

[ad_2]

Source link