MWC 2019
5G phones are here but don’t rush to upgrade
This year’s Mobile World Congress — the CES for Android device makers — was awash with 5G handsets. The world’s No.1 smartphone seller by marketshare, Samsung, got out ahead wi
Samsung finally gets Bluetooth earbuds right
Granted, this news is maybe a bit too late. Samsung’s already sold out of the free Galaxy Buds it was throwing in with S10 pre-orders. That said, the new Bluetooth earbuds are worth the $129 asking
The best of MWC 2019
After years of promises, 5G finally arrived at MWC 2019 — kind of, sort of. Barcelona served as the launching pad for several 5G handsets, set to arrive later this year. Though your actual 5G mileag
Samsung Galaxy S10+ review
Launching around the globe a few days ahead of the world’s largest mobile show was the ultimate big-dog move. Samsung celebrated the 10th anniversary of its flagship phone line by launching its late
Open-source communities fight over telco market
When you think of MWC Barcelona, chances are you’re thinking about the newest smartphones and other mobile gadgets, but that’s only half the story. Actually, it’s probably far less t
Hands-on with Microsoft’s new HoloLens 2
Earlier this week, Microsoft used its MWC press conference to announce the next version of its HoloLens mixed reality visor. When it demoed the first version back in 2015, quite a few pundits assumed
Taking HTC’s Vive Focus standalone headset for a spin
It’s telling that HTC opted to set up shop in Hall 7 at MWC. Rather than holding court alongside the Samsungs and Huaweis of the world, the company mingled among the peripherals and accessories make
The Shadow Ghost turns cloud gaming into a seamless experience
French startup Blade, the company behind Shadow, is launching a new set-top box to access its cloud gaming service — the Shadow Ghost. I’ve been playing with the device for a couple of weeks and h
Bring on the mobile weirdness
CES 2019 was a dud. It happens. Some years are more exciting than others. The world of technology ebbs and flows. Time is a flat circle. All that glitters is gold. Only shooting stars break the mold.
Challenger bank N26 plans to expand to Brazil
Fintech startup N26 plans to launch its retail banking service in Brazil soon. The company announced the news onstage at MWC in Barcelona. N26 has already announced that its next market would be the U
We’re ready for foldable phones, but are they ready for us?
This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. After years of prototypes, the age of foldables has finally arrived. They’re here. I’ve seen them, and even, briefly, touched one. And that’s about a
Energizer’s P18K Pop is basically a giant battery with a smartphone built into it
This is the future you asked for. When people read smartphone reviews, one of the first things they want to know is whether the battery life is going to be sufficient for their use cases. Well, what i
BMW continues to bet on the (Azure) cloud
Earlier this week, at MWC Barcelona, BMW announced its newest in-car AI initiative: BMW Natural Interaction. The idea here is to use cameras, microphones and other sensors in the car to allow you to h
Google’s Flutter toolkit will get web-based dev tooling
Google today launched version 1.2 of its Flutter cross-platform UI framework at MWC Barcelona. With this, Flutter now features support for Android App Bundles, Google’s latest technology for pac
Light is expanding from smartphone cameras to self-driving cars
This year’s MWC has been very much the beginning of a new phase for Light. Until now, the Palo Alto startup has been best known for its 16-lens DSLR competitor, an utterly fascinating, if not partic
OnePlus, EE and Qualcomm start a contest for 5G apps
Today at MWC Barcelona, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau unveiled an initiative to spur apps for 5G networks. The timing is right, too. With 5G launching around the world this year, carriers, phone makers and con
A closer look at Huawei’s folding Mate X
Yesterday gave us a closer view of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Of course, there were still a plate of glass, a security rope and a few feet between us and the device. Huawei, thankfully, was a bit more w
Huawei: ‘The US security accusation of our 5G has no evidence. Nothing.’
Huawei’s rotating chairman Guo Ping kicked off a keynote speech this morning at the world’s biggest mobile industry tradeshow with a wry joke. “There has never been more interest in
HTC’s blockchain phone can now be purchased with fiat currency
Until now, the Exodus 1 has, fittingly, only been available for purchase with cryptocurrency. Starting today, however, interested parties will be able to pick HTC’s blockchain phone up through more
Here are all the 5G phones announced at MWC
Mobile World Congress is underway, which means there are a handful of brand spankin’ new 5G phones hitting the market soon. How ever will you decide? Here’s a look at all the 5G phones ann