Mobile World Congress 2019 Highlights

It’s that time of year again where the mobile tech giants and wannabes gather to unveil their latest creations tempting us to part with our hard-earned cash on yet another new phone.

With SIM only contracts growing in popularity, the big mobile brands are having to work harder than ever to convince us that we need to upgrade. Phones have been pretty smart for a while now, and with the operating systems being the main consideration at upgrade point, many business users are opting to stick with the hardware they have rather than pay an inflated line rental to cover the cost of a new device.

Whereas the last few years have seen most of the feature enhancements relate to camera functionality and security plus a few gimmicks like Apple’s animojis, this year will see the dawning of 5G if the networks are to be believed. That means we’ll need new 5G enabled handsets to benefit, so perhaps 2019 is the year we’ll see the trend reversing and more users persuaded to upgrade to benefit from this new, faster network.

So what have the tech companies designed to tempt us? We’ll take a look first at Sony, Huawei, Nokia and LG. With Samsung deciding to announce their S10 ahead of MWC and Apple so far rigidly sticking to its September annual range refresh schedule, MWC is all about the other brands trying to win share off the two market leaders. So, have they done enough to tempt us? We’ve been following the avid reviewers on Tech Radar to see what the new devices will bring to the market. Here’s what they’ve had to say from a hands on perspective:

Sony Xperia

Sony’s latest range of smartphones are all about watching films, video and TV with a 21:9 aspect ratio display.

The Xperia 1 – that’s the flagship for Sony’s latest range – as well as the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus all come with the widescreen display, which are the first phones to be announced with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

The Xperia 1 – that’s the flagship for Sony’s latest range – as well as the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus all come with the widescreen display, which are the first phones to be announced with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

A lot of other manufacturers currently offer 18:9 or 19:9 aspect ratio displays, but Sony is offering this taller display so you can watch films on your phone in their original format.

Sony claims almost 70% of all films on Netflix are in a 21:9 aspect ratio, and you’ll be able to watch them in that format here alongside content from Sony’s own store and Amazon Prime Video.

If the content isn’t filmed in 21:9, you’ll still be able to watch it with black bars down the sides of the display.

It’s not just about watching video either as the company claims the aspect ratio enhances gaming as well as offering a better format for viewing photos you’ve taken with the phone’s cameras.

So, if you’re one for film and you use the same phone for personal use and work, this could be one for you.

Huawei Mate X

The Huawei Mate X isn’t going to be the first foldable phone to launch, but it might be the first you considering parting with a wad of cash for in 2019. Its solid-feeling hinge allows this handset to fold up, transforming from full 8-inch tablet into a traditional-looking 6.6-inch and 6.38-inch smartphone with a screen on either side. It feels like you’re holding the future in your hand, just know that your transformative euphoria over this phone comes at a very high price.

However, unlike Samsung’s Fold which has not be available for a hands-on review, Huawei’s Mate X dropped with gusto at MWC 2019, and with a price tag that makes the Galaxy Fold look almost affordable; Huawei, once synonymous with budget devices, is most definitely getting comfortable in the big leagues.

Nokia – Nokia 9 PureView launches with more rear cameras than any other smartphone

Nokia has announced its latest range of phones at MWC 2019, with a quartet consisting of the Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2 and the flagship Nokia 9 PureView.

It’s the Nokia 9 PureView which is the standout smartphone here, with a market-leading five (yes, FIVE) rear cameras.

The Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 build on previous low-end generations, while the Nokia 1 Plus offers another super-entry level handset next to the bargain basement Nokia 1.

The most interesting device launched is the Nokia 9 PureView, a handset with five 12MP rear cameras.

Two of these are RGB snappers and the other three are monochromatic, and with all five perched on the rear of the device along with a flash and time-of-flight hole, you’d be forgiven for thinking the phone looks like a creepy spiders’ eye.

Nokia is marketing the handset strongly towards an audience of photography enthusiasts, with a partnership with Adobe Lightroom to help photographers with their post-processing, and Google Photo’s reliable range of effects available to use with the device.

Clearly HMD Global (the Finnish firm behind Nokia handsets these days) wants to give the great camera phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Google Pixel 3 and iPhone XS Max, a run for their money.

You also get a 5.99-inch, QHD+ pOLED display, Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of RAM, 3,320mAh battery and Android 9 Pie.

The Nokia 9 PureView price is $699 / AED 2,299 (around £540, AU$980) and is expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.

LG – LG G8 is coming, but the LG V50 isn’t far behind with 5G

LG has unveiled not one but two smartphones at MWC 2019: its new flagship LG G8 alongside the company’s first 5G phone, the LG V50 ThinQ.

The LG G8 has some intriguing features, including advanced hand-scanning tech for aerial gesture controls and even authentication. But its unveiling is a bit overshadowed by the V50’s 5G capability given the industry’s excitement with the high-speed communication system.

So we’re going to focus on the V50 as we’re all about seeing what real developments we’re likely to see in terms of tech this year.

LG V50 ThinQ: the first 5G

The LG V50 packs several cutting-edge components to link up to 5G (whenever network infrastructure is built out enough to deliver 5G, anyway). The phone packs the brand-new Snapdraon 855 chip with a Snapdragon X50 5G modem along with a Qualcomm connectivity chip to enable the phone to connect to WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.

The V50 is highly-specced in every other department, packing a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED display, a 4,000mAh battery and even a vapor chamber to keep the phone cool while engaging in demanding activity, like streaming media or playing games.

The LG V50 will be available from Sprint exclusively in the coming months, per an official press release. Other service providers will eventually get the phone; Verizon has already announced it will carry the phone “this summer” in the US, which means by September.