I N N O V A T I O N S

OverviewA record-breaking 101,000 people made

their way to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress this year. It always seems to go by so quickly. Not only were there a

number of new mobile devices and mobile innovations, but there were some very interesting proximity projects as well.

Top Stories

1. New phones

2. Virtual Reality

3. 5G

4. Other innovationsa. Automotive Innovationsb. Wearablesc. Drones

5. Proximity Marketing

N E W P H O N E S

The G5 could be game-changing. It has a new modular slot at the bottom of it, which slides out and allows users to switch in modules such as bigger batteries or camera accessories. If it becomes popular, this could lead to much more phone customization for users.

The other very exciting phone launch - it fixed many of the issues with the S6. It brings back the waterproofing and expandable storage with a sleeker design and a better camera. It may not be a game-changer but it does show Samsung listened to their core-audience.

V I R T U A L R E A L I T Y

Their VR movie theater for testing oculus had long lines throughout the entire conference. VR will be big this year and beyond. Samsung is among the leaders of the pack.

There may not have been as many lines at Ford, but they demonstrated a great retail use of VR. You can test out cars without ever driving them with the use of a VR headset.

5G

What is 5G?5G is a new fifth-generation wireless broadband technology. It will provide not only faster speeds but much more connection possibilities for the internet of things.

Why should you be excited?It may be some years before full-scale implementation,

but mobiles could be connected to almost anything. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

O T H E R I N N O V A T I O N S

Not only was Ford presenting mobile projects, but companies like Intel and Nokia were presenting automotive projects. The integration of mobile devices and the automotive industry is here.

Automotive Innovations

There have been a number of improvements to smart watches in particular. These watches can track your kids.

Wearables

Intel was showing off its drones in the Drone Zone. Laws are constantly changing with drones, but perhaps next year we will see drones flying around the conference.

Drones

P R O X I M I T Y M A R K E T I N G

Guests could check in with Bluetooth as well as be guided through the 240,000 m² of Fira Barcelona with a fairly accurate map, receiving notifications based on proximity.

MWC’s Beacons

Estimote’s beacons feature simultaneous iBeacon and Eddystone packet advertising, up to 7-years of battery life, sensor data – temperature, motion, light, magnetometer and GPIO, a slot for connecting objects, plus they are resistant to extreme conditions.

Learn more on Estimote’s website

Estimote’s New Beacons

They use the existing earpiece and microphone to send out ultrasound signals that can pick up these motions. This could lead to more development of ultrasound messages in the future.

Smartphones get sensorless proximity sensing

In summaryThe MWC did not disappoint in showing what the year ahead will look like. The mobile industry is growing and growing - along with the conference itself. We can see that virtual reality, wearables and proximity tech will start to work hand-in-hand.Perhaps the biggest take away is that making connections outside of your niche is crucial for forward-thinking companies.

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