MWC 2018: Takeaways on the Key Devices and Innovations

McAfee

Mar 06, 2018

3 MIN READ

It’s hard to believe that MWC 2018 is already over! Though the event came and went in the blink of an eye, MWC 2018 managed to deliver, showcasing some of the most exciting mobile and connected device innovation out there today. While there was a variety of new tech at the event, a few showstoppers managed to catch everyone’s eye and some key trends emerged. Here are some of my takeaways from the event:

The mobile showstoppers

The Samsung Galaxy S9 was a clear winner at this year’s event. Between the low light photography, AR emojis, and super slow motion — the new flagship device had everyone at MWC talking. But that doesn’t mean nostalgia was totally lost on MWC goers, as the Nokia 8110 ensured what’s old is new. The device was a revamped the classic slider phone, just with a few social media apps added to the mix.

There was also the Vivo Apex, which took the all-screen phone to a new level. It features a fingerprint sensor underneath the OLED screen itself and instead of a speaker the whole phone vibrates to conduct sound during a call or media playback.

5G hype becomes reality

Ultra-fast 5G (the new generation of wireless technology) has been all the hype for a while now, but the technology was just that – hype. That is, until this MWC, where 77 companies (largely from North America and Asia) announced they are officially trialing 5G across 49 countries. In fact, MWC 2018 saw a quite a large number of Chinese mobile equipment makers, including Huawei to ZTE, working to get a piece of the 5G action. The action even went beyond just a few proofs of concept and also spread across a broad creative range of connected devices.

Securing the connected lifestyle

In fact, this plethora of connected devices – at both MWC and beyond – is a trend that inspired the McAfee key MWC innovations. First, there was the award-winning new McAfee Secure Home Platform skill for Amazon Alexa, which showed how we’re adapting our security solutions to protected today’s connected home. We also extended our security capabilities through strategic partnerships. These include: an expanded partnership with Samsung to safeguard all Galaxy S9 smartphones, the Galaxy Note8, along with Samsung smart TVs, PCs and notebooks, a partnership with Telefónica that will provide always on protection for every connected device in the home, a strategic partnership with Türk Telekom to deliver cross-device security protection, and one with NTT DOCOMO that will deliver Wi-Fi protection and security to NTT DOCOMO mobile users.

Overall, this year’s MWC was not only exciting but proved that providers everywhere, including McAfee, are working hard to adapt their solutions to the modern digital lifestyle and ensure users everywhere have a seamless and secure experience when using their favorite device.

To stay on top of McAfee’s MWC news, and, of course, the latest consumer and mobile security threats, be sure to follow me and @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable? and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.