What We Learned About Your Next Smartphone at MWC 2015

BARCELONA, Spain –– How many phones are on display here at the Mobile World Congress, the year’s biggest exhibition of smartphones? I’m not cruel enough to make an intern count for me, but I know that it’s a very big number. 

The most important smartphones of the year (that don’t start with a lowercase ‘i’) are released here and basically every non-Cupertino-based smartphone maker uses this annual event to show off their latest handsets. Taken as a whole, MWC provides major hints about what smartphone manufacturers are emphasizing in their products, and what customers can expect in their future purchases.

After taking in four days of product introductions, marketing pitches, smartphone demos, and flan, the Yahoo Tech team has put together this cheat sheet of important and surprising features emerging on the newest phones. 

This is what you can expect from your smartphone in 2015 and beyond:

1. You’ll definitely be able to pay with it

The iPhone, of course, is now a bona fide credit card replacing machine, storing card information and enabling contactless payments at select stores. Now Samsung has jumped into the game in a much bigger way: Its recently introduced Galaxy S6 comes with Samsung Pay, a new payment app that works wherever credit cards are accepted. It features technology that is able to mimic the swipe of the credit card, no special device installation necessary. It will work at about 90 percent of retailers in the U.S., according to Samsung, versus about 10 percent for Apple Pay.

Elsewhere, a Google executive announced a forthcoming revamp of its Android-based payment system called Android Pay, which should make its way to many smartphones and Android apps by the end of the year. Whether you actually input your credit card into your smartphone is up to you, but the option will certainly be there.

2. The camera on the front will take great selfies

(Photo: WSJ. The ZTE’s front camera is so good that it can unlock your phone by scanning your eyes)

Smartphone makers have definitely taken notice of the Selfie phenomenon. Both HTC and Samsung made a point to tout the brilliance of their front-facing cameras at their phone unveilings this year; every other smartphone maker here, from Sony to Huawei to LG, is also showing off improved selfie cameras.

The front-facing camera used to be an afterthought, an add-on, a nice-to-have feature. Now it is essential, and phone makers are devoting serious resources to improving it. Better invest in some good face wash, because your selfies are going high-def and soon. 

3. It won’t be made with plastic

(Photo: WSJ)

The Galaxy S6, at long last, is made from glass and metal, ending a longstanding complaint among tech geeks about how cheap the plastic backs of Samsung devices felt. That phone now looks and feels premium, and walking around, it’s striking just how high-quality other phones feel, too. Chinese phone makers from Huawei to Xiaomi to Lenovo all impressed with substantial and well-designed devices, and Sony and LG now both make beautiful and premium phones. The Age of Plastic in high-end smartphones is officially over.

A question: What material will Apple use to distinguish its phones now? 

4. Watch out for wireless charging

After years of near hits and promises, wireless charging might just hit the mainstream this year. Samsung made a big deal about the wireless charging capabilities of its Galaxy S6; it will be able to charge on both the Qi and Powermat standards, which currently split device makers.

Whether the Galaxy S6 will be large or successful enough to convince other smartphone makers –– like, I don’t know, Apple –– to outfit their own devices with wireless charging capabilities remains to be seen. But the world’s most popular Android phone can now wirelessly charge without a case. And the world’s largest furniture maker, IKEA, is now selling furniture that can wirelessly charge devices. Could this be the year that “cord cutting” starts to refer to energizing our gadgets?

5. More curved screens are coming

(Photo: The curvy LG G Flex 2. Via CNET)

Maybe not to your next smartphone, but definitely to your local smartphone store. As curved screens become cheaper and more reliable to produce, more smartphone makers are going to include them on their devices. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge, for example, features a curved screen, as did recently unveiled mid-range devices from LG. A Chinese smartphone company called ZOPO was showing off a cheaper curved screen phone called the ZOPO TOUCH, and even BlackBerry, that stalwart of traditionally boring devices, teased a curved phone for later this year. 

6. You might just buy a selfie stick for it

(Photo: Reuters)

God knows they’ll be available. These selfie-taking accessories may have seemed like a joke or sign of the apocalypse when you first heard about them, but they have slowly entrenched themselves in both international and American culture. Selfie sticks were all over the show floor, both in the booths of exhibitors and in the hands of attendees and journalists. LG even tweaked one of its phones for cleaner selfie stick integration.

The selfie stick has moved beyond fad and into legitimate cultural artifact territory. Also: They’re pretty cheap and fun! Try one, no one’s judging you. 

7. It will probably run Android or iOS

There are plenty of alternatives to the dominant Android and iPhone operating systems here, though none of them appear ready to compete in a meaningful way. Windows Phone feels like an afterthought for Microsoft, which seems more focused on a successful Windows 10 launch. BlackBerry appears more eager to get its security apps on Android and iOS than it does to its own, devoting much of a 90-minute press conference to just that; it also unveiled 4 new phones, none of them world-beaters. Competing operating systems from Firefox and Ubuntumay one day grow into worldwide players; 2015 is probably not their year.

That leaves the iPhone and companies like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, Sony, and more, all of whose best-selling phones run Android. If you’re buying a smartphone this year, it will likely come from one of those two groups. And, hey, great news: most Selfie Sticks work with both. 

Zuckerberg: Carriers will connect the world, not sci-fi

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Mobile World Congress 2015.Stephen Shankland/CNET

BARCELONA -- It's regular carriers and regular technology that will bring Internet access to the billions of people who lack it today, not sci-fi ideas like Google's Project Loon balloons or Project Titan drones, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg thinks.

"People like talking about that stuff because it's sexy," Zuckerberg said of such departures from networks delivered by plain old cell phone towers and fiber-optic lines. "That's at the fringe of the real work that's going on. Ninety percent of the people in the world already live within range of the network."

Instead, it's carriers that will do most of the work, he said in an onstage interview here at the Mobile World Congress show. That view will doubtless be received warmly at the show, which is run by those network operators. But Zuckerberg has a stake in the work, too, having championed an effort called Internet.org to bring Internet access to the world's billions who lack it today.

The core idea behind Internet.org is to offer free access to a number of Internet services -- including Facebook, of course -- to get people online. First carriers build the infrastructure to support those new customers, then many of those customers upgrade to higher-end, more profitable mobile network plans. It's a broad vision -- and one that will likely transform parts of the world as much as wealthy countries have already changed.

And it'll be good for network operators, too, Zuckerberg said. "It's a profitable model for our partners."

Protecting carrier revenue

One concern, that paying customers would move to the free tier, turns out not to be a worry, he added. "The feedback from partners is not only do more people start adopting data, but people use more voice and SMS and pay for that even more. We've seen a lot of cases where ARPU [average revenue per user] goes up," he said. "Even in countries like Colombia, where half the people are already on the Internet, there's massive upside."

The partnership isn't always easy. Jon Fredrik Baksaas, CEO of the major global carrier Telenor Group, said Facebook's WhatsApp text-message app eats into carriers' SMS revenue and erodes the customer relationship with carriers.

"The messaging side is an important revenue driver in the old telecom world," Baksaas said, joining Zuckerberg on stage. Even though carriers are shifting to accommodate Net-based services WhatsApp is still an issue. "This is a point of tension between the operator community and Facebook, because we don't want to see that revenue stream move too quickly."

For his part, Zuckerberg said he's sensitive to the issue. In the Internet.org suite of services, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are never an option, he said.

"Those would be too cannibalistic," Zuckerberg said, meaning that they'd gobble up other revenue sources.

Carriers new face of Internet.org

Facebook is a founding Internet.org partner, but Zuckerberg thinks it's time for his carrier partners to move to the fore.

"Going forward the face of Internet.org needs to be the companies doing the work, laying the fiber in the ground, building the infrastructure that's actually connecting people in the world," Zuckerberg said.

There's still a role for sci-fi ideas, Zuckerberg said, though he didn't mention by name Google's Project Loon, which delivers Internet access from roving high-altitude balloons, and Project Titan, which does the same from solar-powered drone airplanes.

"The operators are doing a good job reaching people in rural areas," Zuckerberg said, "but a lot of the technology isn't efficient enough to cost-effectively serve people in rural areas."

Huawei Watch unveiled at MWC, first Android Wear watch with a sapphire crystal display

March 1, 2015 5:43 AM PST

Huawei on Sunday announced a new premium Android Wear watch at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Huawei Watch is the first Android Wear watch that features a scratch-proof sapphire crystal display. The company's first smartwatch is one of the best looking we have seen, with its stainless steel body and mesh (or leather) strap. The watch has a 1.4-inch circular display with a 400x400-pixel resolution, which measures to around 286 pixels per inch, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Underneath there is a heart-rate sensor that appears to be continuous for all-day tracking.

As is the case with other Android Wear watches, the Huawei Watch can display personalized Google Now cards and notifications such as text messages, emails and calls from your smartphone right on your wrist. Huawei has include over 40 customizable watch faces, including a dial that shows lunar phases, the weather and notifications in a traditional watch design.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Along with the heart-rate monitor, the watch uses a 6-axis motion sensor and barometer to track your steps, distance and calories burned. It can also automatically detect and track when a user is walking, running, biking, hiking or sleeping. Huawei has partnered with Jawbone to let users sync their data with the company's Up health app. This is in addition to being able to sync with the Google Fit app.

We didn't hear anything about battery life, although the company noted that the watch will use a "magnetic charging station" for convenient charging. Huawei has made a great feeling watch, and a new level of premium Android Wear watch. But we're judging on style, not function.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Questions remain, however. Who knows how much this will cost, and that could factor into our opinion. Also, since Android Wear has hit a wall on new hardware features being allowed, this doesn't do anything different than other Wear watches. But the 40 customizable watch faces, which look beautiful in the mockups Huawei showed, could be a difference maker. For now, this might be king of the hill. It feels like a Moto 360 meets LG Watch Urbane, but maybe even better.

The Huawei Watch will be available in more than 20 countries including the US, UK and Australia. Pricing and release information wasn't announced, although we expect a high price tag to match the premium features and design.

Say hi to the new HTC: One M9 phone, fitness band, VR headset

From CNET

The HTC One M9 takes an evolutionary approach with only minor tweaks to the body.Andrew Hoyle/CNET

BARCELONA -- HTC formally embarked on its mission to transform itself after unveiling not only a new smartphone, but also a fitness tracker and virtual reality headset.

The trio of products highlights the company's desire to move beyond smartphones, following in the footsteps of larger competitors such as Samsung that boast a wider portfolio of gadgets for consumers. But HTC is expanding in its own way -- preferring to partner with Under Armour for the Grip fitness tracker and Valve for the gaming headset Vive.

The two products come after HTC unveiled the HTC One M9, an updated version of its flagship smartphone with minor tweaks to the body and new software enhancements.

HTC's announcement comes on a Sunday chock full of news from the likes of Nokia, LG, Huawei and others. Samsung is expected to unveil its next Galaxy S smartphone at an event later this evening, a day before the Mobile World Congress trade show officially kicks off here.

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HTC's event was of particular importance because its press conference was its chance to reinvent itself as a broader personal technology company. There's a lot at stake with this gamble. Succeeding with a new product means another source of revenue and a fresh direction. Failure, however, could mean it gets stuck in the increasingly competitive smartphone business, one dominated by heavy hitters like Apple.

"It's a new act of our opera," said HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang, referring back to her oft-used analogy of HTC's symphonic blend of design, hardware and software. "'Utopia in Progress (the name of the event) represents the next step of how tech will touch every aspect of our world and ehance how we experience it."

There's good reason HTC is look beyond its comfort zone: the smartphone game has been particularly tough for HTC. The fourth-largest smartphone maker in the world in 2012, the company has fallen off the radar and is categorized in the "other" category of companies that no longer merit individual mention, according to IDC.

The desire to transform comes from recognizing that the growth in smartphones isn't what it once was. Beyond Apple at the high end, there is fierce competition in the affordable smartphone segment between hot local start-ups like China's Xiaomi or India's Micromax, and other rivals like Lenovo's Motorola, Huawei and ZTE.

"Showing u still got it when it comes to innovation is essential to the brand," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Kantar WorldPanel. "If they balance the financial side of the investment well, it might just work."

Still, HTC is nowhere near abandoning the smartphone business, and its One M9 took center stage on Sunday.

M9: Subtle improvements under the hood

While the previous year's One M8 stretched the amount of metal incasing the smartphone, the M9 saw only minor tweaks and improvements. The shape of the back is altered for a better grip, and the polished edges are gone. But the M9, especially in the gunmetal grey color, looks essentially like the M8.

That will make it a hard sell for a company whose defining attribute is its design acumen and attention to aesthetics.

The company said that it opted to keep what was working and refine some of the problem areas for M9. One issue is the reputation for a weak camera. The original HTC One and M8 both used an "Ultrapixel" camera that it argued let in more light for clearer photos. But the camera was critically panned and consumers didn't understand why the phone only had 4 Ultrapixels. For the M9, the company utilized a more standard 20-megapixel shooter.

HTC also added a 2,840 mAh battery to the M9, representing a slight improvement over the 2,600 mAh battery in the M8.

More of the improvements come in its Sense 7 user interface, which includes new ways to customize themes and a home screen widget that gives you a collection of specific apps depending on whether you're at home, at work or on the go. The widget automatically chooses your collection based on the phone's location.

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"With only slight changes to the overall design and some tweaks to the specs, the HTC One M9 isn't the mobile revolution some may have been hoping for," said CNET editor Andrew Hoyle. "It is building on an already stunning phone, though -- one that we were extremely keen on -- and completely overhauling an already good product isn't always the right decision."

HTC says it's the third generation of its "iconic design" and believes it has stepped up the quality of the build. "M9 makes a statement: You demand the very best," said Drew Bamford, head of the Creative Labs unit for HTC and responsible for the software on the phone.

Targeting athletes with Grip

After HTC identified fitness as an area that it wanted to get into, the company began talking with Under Armour in February. What started as a conversation about a licensing deal -- HTC would build a product and Under Armour would slap its name on it -- evolved into a deeper partnership in which both companies would collaborate more closely.

The HTC Grip was built in cooperation with Under Armour.Ben Fox Rubin/CNET

Grip, which represents HTC's second connected product following the October unveiling of its Re camera, was already in HTC's pipeline when the two companies began talking. But HTC worked with Under Armour to make sure the product was integrated into UA Record, the fitness company's digital health and fitness network, which boasts more than 50 million users.

HTC and Under Armour aren't going after more casual consumers who tend to use activity trackers like a FitBit or Jawbone. Instead, it wants to target serious athletes who have a deeper investment in their fitness and exercise regimen.

"I'm not saying it's for everyone," said Robin Thurston, head of Under Armour's digital fitness business. "It's for a specific part of the market."

The Grip has basic smartphone notifications and can control the music on your phone through a Bluetooth connection. It also has GPS capabilities, which would appeal to more serious runners or cyclists. It has a small touchscreen display that allows you to swipe across and up and down to navigate.

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Jeff Gattis, head of marketing for HTC's connected devices business, said the Grip allows the company to get into retailers that it traditionally hasn't been able to tap, including the sporting goods stores.

More importantly for HTC, the Grip doesn't represent a one-off product. "Our goal is to be extremely optimized with them as a partner," Thurston said.

Like, Gattis said HTC and Under Armour plan on creating more devices together.

HTC jumps into virtual reality world

HTC's investment into virtual reality, illustrated by its first prototype dev kit headset, called the HTC Vive, created in partnership with video game developer and digital distributor Valve, was sparked by a belief that the category represents the future of entertainment.

The Vive marks HTC's first foray into virtual reality and gaming.HTC

"This is a long-term commitment, like mobile phones 10 years ago," said Claude Zellweger, who is in charge of coming up with new product concepts for HTC.

Like with Under Armour, HTC was looking for a big name partner in gaming and sought to work with Valve. "It has the highest street cred among game producers," Zellweger said.

While the Vive is tethered to a PC via a 5-meter cable, it employs two tracking beacons -- one on each side of the room -- to detect its location and motion, and allows the wearer to not just move his head, but also get up and move around. The prototype has two 4-megapixel cameras that help detect objects around you so you don't accidentally bump into them while wearing the headgear. The headset also comes with wireless controllers, allow you to control your immersive experience.

HTC is also partnering with content companies like HBO, Lionsgate and Google to bring more video to the headset.

Smartphone rival Samsung also has a virtual reality system, Gear VR, which incorporates Oculus technology with its Galaxy Note 4 smartphone as the display and brains of the system. But Gear VR is a stationary experience -- you can move your head around, but you remain seated when watching the content. HTC is hoping to go further with its Vive.

"We will bring you a virtual reality experience no one has seen before with a groundbreaking partner in Valve," CEO HTC CEO Peter Chou said.

The Vive dev kit will be publicly available in April. HTC said it would launch a commercial product by the end of the year.

For HTC, this represents a lot of new, different directions at once. The question is whether it can balance all of the products but still find a way to stand out with its trademark design acumen.

Given the competition, it will have to.