MWC 2018: the highlights reel

One of the most talked-about phones at Mobile World Congress was Samsung’s S9, which uses AR to customize emoji. The feature reflects the smartphone giant’s conviction that words are out, and images are in. This emoji’s owner doesn’t seem so sure.

Chinese company Huawei didn’t unveil a new smartphone but it did launch a range of tablets and notebooks. The most talked-about feature? A webcam that’s concealed in the keyboard.

Pepper, a so-called humanoid robot, is described as ‘attractive and endearing’ by his creators. In Barcelona, he tried to use his machine-programed charm to encourage shoe purchases. But not everyone was buying it.

This eye-catching exhibit came from MessageBird, a company specializing — unsurprisingly — in cloud communication. Its clients include Google and Uber. Having its head in the cloud seems to pay off: the company recently raised $60 million (€49 million) in capital.

The brainchild of Japanese company NTT DOCOMO, this remote humanoid robot uses 5G technology to mirror the movements of its operator in real time. It’s unclear who owns the copyright to the masterpiece though.

Developments in virtual reality applications present huge opportunities for the entertainment industry. Samsung used its presence at Mobile World Congress to showcase its VR developments with a series of winter-themed adventures.

Mobile World Congress attracts some of the biggest technology companies in the world. This year, the main focus has been on integrating the next generation of mobile networking (5G) into products and services.

5G is set to play a huge role in making autonomous driving mainstream. The company behind this vehicle, Saudi Telecom, is working with Nokia to develop uses for 5G and the internet of things.