Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S9 a day ahead of Mobile World Congress. (Photo: LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
The entire cellular industry, from phone makers to chip providers to carriers, are in Barcelona this week for Mobile World Congress.
Why it matters: The industry is spread out across the globe and Mobile World Congress provides the one big opportunity for the entire industry together. Below are the key announcements so far:.
Monday
- Sony, which has been losing ground in smartphones for several years now, introduced its latest models. It also debuted a pair of "open-ear" earbuds designed to help you hear sound from phones as well as the world around you. The Air Duo earbuds will go on sale in May for $280. (It had been testing and refining such a concept for a couple years now.)
Sunday
- Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S9 and large-screen S9+. The devices are similar in appearance and price to last year's models but feature a bunch of new camera tricks. (See first look story and hands-on video here)
- HMD, which sells phones under the Nokia brand, announced a slew of new smartphones ranging from the entry-level Nokia 1 to a high-end model dubbed the Nokia 8 Sirocco. It also continued a trend of updating classic cell phone designs with modern features and innards: This year's reboot was the 8110 slider phone.
- Huawei launched a pair of new Android tablets along with the MateBook X Pro, an ultra-thin 14-inch laptop with an edge-to-edge screen and very Apple-sounding name. Another unique feature is the Webcam, which physically pops up from the keyboard only when requested by the user.
- Sprint, Airbus, Delta, OneWeb and Indian carrier Bharti Airtel are teaming up on an effort to improve inflight Internet access.