The Best from Mobile World Congress 2015

Mobile World Congress took place a couple of months ago, debuting the newest devices from some of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers in the world. This year's conference was a little underwhelming compared to previous years, though there were some major announcements from big companies, specifically HTC and Samsung. Other companies, like Blackberry, Microsoft and Huawei also unveiled new smartphones though they paled in comparison to things like the One M9 and the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. So let's check them out.

HTC One M9

When you first lay eyes upon the HTC One M9 you'll probably think to yourself, "Man, that sure does look a lot like the previous model." And that's what a lot of people think at first. However, HTC realizes that the current style of the phone is working and that a full-blown aesthetic revamp wasn't necessary. That doesn't mean, however, that nothing's changed because, actually, a lot of things have changed.

First off the new version is slightly narrower, shorter and fatter and also comes with wider left and right edges. A dual anodization process allows for different finishes and color, making it look really nice. A Snapdragon 810 is included along with 3GB of RAM, which helps keep things running smoothly. A metal lip runs around the edge of the phone, which some users found irritating despite the fact that it's purpose is for you to have a better grip.

The volume button has been split into two buttons and the power button has been moved to sit right under the volume buttons on the phone's right edge. A pop-out microSD slot is located above these buttons. One of the BoomSound speaker grilles on the front of the device has been reduced in size to make room for a slightly larger front-facing UltraPixel camera but other than that there's not really a lot that needed fixed from the M8.

Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

The last time Samsung was at Mobile World Congress it debuted the Galaxy S5 with that bandage-style back that you either loved or hated. This year the company brought with it the S6 and S6 Edge, smartphones that show you that the company has decided to slim down and push a few buttons.

These two devices are basically exactly the same in every way that matters. Both phones support bodies made of aluminum that is stuck between two layers of Gorilla Glass 4 and come with a 5.1" Quad HD Super AMOLED screens. Both come with Samsung's latest octacore chipset that are paried with a quad-2.1GHz processor with a quad-1.5GHz one and 3GB of RAM. LTE cat. 6 is supported by both phones and both are currently available.

Both phones look amazing but the Edge is the one that's going to draw most of the aesthetic attention. It is easily the best-looking, best-feeling smartphone Samsung has ever made. The screen gently curves away from you on both sides of the phone, leaving just enough room for the power and volume buttons. None of the wraparound apps created with the Note Edge SDK will work on the S6 Edge though you can swipe through notifications and news but there isn't much more to it than that.

Both devices run very smooth and feel nice in your hand. There are also a lot of new features that come with these phones, like the ability to multitask and run multiple apps at the same time, which is very nice. You can also open the camera app from any screen, even the lock screen, by doubletapping the home button.

Conclusion

Mobile World Congress 2015 wasn't the best conference by far but it did give us a look at some really exciting and new phones, especially the HTC One M9 and the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. When it comes to Android, these two phones and companies will definitely be the leaders of the market in 2015 and Apple has some serious competition.

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Huawei Pokes Fun At Samsung And Apple, Promises Big Things For Mobile World Congress 2014

So apparently the cool thing to do in the mobile world these days is to compare yourself to Apple while simultaneously mocking the company and berating its products. Samsung has been doing it for years (with actual success) and, to be completely honest, I have dipped my toe in the Apple mockery pool once or twice so I'm no different. But while it is expected for big name companies like Samsung or little bloggers like myself to mock Apple, it is a little less acceptable for smaller tech companies to take a jab at arguably the biggest tech company in the world.

Well, that's exactly what Huawei decided to do, though the Chinese company took it a step farther by throwing Samsung into the mix as well. Huawei recently posted a video to its YouTube channel letting people know that it plans on creating "revelatory excitement" in Barcelona at the upcoming Mobile World Congress.

The video, which can be seen below, features an ambient voice similar to that of Apple's Siri explaining that Huawei will debut a beautiful, slim tablet at the congress. In addition to that, the voice also foretells of a smartphone with an "amazing" front camera and a multimedia tablet that is perfect for entertainment use.

The video is where the jabs at Apple and Samsung can be found. A male voice is asking the Huawei device all these questions about Mobile World Congress and after the voice tells of the new tech, the male voice asks, "What are they? Fruit or Somesong?" Obvious jabs at Apple and Samsung here, but you didn't need me to tell you that. The voice replies to the inquiry saying, "No. They are Huawei. It looks like Huawei is ready to amaze the world again."

While Huawei may have the technology to stand toe-to-toe with Apple and Samsung (emphasis on the may), the bigger question is whether or not the company has the brand following necessary to throw jokes like this around. If there is one thing techies know, it's that a product is only as good as the followers it has. That is why companies can make a totally crap device and people will still buy it, because they are buying the name, not the product.

Huawei is definitely not a well-known brand here in the states, especially not like Apple or Samsung. However, there is a much bigger variety on names in foreign markets, especially in Huawei's native China. While I don't see many US consumers scoffing at Apple and Samsung and jumping on the Huawei train anytime soon (even with the witty commercial), I do believe that the company will find bigger success in foreign markets. I guess we can only wait until Mobile World Congress to truly see what Huawei has to offer.