From 5G-connected smartphones to AI-enabled robots, intelligent connectivity powered this year’s Mobile World Congress Americas in Los Angeles.
SEE: Cybersecurity in an IoT and mobile world (ZDNet special report) | Download the report as a PDF (TechRepublic)
All days of MWC19 Los Angeles, important figures in the mobile connectivity world took the stage to address a sea of techies.
MWC19 Los Angeles invaded the convention center, occupying both west and south halls, but the south hall was where attendees flocked. The south hall hosted tech giants including Sprint, Verizon, Nokia, and Samsung.
Not too many people are seen in the expo’s pathways, as attendees gather at booths to learn about ground-breaking tech.
Ericsson brought in a model cell tower, with a human repelling off it, to represent their indoor training units for cell tower engineers.
Ericsson also touted its smart cart, which can be remotely controlled, or programmed by software, to move around factory floors.
Samsung’s booth was decked out with Galaxy Note 10 publicity, with plenty of devices to demo.
After taking a 360 degree image of the stuffed bear, a Samsung rep demoed how the Galaxy Note 10+ produces 3D images.
SEE: Cheat sheet: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Samsung featured a life-size version of its Samsung Galaxy watch, which told accurate time and changed faces.
Verizon brought a revolutionary headset, which helps first responders see in the dark and through smoke. Attendees could try out the headset themselves at the booth.
Verizon also featured a virtual reality headset geared toward education, placing students in environments that mirror relevant subject areas.
Cradlepoint’s “Cradle Car” used private LTE to zoom around the show floor, that is, until it got busted by show floor employees.
NVIDIA, partnering with Postmates, introduced its delivery robot. The on-demand autonomous delivery vehicles can serve neighborhoods, replacing human deliverers.
NVIDIA welcomed attendees into its smart retail shopping experience. Visitors could walk in, choose an item, and leave. The artificially intelligence (AI) system can detect when people enter, what they take, and charge the credit card on file, eliminating checkout stations and cashiers.
Quiubas used a giant pi\u00f1ata to attract attendees, which worked, according to Quiubas Mobile employees.
Summit’s VoLTE, RCS-enabled connected car was a huge attraction for conference-goers. The car featured enriched calling, call handover, heads-up display, location share, gesture control, on-board diagnostics, and more.
BrightSites’s smart streetlight presented energy-efficient lighting with ultra-connectivity via IoT sensors, adding to the development of smart cities.
VMware’s booth equipped visitors with iPads, enabling them to play augmented reality air hockey through SCOAAR. The game was a big hit with attendees.
Last, but certainly not least: Food. For attendees, MWC19 Los Angeles had a sushi bar, acai bowl booth, and boba tea makers—all big hits with conference-goers.
Also see
5G mobile networks: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
5G mobile networks: An insider’s guide (TechRepublic download)
Special report: How 5G will transform business (TechRepublic Premium)
What is 5G? Everything you need to know about the new wireless revolution (ZDNet)
Best cell phone trade-in options for iPhones and Android phones (CNET)
The 10 most important iPhone apps of all time (Download.com)
Macy Bayern is a former Associate Staff Writer for TechRepublic. She is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin's Liberal Arts Honors Program.
