APAC Outlook Magazine takes a deep dive into the Mobile World Congress, with highlights from the second day.
SAMSUNG UNVEILS THE GALAXY S5
Monday night saw the reveal of their flagship mobile device: the Galaxy S5. With a 1080p resolution and Super AMOLED display panel, the device shows huge promise for the high-end Smartphone market.
“Samsung has retained the familiar metal-looking plastic surround on the S5, the charging port is now USB 3.0 and the device comes with an integrated port cover for waterproofing. The S5 is IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, meaning it can be submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes at a time,” The Verge reported.
The device measures 5.1 inches, features a faster, 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a larger battery for better performance. The camera is one with 4k video capabilities and now supports HDR processing for better photos. Among its other features is a built-in heart sensor and LTE 4G. Plus, users can combine the LTE and Wi-Fi to create a super fast internet connection.
“The S5 is as fast as you’d expect – Samsung has ensured that its flagship phone is one of the most powerful on the market for a number of years now, and the S5 is no different,” concluded The Verge.
The device is scheduled for a global launch on 11th April, and will be released in South Africa on 21st April, with other African markets soon to be announced.
BLACKBERRY LAUNCH NEW Z3 SMARTPHONE
Day two of MWC saw BlackBerry announcing new enterprise solutions, partnerships and Smartphone models, to enable enterprises and individuals to maximise their productivity, communication and collaboration.
The launch of these solutions is seen as the company’s efforts to deliver technologies across the entire mobile spectrum-from the enterprise to the end user.
“We have engineered a new strategy to stabilise the company and restore our customers’ confidence in BlackBerry,” John Chen, the Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry stated. “The announcements made during Mobile World Congress demonstrate that BlackBerry is looking to the future and bringing solutions to market that matter most to our customers. These secure solutions emphasise our strengths in enterprise mobility, while empowering end users to become more productive with technologies that drive communications and collaboration.”
The Z3 handset is an all-touch Smartphone designed for customers in Indonesia and is the first product to come from the company’s strategic partnership with Foxconn. This 5″ mobile comes with the new BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1. Chen emphasised: “We are excited to introduce the new BlackBerry Z3, the first Smartphone to emerge from our strategic partnership with Foxconn, which was announced in mid-December, 2013,” he added: “The Z3 embodies all that BlackBerry 10 offers, with its exceptional productivity features and reliable communications.”
Founder and Chairman of Foxconn, Terry Gou proudly commented: “BlackBerry is beloved in Indonesia and its loyal fans have made it a popular Smartphone brand. This is why we are so proud to be able to help bring BlackBerry even closer to Indonesia with a fantastic product that will be accessible to even more people. This is only the beginning of what we know will be a long and fruitful partnership between Foxconn and BlackBerry.”
BlackBerry also announced the Q10, which will combine the classic ‘QWERTY’ keyboard with the new OS and a 3.5″ touch screen.
ETISALAT KEYNOTE SPEECH
Etisalat Group celebrates securing 150 million subscribers across their 15 international markets. This was highlighted during Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar’s keynote speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Group and member of the GSMA Board.
Julfar praised the UAE Government initiative to provide its citizens with world class Smart Government services. He highlighted in the speech the 150 million subscriber milestone, in the quest to be the leading and most admired emerging markets telecom group. “Today, Etisalat plays a key role in the Mobile Government Strategy of the UEA and is on course to achieve 100 per cent Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) penetration: a world-first.”
SOURCE: www.mobileworldlive.com
