Best Tech of Mobile World Congress 2019

Phones got really weird.

by Raymond Wong and Stan Schroeder(opens in a new tab)

Best Tech of Mobile World Congress 2019

Phones got really weird.

by Raymond Wong and Stan Schroeder(opens in a new tab)

Mobile World Congress(opens in a new tab) returned in full force with the most interesting mobile innovations we've seen in years.

Foldable phones and 5G(opens in a new tab) stole the show in Barcelona. It was all but impossible to escape these two big trends at the year's largest mobile event.

As expected, Samsung(opens in a new tab) and Huawei(opens in a new tab) dominated MWC with phones like the Galaxy S10(opens in a new tab) and foldable Mate X(opens in a new tab). No surprise, considering these tech titans are also the two largest phone makers in the world. We were also treated to a few surprises like Microsoft's HoloLens 2(opens in a new tab).

After years of the same old, mobile is exciting once again.

Without further ado, here's Mashable's top picks of MWC 2019. As always, we'll continue to update the list throughout the show, so be sure to check back for new additions.

The biggest trends at MWC 2019 were foldable phones and 5G.

Raymond Wong/Mashable

Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 family loomed large at MWC and for good reason: the S10e, S10 and S10+ check all of the boxes. Samsung’s packed more into every millimeter of the phones: larger and sharper screens, bigger batteries, faster performance, more cameras, and reverse wireless charging. Even though they were announced a few days early, the Galaxy S10's were the phones to beat at the show.

Nokia 9 PureView

While every phone seems to be going with three rear cameras this year, Nokia leapfrogged everyone with the Nokia 9 PureView's five rear cameras. Billed as the most powerful smartphone camera system ever, the Nokia 9 PureView's five cameras collects up to 60 megapixels worth of data to create stunning photos with more detail and dynamic range. Is this the camera phone that'll finally kill real cameras? Could be!

Microsoft HoloLens 2

MWC's primarily a phone show, but that doesn't mean new phones are the only gadgets to see. Case in point: Microsoft's HoloLens 2. The new mixed reality headset still isn't ready for consumers (it's designed for business and enterprise), but Microsoft's fixed many of the original's biggest flaws. HoloLens 2 is sleeker, lighter, comfier to wear, more powerful, and has a field of view that's over 2x greater than the first HoloLens. The headset's also cheaper: $3,500 compared to the original's $5,000.

Huawei Mate X

Huawei's Mate X was hands-down the best foldable phone at MWC. Compared to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, the Mate X has larger screens, a prettier design, and faster 5G connectivity. It's a gorgeous glimpse of a future where phones transform into tablets and vice versa, and the most promising device of this form factor yet. The only kicker is it'll cost you a whopping $2,600 when it launches in June. Nobody said owning the future would be cheap.

Oppo 10x optical zoom

If there's any phone maker that's obsessed with optical zoom, it's Oppo. The Chinese tech giant stunned MWC attendees a few years ago with a 5x optical zoom camera system and this year the company returned to show off a 10x lossless optical zoom technology. We tried it and it definitely lets you zoom much closer to subject with greater clarity. The crazy zoom tech still needs polish, but even so this kind of mobile photography innovation deserves recognition.

5G was everywhere at MWC, but most 5G networks and devices won't be ready until 2020.

Raymond Wong/Mashable

Huawei MateBook X Pro (2019)

One of the best laptops of 2018 is even better this year. Besides unveiling the Mate X foldable phone, Huawei also refreshed the MateBook X Pro. The second-gen Windows 10 laptop is still as thin and light as before and the keyboard, trackpad, pop-up webcam, and touchscreen as lovely as well, but inside is all new. With faster Intel 8th-gen processors, more powerful NVIDIA graphics, and new ways to quickly transfer files over from a Huawei phone with a tap on the palm rest, the revamped MateBook X Pro could once again be one of the best laptops of the year.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G

5G phones were everywhere at MWC, but the best one was easily Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G. With a larger 6.7-inch screen, a fourth rear camera, a massive battery, and of course 5G connectivity, the S10 5G is a beast of a phone that just screams future. The best part is it's coming out in the second quarter of the year.

LG V50 ThinQ

At a time when everyone’s launching foldable phones, LG decided to go a different route by equipping its upcoming 5G flagship, the V50 ThinQ, with a detachable screen (sold separately). It sounds gimmicky and it definitely isn’t as sexy as a foldable phone, but LG positively surprised by actually putting some effort into the secondary screen. For example, you can slide content from one screen to the other using a three-finger swipe. It's strange trick and yet it's really satisfying to do.

Sony Xperia 1

The Xperia 1 is Sony's best phone in years, but only because it doesn't look like every other phone at MWC. It doesn't have a notch or a hole-punch in its display and it doesn't have 5G or a foldable design. But it does have a 4K HDR OLED ultra-wide 21:9 display. The screen's super tall and there's three cameras on the back and, well, it's just weird enough (but not too weird) that it works.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

If you thought you’ll have to fork over at least a thousand dollars for a 5G phone, think again: Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3 5G is one of few 5G phones announced at MWC with a price, and an acceptable one at that: about $680. The device is a revamped version of the Mi Mix 3 and upgrades the processor from the original Snapdragon 845 chip to the more powerful Snapdragon 855.

SanDisk Extreme 1TB microSD card

You may not need it, but you'll want it: A microSD card with a whopping 1TB of space. SanDisk’s new card is the holy grail of smartphone storage, and it’s pretty fast, too. Is it overkill? Absolutely, but if you're gonna record life in 4K and fill up on mega-sized games, the memory card might be worth it. The cost of equipping your phone with so much storage? Only $450.

Energizer Power Max P18K Pop

Energizer's Power Max P18K Pop (whew, that's long name) isn't the prettiest phone around, but it does have an enormous 18,000 mAh battery that’ll run for days. To put the battery size into perspective: it's almost 7x the capacity of iPhone XS's battery. Another interesting feature on the phone: dual selfie cameras that pop up from the top.

  • Senior Tech Correspondent

    Raymond Wong

  • Senior Editor

    Stan Schroeder

  • Deputy Tech Editor

    Michael Nuñez

  • Photos

    Raymond Wong, Stan Schroeder, SanDisk, Xiaomi

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!