MWC Shanghai 2019 Kicks Off, Showcasing Next-Generation 5G Interconnectivity

MWC Shanghai 2019 kicked off today with thousands of manufacturers gearing up to showcase their latest and most exciting technological breakthroughs. The theme of this year’s MWC is “Intelligent Connectivity”, with emphasis placed on multiple fields including 5G, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the most anticipated technologies and highlights to be showcased in Shanghai this week.

SEE ALSO: Highlights From Chinese Manufacturers at MWC 2019

OPPO

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is among the most anticipated exhibitors at the event to showcase its latest technological innovations. It posted a video today through its official Weibo account showcasing its revolutionary new camera technology, where a fully functional selfie camera is installed beneath the smartphone display without the need to occupy an extra space on the full screen display. As the selfie camera activates, the area of the display where the lens is housed “becomes transparent” in order for the phone to accurately perform facial recognition, take selfies, and make video calls and other functions. OPPO is boasting the technology as next-generation in-display technology, allowing future smartphones to all have bigger and more immersive screens without motorized camera modules.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO at MWC Shanghai 2019
Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO at MWC Shanghai 2019 (source: OPPO)

Another surprise that OPPO brought to the table was its in-house wireless communication technology even under network-less environments. OPPO explains that even without a cellular network, Wi-Fi connection, and Bluetooth, devices equipped with the new technology will still be able to communicate with each other within a distance of 3,000 meters, making texts, voice transmissions, and even voice calls possible. OPPO added that it is a decentralized communication technology built for next generation OPPO devices.

Huawei

Despite being a victim of the recent U.S.-imposed sanctions, Huawei is making great strides in its 5G endeavors and has kicked off MWC Shanghai by securing its 50th 5G launch deal. The Chinese tech giant’s director of the board and president of its carrier’s business group, Ding Yun, said that the company had now been involved in two thirds of the total 5G launches across the globe and shipped more than 150,000 base stations.

Huawei at MWC Shanghai theme "5G is On"
Huawei at MWC Shanghai theme “5G is On”(source: ABS-CBN News)

Huawei designed its booth at MWC Shanghai around the theme “5G is ON: An Intelligently Connected Future”, welcoming industry experts and key opinion leaders from all over the world to discuss and explore the challenges and opportunities brought by the intelligent connectivity. The company took the opportunity to exhibit the current progress of 5G global commercialization, Huawei’s end-to-end 5G products and solutions, and potential solutions to the problems of 5G coverage and more.

At the same time, Huawei exhibited a number of its best-selling smart devices including smartphones, tablets, watches, and other products.

SEE ALSO: 5G is Here: Best 5G Phones to Be Expected in 2019

Lenovo

Lenovo’s booth at MWC this year circled around terminals equipped with 5G, the buzzword on every smartphone enthusiasts’ lips ever since the beginning of 2019. Lenovo showcased new technologies and products such as its 5G cloud station, 5G laptop, and 5G mobile phones for both business and regular users.

Lenovo booth at MWC19 Shanghai
Lenovo booth at MWC19 Shanghai (source: tech.qq.com)

The Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G Explorer Edition is the company’s 5G variant of its latest flagship and marks the first step in the company’s endeavor to create a 5G ecosystem. The Z6 Pro Explorer Edition features the same black color as the regular Z6 Pro. Lenovo has indicated that it will fully develop its 5G terminals, launch a series of diversified 5G products, and establish a win-win cooperation with its partners and operators.

Vivo

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo brought a variety of 5G devices to MWC to showcase the efforts it has made to greet the new era of connectivity. It debuted its iQOO 5G smartphone, AR glasses, and Jovi 2.0 smart service, as well as its self-developed 120W ultra-fast flash charging.

Vivo's IQOO 5G displayed at MWC Shanghai 2019
Vivo’s IQOO 5G displayed at MWC Shanghai 2019 (source: donews.com)

Following the Vivo NEX 5G version, the company’s first commercial 5G smartphone—iQOO 5G made its official appearance at the event and is rumored to launch in Q3 of this year. The company took the chance to showcase various 5G use cases with iQOO, including cloud gaming, wireless projection, mutual transmission and several other features. Vivo said that with the support and powerful connectivity of 5G and cloud services, smart devices in the future will undoubtedly be “slimmer” as users will no longer need to store data locally, but download directly from cloud services instead.

Another fascinating device worth checking out from Vivo is the company’s new AR glasses. According to Vivo, the wearable can support a dual-screen display and six degrees of freedom (6DoF), meaning that users will be able to achieve a freedom of movement in three-dimensional spaces. After connecting to a smartphone, a person wearing the AR glasses can function normally, play AR games, watch 3D high-definition videos, and perform various other functions including facial and object recognition. The glasses provides a window for attendees to experience a futuristic living environment and keeps audiences excited about what’s to come in the future.

Featured photo credit to mwcshanghai