Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 – Day IV

Since the opening of MWC on February 25, we went from surprises to surprises! Let’s take a look at what was on offer on the fourth and final day at MWC 2013…

Ubuntu discreet but nevertheless there

Among the firms that have made ​​the least announcements during this conference, Ubuntu and Microsoft are topping the list! Mark Shuttleworth himself nevertheless came to present his new OS, destined to smart phones and tablets like the Google Nexus range.

The video below shows its hands-on:

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Knox, by Samsung

Blackberry has introduced Blackberry Balance a functionality of, its new OS, BB10, which allows the hermetic separation between personal and professional profiles in the memory of our smart devices. Apparently they began a new trend because Samsung, the Korean giant, following in Blackberry’s footsteps with Knox.

The principle is simple. Knox creates a third space in which business data will be stored to protect them from possible leaks or virus. Specifically, in the home page of your Galaxy (an update will be deployed at the 3rd semester of the year) where an icon will launch a virtualized environment within which you can exchange mails, documents, browse the internet, consult your contacts, calendar, and even run corporate applications, safely.

Samsung hopes improve the safe potential side of Android, which seems to be considered the least secure mobile operating system of the market.

Samsung presents Wallet

Modelled like the Passbook application available on iOS, Wallet intends to promote contactless payment solutions. Its operating mode is detailed in this summary diagram:

Wallet includes certain features of the iOS app, from which derives a bug part of its design. The application is incompatible with the NFC. Its availability is still unknown, but the SDK will be available on March 7.

Paper based Nano-SIM 

MWC reserves its armada of surprises! Big Ben Tech, a Chinese company has presented ecological nano-SIM cards at the congress. Ecology … it speaks to you?

The current nano-SIM are made with ABS plastic, while those manufactured by Big Ben Tech are made with a paper board, and are fully recyclable. The green products have long been considered more expensive to manufacture than traditional… Well, the nano-SIM card does not cost more to produce than plastic ones. China Mobile already uses these cards, and Big Ben Tech expects to export its technology to other markets. A little nice innovation so that it serves the planet, is useful for branding, and that does not cost much.

Acer Iconia B1

The entry level tablet offers reasonable features for the price point. It is equipped with a Dual Core CPU by Mediatek, a MTK 8317T, clocked at 1.2 GHz and powered by 1GB of RAM.

For the rest, a WSVGA touch screen, of 7 inches with a resolution of 1024×600. The internal memory is 16GB, which can be extended via the microSD slot up to 32GB. The connectivity is complete, WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, DLNA, and micro-USB port for recharging and connecting to computer. One camera on the front and which is also a webcam of 0.3 mega-pixel. The battery is a lithium-ion of 2710 mAh. Dimensions: 197.4 x 128.5 x 11.3 mm for 320 g. The tablet is already available for $180.

Nec Medias W N-05E

The future is undoubtedly facing a new type of smart devices … Flexible displays, but the Medias W N-05E breaks the mould by simply boasting dual screens.

The device has a Dual Core CPU clocked at 1.5 Ghz, powered by 1GB of RAM and boasts two 4.3 inch screens with qHD resolution of 540×960 pixels each. A camera in the rear, of 8 mega-pixels. The internal memory is 16GB, expandable via the microSD slot. The connectivity is also correct, WiFi, mini-USB, Bluetooth 4.0. Dimensions: 136x64x12.2mm to 183 g. The battery is a Lithium-ion 2100 mAh. The device runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Neither the availability nor the price has been disclosed as of yet.

MWC 2013 has brought some fantastic devices to the table that really shows off where the mobile world is headed. Do you guys have any particular favourites? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.