After an exciting first day at Mobile World Congress 2024, we're back in Barcelona for day two of the annual mobile confab.
Mobile World Congress Day Two has historically been fun for the show. The big companies get their significant announcements out of the way on day one, leaving day two for smaller, more agile, and innovative companies to showcase their new wares. And that has once again proven to be the case this year.
After Samsung, Dell, and others made their splash on Monday, this time around, smaller companies like the wearable company Humane Ai and headset maker ZapBox had their moment in the spotlight on Tuesday. And with a promise from Lenovo to do better on the user's right to repair, as well as a host of new phones from TCL, Mobile World Congress Day Two held up as a downright exciting affair.
So read more on the second day of Mobile World Congress and some of the most important announcements from the show floor.
Lenovo's Right to Repair
At Mobile World Congress Day Two, computer manufacturer Lenovo announced that it partnered with device repair company iFixit to make its laptops easier to repair.
Lenovo said that its new line of ThinkPad laptops has been redesigned to make it easier to access and repair key features, including their batteries, Wi-Fi modules, and RAM. Lenovo also said that it's swapped out hex screws in favor of more user-friendly screws, and its laptops will come with QR codes to make it easy to learn how to replace components when needed.
Who Needs an Apple Vision Pro?
If you don't want to shell out thousands of dollars for an Apple Vision Pro, ZapBox wants to help you. On Tuesday, the small device maker showcased its affordable ZapBox headset, allowing users to engage in a complete virtual reality environment for just $100. The device has an adjustable headset, allowing users to perch their iPhones to engage in virtual reality from their handsets. It also has a pair of Bluetooth controllers for playing video games or controlling movement in the VR environment.
Apple's Vision Pro may be far more capable, but beating the ZapBox price is hard.
TCL Has Been Busy
Chinese smartphone maker TCL has been busy cooking up more affordable smartphones and said on Tuesday that it's offering U.S. customers five new budget-friendly handsets through its 50 Series phones.
The TCL 50 XL 5G will be the first of the 50 Series phones to hit store shelves when it debuts on T-Mobile's network sometime in the second quarter of the year. The device, which will offer a 6.8-inch display and 6GB of RAM, will cost just $159. It'll be quickly followed by the TCL 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G, retailing for $229.
TCL's pitch is that its phones will be stripped of higher-end features, like ultra-fast processors and AI components. However, the Android devices will serve the purpose of those who just want a phone with a few apps and Internet browsing.
The Humane Ai Pin Has Arrived
Humane Ai has been talking about its AI-powered pin for quite some time, but it's finally made its public debut at the Mobile World Congress. The Humane Ai Pin is a pin that users attach to their clothes and wear throughout the day. Users can interact with the Pin by asking it questions, like information on notifications they missed or what type of tree they're looking at. The Humane Ai Pin will then use its built-in camera and AI software to provide an answer, give directions, or prove helpful. As users continue to engage with the Humane Ai Pin, it learns their interests, movements, and other data and creates a more bespoke solution.
However, at $700, the Humane Ai Pin has been criticized for a hefty price tag. Whether the wearable's AI will be enough to get people over that price point remains to be seen.
All About rSIM
The mobile industry showcased a new technology called rSIM at the Mobile World Congress. Dubbed Resilient SIM (rSIM is its go-forward acronym), the technology is designed to limit mobile users' time off-network. When a phone has an rSIM installed, it will ping the network every minute and allow the network to determine whether it has a connection. If it doesn't after a set amount of time, the rSIM's connection will be redirected to a backup network.
It's too soon to know precisely when rSIM will become ubiquitous, but after last week's AT&T network outage, it seems like it's coming on the scene at the right time.
Watch Out for Your Security
In some security news, security company Kaspersky said on Tuesday that attacks against mobile devices hit 33.8 million, up 50 percent compared to 2022. Adware was the most likely attack on mobile users last year, but Kaspersky found that attacks on mobile app stores - especially in the Android ecosystem - continue to come on strong.
About the author: Don Reisinger is a longtime freelance writer who has written on topics as far-ranging as technology and business to science topics. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Fortune, Inc., The New York Times, Business Insider, Tom's Guide, and many others. Follow him at https://muckrack.com/donreisinger and https://twitter.com/donreisinger
