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MWC day three roundup: HTC Vive, Nokia N1, and more

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Mobile World Congress 2024
Read our complete coverage of Mobile World Congress

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Image used with permission by copyright holder
We singled out the best gear, gadgets, apps, and accessories at MWC 2015 and handed out awards for the Top Tech of the show yesterday. But without a fat lady to sing us out, the show goes on and the news keeps on coming. Here are the highlights from day 3 of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

HTC Vive is astonishing

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With the Vive, HTC and Valve Software truly took us to other worlds for the first time in our waking life. The difference between the Vive and any other home virtual reality product, including the Microsoft HoloLens, is its startling accuracy. Your head and hands move around the virtual world you’re in with so flawlessly that even a Looney Tunes cartoon setting would feel real. Hell, the low-resolution of the demos (which was sort of like looking through a screen door) didn’t even bother us. It was frightening, astounding, surreal, and we desperately hope to return.

GranitePhone locks in security

So how do you keep your smartphone’s information secure? If you’re stashing corporate secrets, government data, or just don’t want everyone meddling in your business, then what do you do to keep your content safe?

GranitePhone Front
Image used with permission by copyright holder

That’s where Sikur’s GranitePhone comes in. The GranitePhone is a smartphone built from the ground up to ensure the utmost safety and security for the data on its client’s smartphones.

A portable battery that could last forever

The single biggest, consistent complaint about smartphones is battery life. But maybe we’ve been looking for the answer in the wrong places. Wireless charging may never take off; removable batteries are increasingly rare; and external chargers or bulky cases are far from an elegant solution. But what about a fuel cell? “We’ve created the world’s most powerful fuel cell that’s actually portable,” says CEO, Bjorn Westerholm. Read all about it here.

Hands on with the Nokia N1

Nokia’s back in the mobile game, but not in the same way it has been in previous years. Instead of giving us a new phone, it has recently launched a tablet called the Nokia N1, and it’s built to showcase Nokia’s own Android launcher.

Nokia N1 23
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

It’s a very fine piece of hardware, with specs and a design to match (almost literally) the Apple iPad Mini. Made from a single piece of aluminum, and equipped with an 8-inch (zero-air gap, laminated) touchscreen, the Nokia N1 looks fantastic. Read all about it here.

Modular smartphones from wild and crazy guys

Yezz is a smartphone company you may not know, but it made quite an impact just prior to Mobile World Congress by announcing it would display a range of modules designed for use with Google’s Project Ara smartphone. While we secretly dreamed of seeing a working prototype of the exciting device, what we actually got was a glimpse at the world of creativity and collaboration that’s being built around the concept of a make-it-yourself smartphone.

A $50 cube that streams anything, anywhere

The SlimPort Nano-Console enables you to mirror your smartphone or tablet screen on your main TV.

SlimPort Nano-Console
Simon Hill/Digital Trends

It’s being described as a kind of set-top box and gaming console extension for mobile devices. It’s a strange little device that hooks up to your TV via HDMI and it has an assortment of features. And we think it’s pretty awesome.

Here’s the best of the best

Mobile World Congress grows in stature every year, and it’s never been bigger than 2015. Now the biggest mobile-focused show in the world each year, more than 90,000 people poured into Barcelona to see the latest and greatest in gadgets and gizmos.

Digital Trends sent a team of four to cover the madness. We’ve seen hundreds of devices and products already, and sifted through thousands of emails and pitches. Now, we’re skimming the cream of the crop in five categories: Phones and Tablets, Wearables, Cool Tech, Apps, and Accessories. And at the head of the list is our pick for the best product at the entire show.

Full coverage

MWC is still in full swing, and DT will stay on top of the news for you. Stick with us all week for all the show’s news, and follow our writers on Twitter for breaking news, photos, and details as they happen.

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Jeremy Kaplan
Jeremy Kaplan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As Editor in Chief, Jeremy Kaplan transformed Digital Trends from a niche publisher into one of the fastest growing…
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