The Mobile World Congress, an annual event held in Barcelona, has moved east this year, maybe in deference to the exploding growth of mobile telephony in markets like China and India. The first Shanghai edition of the Mobile World Congress organised by GSMA began today with a range of companies exhibiting technologies that will potentially power mobile networks of the future. Deployment of advanced LTE and 5G networks and the Internet of Things (IoT) was the major focus of the show with several operators and network equipment manufacturers providing a glimpse of the future of the connected world.

Intex, the sole Indian handset maker at the show, announced the launch of their new SIM-enabled smartwatch iRist. Intex also showcased reference models produced in collaboration with Norwegian company Jolla, which produces the Meego-descendant Sailfish OS. Details regarding the production and release of these phones are unavailable as of now, but indications are that the phones will be positioned between mid-range and flagship.

Chinese mobile maker ZTE also displayed several new models including the flagship Nubia Z9 and the full metal-bodied Blade D6 series. The Z9 incorporates an innovative bezel-less design and gesture based interface as well as a powerful 16 MP camera. It is powered by a Snapdragon 810 processor and customers can choose between different configurations such as 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage or 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The top end variant also features a fingerprint scanner. ZTE has confirmed that the Z9 will be launched in the Indian market in the coming months.

With the major exhibitors focused on back-end network technologies, the highlights of the day with respect to consumer tech came from several smaller companies.

Italian startup ChatSim launched their new SIM card which supports instant messaging applications on operators across the world for a flat fee. ChatSim supports all the popular chat platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat.

JD Sound, a Korean company focused on sound displayed Monster GoDJ a handheld DJ console that is small enough to fit in a pocket. Featuring dual touch panels, hardware controls and effects and internal and external memory, the GoDJ has the potential to become the instrument of choice for music jockeys the world over.

Smartwatches were visible everywhere on the show floor, but no one makes watches quite likes the Swiss and MyKronos’ range of fashionable watches was a hit with attendees. The devices support multiple mobile operating systems, serving a wide variety of use-cases from simple activity trackers to full-scale smartphone replacement. MyKronos is currently exploring a partnership with Flipkart with a view to launching their devices in India.

Possibly the most out of the box application of the latest mobile technologies showcased at MWC Shanghai was Thinfilm and G World’s collaborative effort at producing a smart wine bottle. The bottle features NFC OpenSense tags that will help prevent counterfeiting by allowing bottles to be tracked from factory to shelf

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