MWC: Samsung's S7 & S7 Edge may enter Indian market in March

Virtual-reality, IoT, fast charging batteries were in focus

What Las Vegas is to consumer electronics makers, Barcelona is to mobile phone manufacturers.  If the Consumer Electronics Show, the Nevada-based global trade show held in January, is what most consumer electronics makers turn to annually to get a hand on the most happening trends in the business, the Barcelona-based Mobile World Congress (MWC) has become a must-attend for all handset makers across the world.

The extravaganza at Barcelona this year attracted more than 94,000 people from every corner of the world, filling the halls of MWC and its roughly 2,200 different booths, to feel and witness new mobile technology, including virtual-reality (VR) headsets, smartphones, tablets, wearables, accessories, and apps. 

A fleet of flagship devices were unveiled by major handset maker in the world – including top seeded Samsung, Sony, Lenovo and LG. These smartphones and fablets could enter India sooner than expected due to growing importance of the market.

Samsung S7 and S7 Edge, the next set of smartphones from the Korean electronic major’s premium ‘Galaxy S’ series, for example could be launched in India within weeks of its launch in MWC this year.

Other top-slotted brands such as Lenovo, Huawei, Sony and LG too are not behind. While the exact timing of the Indian launch of their devices is not clear yet. Experts say that they could be launched within three to four months.

VR devices and batteries that can be charged faster remained in focus throughout the three day affair this year. While VR has been circling around the industry as an accessory for quite some time now, its growing importance could be traced in Nokia’s plans for professional 360 degree cameras like Ozo.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stressed on the latent demand for such cameras during the event. Another project he spoke enthusiastically about is a “laser comms system,” which connects users via lasers at a rate Zuckerberg promises is “12 times faster” than traditional means. 

Products like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are expected to become mainstream soon. Samsung recently introduced Gear VR in India in partnership with Oculus last month.

Focus on innovation of long-serving batteries is another area of focus which was long due. Chinese smartphone major Oppo showcased the latest Super VooC charging technology, which is able to charge a 2500mAh battery in just about 15 minutes. More such launches will be seen this year with their entry in to Indian market occurring soon, experts said.