Mobile tech APPLE CORE
The future of iPhone and mobile tech
INVESTIGATES
Every year we get to sneak a preview of just where mobile technology may be headed at Mobile World Congress. iPhone 14 rumours are gathering speed…
WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE HENRY
Could the next iPhone do more to challenge its rivals in terms of screen size and photographic capability?
T
he
world
of
mobile
communications
continues
to
change
rapidly
as
5G
networks
become
more
readily
available,
and
our
smartphones
replace
everything
from
car
keys
to
bank
cards. There’s always more to come, though, and between 28 February and 3 March 2022, key players from the industry descended on Barcelona to see the latest developments at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).
This was the first time the trade show had been held in person since 2019. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the industry body that runs MWC, said that 61,000 people attended in person and that there were 1,900 exhibitors, sponsors and partners; indicating that MWC has not lost its significance during the hiatus in in-person events. It also racked up 500,000 unique virtual and daily viewers from people who could not make it.
Despite its crucial role in the world of smartphones, technology and communications, Apple does not attend MWC in any official capacity. However, looking at what emerges from the megaevent can sometimes give an indication of what a company might do next, and how the iPhone and other Apple devices stack up against their rivals. Furthermore, some of the key topics covered over the four days – 5G, AI and the way processes, data and objects come together in the so-called Internet of Everything, plus financial technology (‘Fintech’) – are of obvious interest to anyone with a smartphone.