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by GUIDEPOST
Officially, the Mobile World Congress kicked off today, 22 February 2016. It is the world’s largest event for the mobile telecommunications sector and will last through Thursday, 25 February.
Gran Via, the second major business district of Barcelona and part of the Fira de Barcelona, Europe’s second largest trade fair and exhibition center.
With over 2000 companies showcasing their state-of-the-art products and technologies, giving the participants and journalists a privileged look into how the mobile will look, and be, in the future, the Mobile World Congress is a unique opportunity for the industry’s leaders to network and make deals.
In its 2015 edition, 2000 exhibitors presenting their respective mobile solutions, and nearly 95,000 mobile professionals, from 200 countries around the world were on hand for the exciting annual event. Four thousand analysts and journalists covered the MWC – then, as now, in Barcelona. In fact the Ciudad Condal has been the Capital of Mobile World since 2006.
Actually, Mobile World Congress pre-premiered before its official opening at a ceremony on Sunday, 21 February, when Samsung Galaxy S7 with its next-generation CPU and GPU technology, and LG’s ergonomic G5, the first flagship modular smartphone equipped with the Magic Slot battery, were launched.
In the event, it looked like Samsung was out for an overkill. On the heels of the custom-designed CPU, it sprang another surprise on the attendees: Mark “Facebook” Zuckerberg. In his gray trademark T-shirt, Zuckerberg talked about Facebook’s partnership with Samsung via the South Korean tech giant’s Virtual Reality headset. It would have been a major coup for Samsung except that Zuckerberg could hardly be heard above the incredible din of a crowd stampeding to take pictures of the tech idol.
Zuckerberg unwittingly obliterated the amazing Galaxy S7 while he was there on the stage and everyone was reduced to little more than excited fans!
There will be Global Mobile Awards ceremony at the Mobile World Congress in recognition of the most innovative mobile solutions and initiatives. GloMo is being hosted by British TV presenter Suzi Perry, Queen of Gadget and Speed (for anchoring the high-tech TV program The Gadget Show in the past and now covering Formula One, Superbikes, MotoGP and Speedway). Co-hosting GloMo is TV presenter, radio DJ and actor Ortis Deley, currently doing The Gadget Show.
MWC wasn’t exactly off to a flying start because of the taxi strike in Barcelona. But when the show hit its stride it was a wow!
Main venue
Fira Gran Via
Avenida Joan Carles I
64 08908 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat
Barcelona
Some selected events will take place at
Fira de Montjuic
Avenida Maria Cristina s/n
08004 Montjuic
Barcelona
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Images
> Featured image: Galaxy S6 Edge from the reveal event/Kārlis Dambrāns via Flickr, CC BY 2.0
> Gran Via, Barcelona/jordiferrer, CC BY-SA3.0
> LG G5/LG Electronics, CC BY 2.0
> Mark Zuckerberg at TechCrunch 2013/Tech Crunch, CC BY 2.0 Generic
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