The world's largest IT exhibition, 'Mobile World Congress (MWC 2018),' opened from February 26th to March 1st in Barcelona, Spain. This year's MWC showcased various state-of-the-art technologies, ranging from 5G technology to autonomous vehicles, AI, and Virtual Reality. This column shares with you the insights seen and learnt from attending MWC 2018.

 4G (or Long-Term Evolution (LTE)), which we generally use, uses frequency below 2GHz. On the other hand, 5G refers to using a frequency band of up to 28GHz and enables ultra-low latency communication (latency of less than 0.0001 seconds).

 Up until last year, there were only technology demos on 5G. However, specific technologies to commercialize the 5G technology were announced at this year's MWC. Huawei, which has the most advanced technology prepared for commercialization, unveiled its '5G01 chipset' for mobile devices and its in-home equipment '5G CPE.' Nokia and KT demonstrated 5G-based broadcasting systems, while SKT showcased its 360-degree video call based on 5G network.

 Smartphones were the highlight of past MWCs. Every year, the world turned to MWC to see which company unveiled the best smartphone with the more innovative features and functions. This year, however, focused more on linked services rather than the mobile devices themselves.

 On the day before the opening of MWC, Samsung Electronics announced its new Galaxy S9 and S9+. The new phone attracted attention with its new features, such as the AR Emoji and the super slow-motion camera feature. Various Android phones were released from other mobile device manufacturers, but many failed to demonstrate innovation and had the same 'notch' style design like iPhone X.

 There were more automotive-related events, such as the connected car, than mobile device-related events at this year's MWC to the point that the 'M' could be misunderstood for 'Motor,' not 'Mobile.'

 The automotive brand that highlighted this year's MWC was Mercedes-Benz. The German automaker unveiled its new A-Class model for the first time, which featured the next generation infotainment system 'Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX).' The MBUX is a system comprised of the dashboard, touch-control buttons on the steering wheel, and touchpad on the center console. It also has an AI-based voice-activated assistant to control the car, much like Apple's Siri. The MBUX enables 'smart driving,' allowing the driver to talk to set the navigation system or send messages while driving. It was also an opportunity to take a peek at future direction of infotainment systems in cars.

 Google is expanding into AI market based on Android OS, not just the mobile device market. Most mobile device makers showed dependency on Android OS as well as AI technology. LG Electronics showcased its new smartphone V30S, which is based on its AI brand 'ThinQ.' It is known that ThinQ is also based on Google Assistant.

 Google made several announcements at MWC 2018. It announced its plan to expand the number of Google Assistant supported languages to 30 and its core AR technology. The technology was the basis of Samsung Galaxy S9's AR Emoji and is expected to be used in various ways. Google also launched Android Go, an operating system designed for low-powered devices. Nokia showcased 'Nokia 1,' which is based on Android Go.

1. LiPHY's VLC technology
Visible Light Communication technology, better known as VLC, utilizes visible light to receive information. The advantage of VLC technology is that it enables receiving information quickly by linking to user's mobile device. It is an interesting technology that allows a new way of access to product by installing LiPHY driver in LED lightings that are commonly used in art galleries or retail stores.
http://liphy.io/

2. LAMPIX's Augmented Reality
LAMPIX, which is known for its project with Nespresso, brings augmented reality to any surface regardless of what the surface is made of. The solution turns a common table into a touch-based digital device, delivering interactive experience to the user.
https://lampix.com/

3. SoftBank's robot, Pepper
SoftBank's robot Pepper was the most advanced among the robots demonstrated at this year's MWC. Pepper expresses its feelings using the lights around its eyes and the tablet on its chest. It can also joke interactively with people. We expect to see more emotional AI in the future.

 The catchphrase of MWC 2018 was 'Creating a Better Future.' IT companies showcased technologies of the future that will create a better future, such as AI, connected car, smart home devices, and IoT. And because the infrastructure needed to realize such technologies is 5G, many companies demonstrated 5G-related technologies as main theme.

 As mentioned above, we can expect to see various IT technologies of the future, such as robots, cars, and smart home devices, be realized based on 5G. We witness a diverse range of technologies connecting more quickly and seamlessly in our everyday lives. Following this IT trend, Amorepacific will be able to create a smarter and more practical digital journey if we consider digital insights that have relevance to us while considering 5G-based technologies.