The global epidemic has brought more uncertainty and new opportunities to the digital industry, so both computer and mobile phone manufacturers, the press conference at MWC is more "pragmatic" than in previous years. Unlike previous years, MWC brands scrambled to draw a big cake to broadcast PPT promotional videos, this year's innovative technologies of various brands are developing in the direction of practicality, such as OPPO has come up with a "longevity version of super flash charge", and strives to let users experience a new era of fast charging in the second quarter of this year.
But then again, those projects that can land in a short period of time were released at the opening of MWC, so in the following period, what interesting new ideas have the brands brought to us?
HTC VIVERSE
The first is that the almost "back to the light" HTC brings us a new metaverse platform "VIVERSE", and it is not difficult to see from the name that this VIVERSE metaverse is obviously inextricably linked to HTC's own VR platform VIVE. As a veteran VR user who has been using VIVE all the way from the first generation, according to my understanding of HTC products, VIVE may be the VR technology company with the most meta-universe potential.
First, VIVERSE is a relatively open platform compared to other so-called metaverse platforms: its goal at this stage is not to sell your VIVE VR hardware, but to build an "entrance" to the metaverse — a standardized metaverse platform. Here you can enter through HTC's own VIVE device or through the mobile browser, which lowers the entry threshold of the metaverse and allows more people to experience the metaverse at a lower cost.
In addition, HTC's experience in the blockchain field can also help build the VIVERSE metaverse. In the original metaverse setting (or classical metaverse), the metaverse was a decentralized open Internet platform, but the current "new concept metaverse" often temporarily abandons the pursuit of distribution and confuses the ideal open metaverse world with its own "one-word hall". However, for VIVERSE, blockchain technology can endorse THE OPENING OF VIVERSE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, such as burning key user data in the form of blockchain in a third-party blockchain that remains independent of VIVERSE, so as to ensure the independence of user data and the VIVERSE platform.
Nokia PureBook Pro
In addition to the "back to the light" HTC, the long-seen Nokia has also brushed a wave of existence in front of everyone: just like HMd obtained Nokia's brand authorization to launch mobile phones, THE INNOVATIVE BRAND OFF Global from France also launched two Nokia-branded laptops after obtaining Nokia's brand authorization: Nokia PureBook Pro 15.6 and Nokia PureBook Pro 17.3 inches.
From the appearance, the two PureBooks are relatively close to Apple's MacBook Pro in the line, whether it is a palm rest with a slightly curved design, or a symmetrical speaker opening on both sides of the keyboard, to the huge centered trackpad under the keyboard, if it were not for the official picture using a black shell, the two PureBooks look like MacBooks with Windows systems.
In terms of configuration, PureBook can be said to have nothing eye-catching except for Intel's 12th-generation Core processor: both PCs use a 12th-generation Core i3-1220P processor, which uses a 2P+8E core combination with a benchmark power consumption of 28W. But surprisingly, OFF Global actually equipped these two computers with 8GB of DDR4 memory, which is obviously a bit unspeakable in 2022.
The screen and battery configuration are also quite insufficient: both PureBooks are only equipped with FHD (1920×1080) resolution screens, which translates to a PPI of only 141/127, and the nominal screen brightness of the two is only 250 nits, which can be said to be failed by 2022 standards. But that's not the last straw that brought down PureBook, which weighs 1.7k/2.5kg respectively, according to Data on Nokia's website, but OFF Global only comes with a 57/63Wh battery.
From the configuration point of view, Nokia's two PureBooks do not reflect the design level of the 2022 computer, but they have a "high and cold" price: the starting price of 699/700 euros, which is also the reason why Nokia chose to directly indicate "OFF Global Manufacturing" in the manufacturer column.
In fact, these two PureBooks are not Nokia's first attempts in the notebook field, before the release of the two PureBook Pro, Nokia's brand has been rented by an Indian computer company, launched a brand model called Nokia PureBook S14. As early as 2014, Nokia licensed the "Nokia" brand to Foxconn, allowing Foxconn to design and manufacture Nokia N1 tablets. In 2016, Nokia authorized HMD and Foxconn to launch mobile phones under the name "Nokia".
It can be said that since Nokia established the subsidiary "Nokia Solutions and Networks" in 2013, Nokia's technology and R&D departments have fully completed the architectural transformation and become a solution company for commercial customers. As for the Nokia brand, which has penetrated into the hearts of countless users, it has long become a rental sign for the high-priced, lost its long brand history, and has become a promotional prop for harvesting users with memories.
MatePad Paper
If Nokia PureBook Pro is using Nokia's last reputation to harvest users, then the new era communications company Huawei has chosen a completely different technical route, using its own mature product ecology to incubate its own ecological new products and expand its own hardware territory. The new Huawei MatePad Paper is the latest masterpiece of Huawei's ecosystem.
In fact, Huawei's MatePad Paper revealed the clues of the product as early as the end of last year: in December 2021, there was such a screenshot of a mobile phone circulating on the Internet, and the screenshot repeatedly mentioned an ink level board that "can be synchronized with Huawei's mobile phone tablet cloud". Obviously, this ink level board is the MatePad Paper released by Huawei during the MWC.
When it comes to electronic paper products such as MatePad Paper, some people may confuse it with the concept of e-book readers. Technically, MatePad Paper and Kindle are indeed display devices that use Eink electronic ink, but in terms of usage scenarios and content ecology, MatePad Paper and Kindle are very different.
E-book readers led by Kindle are limited by screen size, and the content of reading is usually mainly e-books in epud format, even if there is a need for picture reading, it is usually used to read manga works. These resources have been adapted to the small screen of the reader from the beginning, so they can obtain a more unified reading experience, and can also form their own mature content payment ecology.
But the main use of MatePad Paper is really "electronic paper" - a kind of paper that can directly read documents 1:1 without printing, and this type of equipment is more used to read PDF files, as a supplement and extension of printing paper. Because devices such as MatePad Paper are more used to display printing materials that have not been adapted to any screen, the screen size of such products is usually about 10 inches, and it also emphasizes the dependence on self-made content and file sharing, which is believed to be the reason why Huawei MatePad Paper chooses to be equipped with HarmonyOS 2.
Since there are essential differences between the two in terms of product form, content ecology and usage scenarios, I don't think Huawei's MatePad Paper will compete head-on with e-book readers such as kindles. Although Huawei does prepare the corresponding e-paper market and resources for MatePad Paper, MatePad Paper is essentially an office device in Huawei's ecosystem, and the reading of e-books is only part of its functions, and MatePad Paper will appear more in the Form of an Eink content transfer station in Huawei's ecosystem.
summary
If I had to sum up the products released at MWC in one word, "pragmatic" is obviously a more realistic description than the previous "ahead". Whether it is the technology display of mobile phone brands or Nokia's "back to the light" OEM products, it seems that the ultimate goal of each brand is no longer to win the recognition of consumers with cool technology and become the technology star of MWC, but to use the most operable technology to bring products to consumers in the shortest possible time.
OPPO's fast charging technology Q2 can be launched, HTC's VIVERSE and the existing online games on the market are not essentially different, Nokia's OEM computer is using the obsolete technology of a few years ago. Compared with the whimsical MWCs of the past, this year's MWC seems to be a little too "realistic".
Although MWC looks a little deserted after departing from the whimsical black technology, from another point of view, such an MWC seems to be the real reference MWC. In the past, we had to wait at least until the second half of the year to see the technology displayed on the MWC be applied to the actual product, but the technology shown this year seems to be able to be installed on the final product in as little as half a month, and the "pragmatic" manufacturers have saved the time to draw the PPT pie and truly "let the technology speak". As a consumer, I feel that this MWC is what I really want to see.