BARCELONA, Spain — Weathered veterans of the Mobile World Congress will tell you that this year's event suffered from too many pre-announced devices (thus undercutting the on-site news value), or that not enough of the big names in mobile (read: Apple, Google, etc.) were on hand to go head-to-head against the other major players.
But for those new to the event, the Barcelona mobile industry conflab was nevertheless an exciting look, in great detail, at the many ways in which mobile has already surpassed any other form of computing in importance for consumers and tech companies alike. Here's what we learned from the latest MWC by following some of the major trend lines that shaped this year's event.
See also: Mark Zuckerberg: 'We Want to Create a Dial Tone for the Internet'
Without a doubt, the running theme of this year's MWC was the notion of getting cheaper smartphones into the hands low-income users around the globe who are currently unable to afford devices that often average around $500 or more.
Mozilla's unveiling of a $25 smartphone, running on Firefox, was a clear signal to the rest of the industry that Android isn't the last best hope in the struggle to emerge from Apple's ever-growing iOS shadow.
The fact that leading Asia-based OEMs like LG, Huawei and ZTE had their own Firefox handsets on display at the Mozilla event was further proof that many are considering this cheaper-to-deploy platform as a viable option in the race to capture cash-strapped flip phone users eager to get a taste of the smartphone experience.

Image: Mashable, Adario Strange

Nokia's decision to introduce an Android phone alongside its Windows Phone handsets was yet another indication that capturing low-income users is at the top of everyone's priority list. The Nokia X, which will sell for about $120, is just well designed enough and feature rich enough that it could become the first smartphone for a wide array of budget-conscious consumers.
Of course, the biggest event of this year's MWC was the presentation by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Fresh off acquiring Whatsapp for $16 billion, Zuckerberg used his time on stage to promote Internet.org, a project designed to bring cheap and/or free access to millions of people around the world.
Now we just have to consider which is worse: Facebook potentially lording over what Zuckerberg calls "a dial tone for the Internet," or continuing to allow millions around the globe to remain unconnected.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier Hansen

For the last few years wearable tech has been the hot new emerging category that was exciting in terms of possibilities, but nerve-wrackingly vague with regards to real-world profit potentials and consumer interest.
But as more and more wearables begin to capture the public's imagination, and rumors of an iWatch continue to be floated, many of those early fears have been dashed. The unspoken truth is: Wearables are no longer outlier tech, they represent the future unfolding before us in real-time. It's now just a matter of who gets it right.

Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker

At the top of the list at this year's MWC would have to be Samsung's Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, three devices that make up for several shortcomings in the original Galaxy Gear. Also, Sony's SmartBand SWR10 is not only packed with technology designed to track your life, it's actually pretty attractive.
Moving from the wrist to the ear, the Resound Linx introduced an Apple-ready hearing aid and associated smartphone app system that is so powerful even the non-hearing impaired will find the device's features enticing. And those are just a few of the wearable devices we encountered at MWC. The wide variety and use cases for wearables on display at the event, from companies large and small, indicates that this is a category that's just beginning to gather steam.
A few other things we noticed in passing may represent a mere quirk of this year's MWC, or could hold clues to the future of various categories.
NFC-enabled devices have remained successful in parts of Asia, gradually spreading in influence globally, but at this year's MWC there was a noticeable lack of excitement around NFC as a technology.
The same held true for QR codes. Although MWC used the technology to register conference attendees, and some companies even opted to 'only' display a QR code on their promotional materials (with no URL in sight), there wasn't a great deal of new innovation around the technology apparent at this year's event.

Finally, seamless security authentication continued to move into the mainstream thanks to new product announcements from companies such Samsung with its Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner, and LG with its G Pro 2 Knock Code. All signs are pointing to a very near future in which the process of security authentication will be indistinguishable from normal device operation.
So despite the early announcements and the absence of a few market leaders, this year's MWC was anything but uneventful. Developers and OEMs are gradually rising to the challenge of creating more mainstream-ready products at increasingly competitive price points, making it clear that we're only witnessing the dawn of an entirely new tech landscape.

Opera unveiled a new mobile browser, which claims to reduce bandwidth usage on your android phone.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S5, which sports a fingerprint scanner and water-resistant casing.
In addition to the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, Samsung unveiled the Gear Fit. The company's third wearable of Mobile World Congress is lighter than its companions and sports a 1.84 AMOLED curved touchscreen with a 432x128 pixel resolution.
Mark Zuckerberg spoke on the future of WhatsApp and Facebook's plans for Internet.org at the Mobile World Congress Keynote.
Asked about future plans to pursue Snapchat, Zuckerberg joked that he was done purchasing companies for a while.
The dual-screen YotaPhone features a rear-facing e-ink display in addition to the main LCD.
Nokia unveiled the newest addition to its Asha line, the 230. This tiny budget Windows phone updates both the Asha line's hardware and software.
Nymi is a wearable bracelet that reads the user's heart rate to authenticate identity.
Samsung's new smartwatch drops the "Galaxy" moniker in favor of some added features: a heart-rate sensor and an IR blaster to control your TV among others.
Originally unveiled at CES 2014, Sony's SmartBand SWR10 features Lifelog, a 24 hour comprehensive tracking system.
ZTE introduced a line of Firefox smartphones, including the Open C.
ZTE introduced a flagship smartphone, the Grand Memo II.
Alcatel introduced the One Touch Idol 2, an Android 4.3 (Kit Kat) smartphone with a 5-inch display.
Alcatel introduced the Idol 2 mini in a range of bright colors.
LG introduced the G Pro 2 on Sunday, a device designed to give phablet lovers a significant performance upgrade. Complete with a 5.9-inch HD IPS display and a 13-megapixel camera with OIS+ (Optical Image Stabilizer Plus) it is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and comes in Silver, White and Titan.
LG also introduced the G2 mini, a device the company is calling its first "compact smartphone." The screen measures just 4.7 inches and comes with either a 1.7GHz or 1.2GHz quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel or 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting 4K video.
Nokia unveiled the Nokia X, a budget-model Android phone priced at 89 euros (roughly $120).
Sony unveiled the Xperia Z2, the company's new flagship smartphone, a mere four months after introducing Xperia Z1 and one year after launching the first phone in the series, the Xperia Z.
Sony also decided to upgrade its mid-range smartphone offering with the Xperia M2.
Sony introduced the 10.1-inch Xperia Z2 Tablet with an ultra-thin, waterproof case.
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