The Friday File: Samsung rings wearable change, Orange sprints towards Olympics

Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as Samsung made a big bet in health tech with the Galaxy Ring wearable, Orange outlined plans for Push-to-Talk (PTT) at the Paris Olympics and Vodafone teamed with Meta Platforms on video optimisation.

Samsung engages in fresh wearable push with Galaxy Ring

What happened: Samsung Electronics had plenty to unpack at an event in Paris, with its much anticipated, wellness-focused wearable Galaxy Ring grabbing the spotlight. The device-maker also revealed a pair of new smart watches, earbuds and two fresh foldables.

Why it matters: The expansion of Samsung’s devices portfolio signalled the vendor’s deeper push into generative AI (genAI), with its Galaxy AI ecosystem placed at the front and centre of the new devices. The company’s mobile experience boss TM Koh claimed the impact of on-device AI “will be profound”, indicating there is more to come on what Samsung intends to do with the technology. PP Foresight founder Paolo Pescatore named the Galaxy Ring as “star of the show”, adding the company “should be applauded for working tirelessly in seeking to simplify the entire wellness ecosystem, which remains complex and fragmented”. As for the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6, the analyst commented “there will be mixed fortunes for Samsung’s latest foldable devices. The new Flip should perform better than the Fold as it will resonate with a wider range of consumers”.

Orange pushes 4G-powered PTT at Paris Olympics 2024

What happened: Orange revealed it will activate PTT services over 4G for the mobile phones used by the Paris Olympics 2024 staff, setting the stage for the year’s biggest sports event that kicks off later this month.

Why it matters: CTIO at Orange Events and Paris Olympics 2024 Bertrand Rojat said it will mark the first time the Olympics see a PTT service activated on an operator’s existing mobile network, as such services have previously depended on TETRA radio system. Rojat said 13,000 smartphones will be supported by the PTT feature to improve communications between thousands of organisers at the event. Orange is the official connectivity provider for the Paris Olympics, and it is also set to switch on standalone (SA) 5G for broadcasters on site.

Meta, Vodafone target video congestion

What happened: A successful trial of network traffic optimisation for short-form video sharing by Vodafone Group and Meta Platforms is likely to lead to further collaborations between the pair and other industry players, as the companies iterated a commitment to “support growth in new digital services” and deliver a congestion-free network.

Why it matters: Vodafone and Meta Platforms completed a three-week pilot earlier this year to reduce network traffic for the latter’s social applications over the European operator’s mobile connectivity. VP network engineering at Meta Platforms Gaya Nagarajan referred to the collaboration as a “long-term partnership”, noting video optimisation is an opportunity to drive more innovation and “shape the future of the internet”. Network chief at Vodafone Alberto Ripepi added the partners have “implemented these optimisations across Vodafone’s European markets and intend to continue collaborating to foster additional efficiencies.”