Every year the entire smartphone industry gathers in Barcelona to showcase new and exciting devices. 2018 is going to be no different. From February 25 (Day zero or Press day) to March 1 this year, the likes of Samsung, HMD Global, Sony, Huawei and others will be unveiling the latest mobile devices, which are set to grace the store shelves over the coming weeks and months.
In this feature, I will be talking about which new smartphones and tablets are expected to be introduced at MWC later this month.
Samsung Galaxy S9/ S9+
After announcing the Galaxy S8 at an independent event last year, Samsung is coming back to the MWC to showcase the new S9 and S9+ phones. The company has scheduled a launch event on February 25 to reveal these much-anticipated phones. Although a number of details about the two phones have already leaked, it will be interesting to see if Samsung has any surprises for us in store.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are going to be the company’s flagship models for the year.
Nokia 9
It seems, we will finally see the launch of Nokia 9 at the MWC. HMD Global, the company responsible for Nokia phones, is hosting a press event on February 25 to unveil some new devices. The company has not revealed what it is going to announce, but rumours indicate we will see Nokia 9 and Nokia 7 Plus phones. It is possible that HMD Global will showcase its first Android (Go edition) phone Nokia 1 at the event as well.
New Sony phones
Sony may have launched a trio of new phones at the last month’s CES trade fair, the company is not coming empty-handed to Barcelona. As per rumours, this Japanese tech giant is gearing up to announce its new flagship. The Sony flagship is likely to be called Xperia XZ Pro or Xperia XZ2 Pro. The company’s MWC press event will be held on February 26.
Asus Zenfone 5 lineup
After a not-so-successful Zenfone 4 lineup, the Taiwanese manufacturer Asus is getting ready to reveal the Zenfone 5-series at the Mobile World Congress. The lack of consumer interest in the Zenfone 4 phones may be one of the reasons why the company is releasing the successors to the Zenfone 4 phones so soon. As per the leaks, the Zenfone 5 lineup will have around four-five smartphones including the flagship Asus Zenfone 5, Zenfone Max Pro, and Zenfone 5 Lite. Asus has set up the launch event on February 27.
LG V30s or LG V30 (2018)
LG usually unveils a new G-series flagship during MWC, but the company has reportedly delayed the G7 launch to April this year. Instead, the company is bringing a new version of the V30 phone to Barcelona. LG recently announced that this upgraded V30 will feature new AI features. Rumours indicate that the phone will have increased internal storage as well.
Huawei
Huawei will have a limited participation at MWC 2018 as the company is hosting a press event in March to showcase its flagship P-series phones. Still, I am expecting to see some new tablets and wearables from the company during the trade fair.
Motorola/ Lenovo
Thanks to a couple of leaks, we have already seen pretty much all of Motorola’s 2018 lineup, but time-table of the individual device launches remains a mystery. It is possible that Motorola will introduce the new Moto G-series phones later this month. Lenovo’s MWC plans are unclear right now.
These are some of the rumoured or confirmed devices that are likely to make their debut at the Mobile World Congress. I will update this report if any new details pop up in the days leading up to the event.
Which of these devices you are most excited about, do let know in the comments.
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