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Mobile World Congress is just about here, but we wanted to make sure everyone knew what to be looking out for over the next week or so. Everyone is expecting to see a slew of new smartphones and tablets announced at MWC 2017, but there are going to be some stark differences between this year and last.
Samsung
Starting with the biggest omission from MWC 2017 will be Samsung not unveiling the Galaxy S8. Due to the Galaxy Note 7 battery disaster, Samsung opted to push back its unveiling of the 2017 flagship, instead, opting to reportedly hold an event in New York next month.
Supposed Image of the Galaxy Tab S3
However, Samsung will still be making an appearance at MWC with rumors of the Galaxy Tab S3 rolling in. The tablet has been leaked in new images, as well as appearing in some benchmark results, and is shaping up to be a decent option in a seemingly dying market.
There have also been a few reports claiming that Samsung may give everyone their first official look at the Galaxy S8 and possibly the S8 Plus. Considering that Samsung used to dominate the headlines at MWC, this has opened the door for other companies to make a big splash.
LG
Speaking of making a big splash, LG is looking to do just that with the LG G6. We’ve seen numerous images and leaks of the device already, but LG is ready to show everyone what it has been working on.
LG is hoping to not disappoint with the G6, despite being rumored to not feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor. The company has been teasing its newest “flagship” for quite some time, and we have a pretty good idea as to what will be coming as LG looks to dethrone Samsung.
Additionally, we’re likely to see the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style shown off, even though these new Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches have already been released. Regardless, MWC 2017 is an opportunity for LG and others that hasn’t been had for some time, so it’ll be interesting to see if we can be blown away.
Huawei
Moving to Huawei, we’re expecting 2 new smartphones, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus. These devices are going to replace the Huawei P9 lineup as the companies flagships. We’ve been seeing various leaks, but nothing concrete as of yet. However, there have been some rumors that we could see Amazon Alexa come to these devices after it was announced that the Huawei Mate 9 would feature Alexa in a future update.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/834835799686443009
In addition to launching two new smartphones, Huawei will also be showing off the successor to the Huawei Watch. However, it seems as though the Huawei Watch 2 will be geared towards fitness enthusiasts, and move away from the traditional watch design that the original Huawei Watch had.
BlackBerry
Personally, the BlackBerry announcement is the one I’m looking forward to the most. The BlackBerry “Mercury” will definitely be unveiled, and brings back the iconic BlackBerry keyboard that I grew up with.
Yes, I know the keyboard was included on the Priv, but who wants a slider phone nowadays? So BlackBerry has recognized the need for a new design, and will feature an “all-in-one” design, with the keyboard at the bottom.
The biggest reason I’ll be keeping my ears to the ground for this one is to see the spec sheet. We’ve seen conflicting reports regarding the specs for the Mercury, with some suggesting that it will feature the Snapdragon 821, while others reporting it will feature something similar to the Snapdragon 625.
Motorola
It’s unlikely that we’ll see Motorola unveil a new flagship device at MWC 2017, but we are likely to see new devices. These devices include the much-rumored Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus.
The Moto G lineup has always been an excellent low-to-mid-range option, and if the rumored specs are to come to fruition, we could have a big winner here. It’s unlikely that the devices will be “mind-blowing” but it will still be awesome to see how Motorola/Lenovo tries to shake things up again.
Nokia
Nokia, Nokia, Nokia. Oh, how I’ve missed you. HMD Global, the new parent company of Nokia, has already released the Nokia 6 in China, but we’re seeing reports of at least 3 new smartphones released.
Rumors have claimed that Nokia and HMD Global will be showing off a “world version” of the Nokia 6, along with 2 other devices. The Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 are the monikers for these other devices, and will likely be nestled in the mid-range, or even possibly the budget market.
Just under 1 week until we join @Nokia for an exciting Keynote announcement at Mobile World Congress—you won't want to miss it. #MWC17 pic.twitter.com/Ow4xI29Mqp
— Withings (@Withings) February 21, 2017
This past week also saw an official announcement from Withings and Nokia to share that a new wearable would be unveiled at MWC 2017. Specific details are scarce, but we could either see a new fitness tracker, or maybe we’ll see an Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch.
Oh, and we’re likely to see a successor to the Nokia 3310. Yeah, a feature-phone at a conference dominated by smartphones and tablets.
Sony
Rumors regarding Sony’s MWC 2017 appearance have been abnormally quiet. This is either to people not caring as much about Sony as they used to, or there’s just not much to be shared.
Regardless, it’s possible that we’ll see successors to the Xperia X lineup, including the Xperia XA and the Xperia XZ. We’ve also seen a mid-range phone pass through GFXBench which includes an underwhelming series of specs, but it would be weird of Sony came to MWC 2017 without anything to show off.
HTC
Earlier this year, HTC surprised everyone with its announcement of the HTC U Play and the U Ultra. There was much speculation that these would be replacing the flagship lineup after the HTC 10, but we aren’t buying it just yet.
We may not see the HTC 10’s successor at MWC 2017, but HTC is expected to unveil the HTC One X10. This device falls into the mid-range category and has been leaked quite frequently as of late.
No, Google won’t be unveiling any new devices at MWC 2017, but we are expecting more than a few Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches to be shown off. This is where Google’s presence at MWC 2017 is expected to be felt the most.
It’s possible that the “Big G” has a booth dedicated to the newly launched LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style, but that’s likely to be the extent of Google’s showroom floor presence.
There also have been some rumors suggesting that Google would be partnering with LG to release Google Assistant onto the LG G6. This would mark the first smartphone from an OEM other than Google to include the new software feature. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for this one the most.
What are you looking forward to?
Let us know in the comments below what you’re looking forward to the most from MWC 2017? Is it the return of Nokia to the smartphone market? Or are you looking forward to see what OEMs are going to attempt to dethrone Samsung?
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