MWC 2016 will be kicking off next week and if you are a huge fan of mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, then this is an event worth staying tuned to. Ubergizmo will be live at MWC 2016 this year which will be taking place from the 22-25 of February, 2016, so do check back with us during the week as we will be bringing you coverage. However in the meantime, this is what you may be able to expect at the upcoming event.
Samsung
Samsung is probably one of the more prolific companies to be in attendance at MWC, and safe to say that their upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are one of the most anticipated phones that could be announced at the event. With huge displays and curved displays, and the possibility of being powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset, they’re definitely worth keeping an eye on.
The press conference will be held on the 21st of February at 6pm GMT, so check back with us then for the details.
LG
After Samsung, LG is probably another company that we’re excited for to see at MWC. The company is working on their next flagship, the LG G5, that we expect them to announce. We are particularly excited for the LG G5 as it supposedly sports a brand new design, and one of its alleged features is the Magic Slot in which it gives the phone pseudo modular capabilities.
LG has also announced a series of mid-range phones that are part of its LG X series, and we expect that additional details will be shared. The company’s press event will also be held on the 21st of February where it will be held at 2pm GMT.
Huawei
While some of us might be quick to discount Huawei as just another Chinese smartphone OEM, the company has made some great strides recently and is on their way to overtake both Apple and Samsung as the world’s biggest smartphone vendor. Their phones have also seen huge improvements over the years, and this year they are expected to announced the Huawei P9.
Huawei typically differentiates themselves from the market by creating affordable but yet powerful devices, so we don’t expect it to be too different with the Huawei P9. The announcement will be taking place on the 21st of February where we expect Huawei could also announce other handsets and products. No word on what time their announcement will be taking place.
Sony
Sony’s presence at MWC is almost always a given, but this year will be interesting. The company has confirmed that they will be in attendance and will be hosting a press conference. However the rumors are claiming that the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Sony Xperia Z6, might only be launched in April 2016.
This is is true, then we’re not sure what we can expect from Sony at MWC. It is possible that the rumors are wrong, or perhaps Sony has some mid-range handsets that they plan on announcing. It is also possible that maybe Sony has some new wearables that they plan on announcing. After all Sony has made several smartwatches in the past few years, so a newer model wouldn’t be entirely out of the question.
The conference will be held on the 22nd of February at 8:30am CET.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is another Chinese player and a fast rising one at that. From what we have seen, the company has had no problems displacing its competitors, especially some of the more established ones back home in China. The company will most likely be announcing their Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone at MWC.
We’re not sure if Xiaomi has plans for additional devices like wearables or other smartphones or tablets, but the Xiaomi Mi 5 announcement has been scheduled for the 24th of February, so check back with us then as we will be in attendance.
HTC
HTC has a new flagship phone in the works in the form of the HTC One M10. The device is said to sport a new design that will be similar to the HTC One A9 in looks, and will also feature improved hardware. However HTC has yet to announce their presence at MWC which seems to corroborate the claims that HTC might be planning their own press conference in April. There have also been talks about HTC’s upcoming smartwatch, but we wouldn’t be surprised if HTC were to opt to launch the wearable alongside the HTC One M10 instead of separately, but either way we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.
Motorola/Lenovo
Lenovo has been teasing the launch of a new smartphone at MWC. It has been speculated that this could be a metal-clad Lenovo Lemon 3, at least based on the teasers. So far there hasn’t been any word on whether we will be seeing any of the Moto branded handsets refreshed at the event, but so far Lenovo has typically held its own events and announcements for such updates, so it looks like we might only be able to expect a Lenovo branded announcement this year.
BlackBerry
There have been reports that indicated that BlackBerry might have more Android devices in the pipeline, with the next model potentially be cheaper too. We have also heard rumblings about a certain BlackBerry Vienna, and while the leaks and rumors might be true, BlackBerry has yet to officially their presence at MWC 2016, but the rumors are claiming that it is possible that we might see the company make an announcement for a new Android smartphone all the same.
So far reviews of the BlackBerry PRIV have been largely positive, so it is understandable that BlackBerry would want to forge ahead with their new strategy, but whether or not it will be showcased at MWC 2016 is a different story, but check back with us next week anyway for the details.
Microsoft
There are rumors that suggest that Microsoft is working on a Surface Phone, which is basically a Windows 10 Mobile handset that falls under the Surface brand of Windows devices. This could also explain why there are rumors to suggest that the recently announced Lumia 650 could be the only Lumia phone of 2016, or possibly even the last.
It is doubtful that Microsoft will unveil the Surface Phone at MWC, even if they were to be present. Chances are Microsoft would probably want to favor their own event like the BUILD conference. Perhaps there might be some kind of wearable-related announcement, or maybe some announcements related to software or mobile services, but hardware announcements do seem a bit unlikely.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is quite a bit to look forward to at MWC this year. While the event used to be more about phones, these days the term “mobile” has expanded to include a lot more tech, including wearables like smartwatches and fitness bands. Don’t be surprised if new wearables from the likes of Samsung were to be announced, or possibly even new upcoming technology that will act as a showcase of what the companies are working on. Either way as we have said, we will be on hand at MWC 2016 this year, so remember to check back with us this coming Sunday, which is when most of the major announcements will be made, and also the rest of next week where we expect other companies to be making their own announcements or showing off their products.
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