In just over a month, Mobile World Congress
2013 begins, and with it will come an abundance of new smartphone and
tablet announcements. Here’s what we’re expecting the major
manufacturers to bring with them.
Samsung
As far as mobile phones are concerned, Samsung didn’t bother announcing any at CES, leaving Verizon to talk about the Ativ Odyssey and merely sending out a press release for the Galaxy S2 Plus. Rumors spread of the Galaxy S4 making its debut in Vegas, but that was almost certainly never going to happen and what’s more, it almost certainly won’t be at Mobile World Congress either.The Samsung flexible phone did get its moment in the spotlight, but only as a prototype on stage during the company’s keynote presentation. Known as Youm, the device was shown running Windows Phone 8 and not Android as many expected, but it was very much a work-in-progress and won’t go on sale anytime soon.
So, what’s left for MWC? We’re still waiting on a 7-inch Galaxy Note tablet and a 1080p smartphone/tablet hybrid, which were both possible for CES, and they could be joined by the mid-range GT-iS6810 Galaxy Frame and a new version of the dual-SIM Galaxy Young Duos handset. The world’s first Tizen phone could also be at the show, although the rumor suggests if it is announced, it’ll be for Japan only.
LG
LG made no secret of the fact it was waiting for MWC to unveil its 2013 smartphone range, so what can we expect? LG’s VP of marketing said it would be bringing out “tier one” – which means flagship – phones with “various screen sizes” at MWC and throughout 2013.Whether LG will announce more than one high-end smartphone isn’t clear, but the Optimus G2 is a candidate, as is a tablet/smartphone hybrid with a 5.5-inch, 1080p resolution screen. LG’s fashionable L Series range is due for an update, having been announced at the show last year, and the Korean firm may also re-enter the tablet market.
Nokia
Nokia didn’t announce any new products at CES, so if it has anything in the works, it’s sure to be bringing them to Mobile World Congress. Perhaps the most talked about device Nokia could launch is a Windows RT tablet, the specs of which are said to include a 10-inch screen and a Snapdragon processor. Microsoft needs all the help it can get to push Windows RT, and it would probably welcome a stylish tablet with Nokia’s name attached.An recent interview with Nokia’s head of imaging technologies may prove to be well-timed, as it revealed it has some “very cool” new PureView camera technology in the works. It’s worth remembering the 808 PureView celebrates its first birthday at the show. As for its Lumia range, it seems a little early for the refreshed 920, codename Catwalk, to be announced, as it’s a model Nokia may save for its own event later this year. CEO Stephen Elop is listed on the official Mobile World Congress site as a confirmed keynote speaker.
Huawei
After Huawei announced the Ascend D2, Ascend Mate, and the Ascend W1 at CES, it would be reasonable to expect the company to give Mobile World Congress a miss; however this isn’t the case at all. A Huawei executive has said it’ll be launching two phones at the Barcelona show, the first being a successor to the Ascend P1 with a thin, metallic chassis.The second could be the Ascend W2, another Windows Phone 8 device but this time with a higher specification. The W2 has been leaked before and its potential spec list includes a 4.5-inch HD screen, a dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera, all wrapped up in a 7.7mm thick body. Additionally, we’re hoping to hear some news on the international release for the Ascend D2 and Mate, as they’re current only slated for China.
Sony
Sony is one of the few companies which had a strong smartphone line-up at CES, however it only really announced one phone, with the Xperia ZL being a variation on the Xperia Z. It’s possible Sony will use Mobile World Congress as a launchpad for the remainder of its 2013 range.Phones such as the C530X, codename HuaShan and the C550X, codename Dogo, are prime candidates for launch. Both run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the C550X could be another Sony device powered by a quad-core processor.
ZTE
Like Huawei, ZTE had a good CES 2013 line-up but will also be bringing more phones to Mobile World Congress. While it hasn’t be as explicit as Huawei regarding its plans, another couple of big-screen devices have been rumored, named the ZTE Grand Memo – with a 5.7-inch screen and a quad-core processor – and the Nubia Z7, boasting a massive 6.3-inch screen. The Z7 has some other big numbers attached to it, with talk of a 16-megapixel camera, 4GB of RAM, and a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. We’ll believe it when we see it.HTC
As HTC was completely silent for CES, we’re expecting great things from it at MWC. The M7 has been the subject of much speculation over the past weeks, and the new flagship phone – potentially boasting another 5-inch, 1080p resolution screen – is likely to take pride and place at the show. The new phone could be accompanied by the announcement of HTC Sense 5, too.Last year’s Mobile World Congress saw the introduction of the One X and several of its cheaper siblings, so the M7 could bring with it a selection of other phones as part of a brand-new collection for 2013, as hinted at in an extensive codename leak recently. HTC could also use the show to reveal its new brand identity.
Research in Motion
Mobile World Congress will begin less than a month after RIM officially launches BlackBerry 10, and should the leaked release date prove accurate, it’ll end just as the phones go on sale. The press coverage provided at MWC, plus the chance for attendees to try out the retail devices just ahead of launch, could be seen as critical publicity for RIM at a very important time.This makes it all the more surprising to read rumors the company won’t be attending the show in any capacity. RIM was there last year, when it had nothing to announce except PlayBook OS 2.0, so for it to shun the show when it actually has something to shout about (and in which many people are interested) is very odd.
At the time of writing, Research in Motion isn’t listed as one of MWC’s confirmed exhibitors on the official event website. There’s also nothing on the company’s own event planner either, but then neither is anything past November 2012, so one can’t take this as confirmation just yet.
All The Rest
Acer, Asus, Fujitsu, and Alcatel should all have new hardware – some of it already seen at CES – on display, while Intel, Qualcomm, and Nvidia will also be there to talk mobile processors. Apple won’t be at the show officially, but members of its staff will undoubtedly be wandering the show floor.Mobile World Congress begins on February 25 and runs until February 28 in Barcelona, Spain.
