With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) done and over with, all eyes are now on Mobile World Congress (MWC) for a look at some of the hottest smartphones of 2017. The mobile expo, to be held in Barcelona from February 27 to March 2, is anticipated to include a number of major launches during the trade show, as well at pre-MWC 2017 events.
Phones such as Nokia 8 Android flagship phone, Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, among others are expected to launch ahead of MWC – though Samsung Galaxy S8 is likely to give the event a miss. Wondering which smartphones you can expect to see at MWC? Here’s a list of smartphone likely to launch at Mobile World Congress 2017.
Lenovo has already sent out invites for February 26 hinting at the unveiling of new Moto smartphones at MWC 2017, likely to be the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus. The two smartphones are expected to be mid-rangers featuring 5.5-inch displays with full-HD resolution and octa-core chipsets, and 5-megapixel cameras. One of the differences between the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus is that the former has a 13-megapixel rear camera and the latter’s camera has 16-megapixel resolution. A few more details of Moto G5 Plus have been leaked online, such as its 3080mAh battery, fingerprint sensor in front, and 4GB RAM. The two smartphones are not expected to support the Moto Mods modular accessories.
HMD Global, the company that now has the rights to use the Nokia brand on smartphones, is widely expected to unveil a flagship Nokia Android phone at Mobile World Congress, where it is hosting an event. Specifications of the leaked flagship Nokia Android phone have been leaked online several times, suggesting that the device will have the new Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB RAM, 23-megapixel camera with Zeiss optics, metal unibody design, water-resistant body, and Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. The screen size of the smartphone is said to be either 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch. Nokia is also said to be working on an AI-based virtual assistant called Viki, and the flagship Nokia Android phone will be the prime candidate to launch this digital helper with.
LG is also expected to unveil its flagship G6 smartphone at MWC 2017, this time without the modular design. The rumour about LG dropping the modular approach with the G6 smartphone persists despite the company saying that it has no plans to give up on this design. On the specifications front, LG G6 may be launched at MWC 2016 with features such as 5.7-inch QHD+ (14402880 pixel) display, Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB RAM, and removable battery with Quick Charge support. A report also says that LG G6 will have new heat pipe cooling system to conduct the heat away from the processor. LG itself has teased G6 features such as water-resistance, good grip, and big screen.
After teasing the device at CES this year, the company is set to launch the BlackBerry Mercury or BlackBerry DTEK70 at MWC in February. It is an Android smartphone featuring the iconic BlackBerry keyboard, and will be the last smartphone engineered and designed by the company, according to CEO John Chen. BlackBerry and TCL have been rather quiet about the Mercury smartphone, but have revealed the spacebar has a fingerprint sensor built into, a keyboard with capacitive touch scrolling, a USB Type-C port for charging, and Android Nougat. Fans will have to wait for MWC 2017 to see what the two companies have in store for them.
HTC Ocean, said to be company’s flagship smartphone of the year, is also expected to make an appearance at MWC 2017. While the official name of the HTC flagship is not yet known, a company executive has said that it will not be named HTC 11. HTC Ocean is said to sport a metallic body with chamfered edges and come with the company’s AI-based Sense Companion digital assistant. It will reportedly feature dual 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras on the back with LED flash, 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution, Snapdragon 835 chipset, 3700mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat.
Huawei P10, the upgrade to last year’s P9 smartphone, is expected to be launched at MWC 2017 as well. Not a lot is known about the smartphone yet, though rumours say that the Huawei P10 will support wireless charging, and have dual curved screen as well as the fingerprint sensor embedded in the physical Home button. Other leaked Huawei P10 specifications include a 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution, dual camera setup on the back, 8-megapixel front camera, and a Kirin processor with 6GB RAM under the hood.
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