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MWC 2014 starts officially on February 24th |
The Samsung Galaxy S5 will, without a doubt, be the main highlight of this year’s MWC, but it’s not the only exciting new phone that we expect to see. All big players - Nokia, LG, Motorola, Sony and Microsoft - are expected to hold press events where we expect an onslaught of new announcements.
The first events are scheduled for Sunday, February 23rd, and the second big wave of unveilings should happen on Monday. Monday is also the day when the Galaxy S5 should finally make its official appearance. Take a look below to learn what we can expect of it and of all the other events.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 expectations: Samsung Galaxy S5 and all else
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Samsung Galaxy S5: the next big surprise - February 24th
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The LG G Pro 2 has just gone official in Korea and it was all that rumors painted it to be - a gigantic 6-inch smartphone that is compact for its size, and that features a new type of optical image stabilization system. The G Pro 2 is the successor to LG’s first phablet, the G Pro, and comes with a 1080p display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip and 3GB of RAM on board. In addition, we would not be surprised if LG revamped its mid-range L series of smartphones with new affordable options.
LG G Pro 2: could this mark a new era for OIS?
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Nokia was rumored to bring a brand new family of Lumia Windows Phone handsets at MWC, headed by a mind-blowing Quad HD Lumia 1820, but now we are hearing that all those rumors were just made up and there might be no Windows Phone unveiled at MWC at all, as phone makers place their bets mostly on Android. Nonetheless, Nokia might still have a surprise Lumia up its sleeve, so stay tuned.
No new Nokia Lumias or Windows Phones at all?
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The Nokia X, earlier referred to as the Nokia Normandy is expected to become the first Nokia smartphone to run on Android, and it should finally go official at MWC. Sadly, it will not be in the league of the top Android smartphones - instead, Nokia is planning to release it as an affordable device, a kind of a replacement for its Asha feature phones.
Nokia’s first Android smartphone might disappoint
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Sony has just sold its Vaio PC division to increase its focus on smartphones, and if this wasn’t enough of a teaser, it should have a keynote at MWC. What could we see there?
We don’t know for sure, but the Sony Sirius has been one of the more prolific leaks, appearing in the news way too often to not be real. The device should inherit the excellent Omnibalance design of the Xperia Z series, and also bring an improvement under the hood and in the speaker department. Not just that, but Sony might also unveil a new tablet known under its 'Castor' codename. Let's wait and see!
We don’t know for sure, but the Sony Sirius has been one of the more prolific leaks, appearing in the news way too often to not be real. The device should inherit the excellent Omnibalance design of the Xperia Z series, and also bring an improvement under the hood and in the speaker department. Not just that, but Sony might also unveil a new tablet known under its 'Castor' codename. Let's wait and see!
Sony: time to get ‘Sirius’ about smartphones?
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The Galaxy S5 will probably not be the only new thing Samsung will announce at MWC. The Tizen operating system has long been in the works, and after multiple delays, this Mobile World Congress seems like a due time for it. However, we are also hearing that Samsung has not managed to secure much support from carriers for Tizen, and after a 10-year agreement it recently signed with Google, it might just decide to put the new operating system on the shelf.
Samsung at a crossroads: Tizen, to launch or not to launch
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Motorola might be getting acquired by Lenovo, but it’s still a Google company, and it’s still probably got new devices in the pipeline. We’ve all heard about Motorola’s CEO speaking about a $50 Android phone, and the company’s February 25th event might turn out to be the perfect venue for it.
Still, there are no leaks, and no rumors, so it might turn out to be a keynote about services and future plans rather than a device launch. Only time will tell.
Still, there are no leaks, and no rumors, so it might turn out to be a keynote about services and future plans rather than a device launch. Only time will tell.
Motorola event: business and - maybe - the mythical $50 phone?
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Microsoft has just gotten a new CEO with Satya Nadella taking over the role from Steve Ballmer, and it will also hold a press event on February 23rd. Expectations are that the Redmond company might have finally signed some new companies to make Windows Phone handsets, and Sony is rumored to be one of those. Microsoft could also speak on the topics of merging Windows Phone with Windows RT, and of course all plans for Windows Phone for the year.
Everyone is also eagerly waiting to see Windows Phone 8.1 that should introduce a notification center and a Siri-like voice assistant, but it might be a little too early for that. It’s still a possibility, though, but if it does not materialize the next date for Windows Phone 8.1 could be Microsoft’s April Build developer conference.
Everyone is also eagerly waiting to see Windows Phone 8.1 that should introduce a notification center and a Siri-like voice assistant, but it might be a little too early for that. It’s still a possibility, though, but if it does not materialize the next date for Windows Phone 8.1 could be Microsoft’s April Build developer conference.
Microsoft may announce new Windows Phone partners: will Sony jump in?
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You might not know, but Huawei is the world’s third-largest phone maker, and after last year’s sleek-looking Ascend P6, it will be back at MWC 2014 with at least three new gadgets. The company will introduce its first smartwatch, a tablet and a smartphone. We have seen images leak out of the supposed Ascend P7 Android flagship, and it looks impressive, but we're yet to see whether those were real images. We'll be at MWC covering the Huawei event and booth so stay tuned.
Chinese Huawei will unveil its first smartwatch, a tablet and a smartphone
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 expectations: Samsung Galaxy S5 and all else
‘Unpacked 5’ event starts on February 24th at 11am PST | 2pm EST | 8pm CET Barcelona time
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is rumored to launch without the hype and fanfare we are used to seeing from Samsung. The company should launch it at a lower-key event, and equip the device with humbler than expected 1080p display. The phone is said to come without fancy eye scanners, but should still be a considerable upgrade over the Galaxy S4.
Not just that, Samsung also seems to be preparing new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet(s) for launch, and even a second-generation Galaxy Gear.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is rumored to launch without the hype and fanfare we are used to seeing from Samsung. The company should launch it at a lower-key event, and equip the device with humbler than expected 1080p display. The phone is said to come without fancy eye scanners, but should still be a considerable upgrade over the Galaxy S4.
Not just that, Samsung also seems to be preparing new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet(s) for launch, and even a second-generation Galaxy Gear.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 expectations: Samsung Galaxy S5 and all else
1. Samsung Galaxy S5: the next big surprise - February 24th
‘Unpacked 5’ event starts on February 24th at 11am PST | 2pm EST | 8pm CET Barcelona time
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is rumored to launch without the hype and fanfare we are used to seeing from Samsung. The company should launch it at a lower-key event, and equip the device with humbler than expected 1080p display. The phone is said to come without fancy eye scanners, but should still be a considerable upgrade over the Galaxy S4.
Not just that, Samsung also seems to be preparing new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet(s) for launch, and even a second-generation Galaxy Gear.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is rumored to launch without the hype and fanfare we are used to seeing from Samsung. The company should launch it at a lower-key event, and equip the device with humbler than expected 1080p display. The phone is said to come without fancy eye scanners, but should still be a considerable upgrade over the Galaxy S4.
Not just that, Samsung also seems to be preparing new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet(s) for launch, and even a second-generation Galaxy Gear.
2. LG G Pro 2: could this mark a new era for OIS?
The LG G Pro 2 has just gone official in Korea and it was all that rumors painted it to be - a gigantic 6-inch smartphone that is compact for its size, and that features a new type of optical image stabilization system. The G Pro 2 is the successor to LG’s first phablet, the G Pro, and comes with a 1080p display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip and 3GB of RAM on board. In addition, we would not be surprised if LG revamped its mid-range L series of smartphones with new affordable options.
3. No new Nokia Lumias or Windows Phones at all?
Nokia was rumored to bring a brand new family of Lumia Windows Phone handsets at MWC, headed by a mind-blowing Quad HD Lumia 1820, but now we are hearing that all those rumors were just made up and there might be no Windows Phone unveiled at MWC at all, as phone makers place their bets mostly on Android. Nonetheless, Nokia might still have a surprise Lumia up its sleeve, so stay tuned.
4. Nokia’s first Android smartphone might disappoint
The Nokia X, earlier referred to as the Nokia Normandy is expected to become the first Nokia smartphone to run on Android, and it should finally go official at MWC. Sadly, it will not be in the league of the top Android smartphones - instead, Nokia is planning to release it as an affordable device, a kind of a replacement for its Asha feature phones.
5. Sony: time to get ‘Sirius’ about smartphones?
Sony has just sold its Vaio PC division to increase its focus on smartphones, and if this wasn’t enough of a teaser, it should have a keynote at MWC. What could we see there?
We don’t know for sure, but the Sony Sirius has been one of the more prolific leaks, appearing in the news way too often to not be real. The device should inherit the excellent Omnibalance design of the Xperia Z series, and also bring an improvement under the hood and in the speaker department. Not just that, but Sony might also unveil a new tablet known under its 'Castor' codename. Let's wait and see!
We don’t know for sure, but the Sony Sirius has been one of the more prolific leaks, appearing in the news way too often to not be real. The device should inherit the excellent Omnibalance design of the Xperia Z series, and also bring an improvement under the hood and in the speaker department. Not just that, but Sony might also unveil a new tablet known under its 'Castor' codename. Let's wait and see!
6. Samsung at a crossroads: Tizen, to launch or not to launch
The Galaxy S5 will probably not be the only new thing Samsung will announce at MWC. The Tizen operating system has long been in the works, and after multiple delays, this Mobile World Congress seems like a due time for it. However, we are also hearing that Samsung has not managed to secure much support from carriers for Tizen, and after a 10-year agreement it recently signed with Google, it might just decide to put the new operating system on the shelf.
7. Motorola event: business and - maybe - the mythical $50 phone?
Motorola might be getting acquired by Lenovo, but it’s still a Google company, and it’s still probably got new devices in the pipeline. We’ve all heard about Motorola’s CEO speaking about a $50 Android phone, and the company’s February 25th event might turn out to be the perfect venue for it.
Still, there are no leaks, and no rumors, so it might turn out to be a keynote about services and future plans rather than a device launch. Only time will tell.
Still, there are no leaks, and no rumors, so it might turn out to be a keynote about services and future plans rather than a device launch. Only time will tell.
8. Microsoft may announce new Windows Phone partners: will Sony jump in?
Microsoft has just gotten a new CEO with Satya Nadella taking over the role from Steve Ballmer, and it will also hold a press event on February 23rd. Expectations are that the Redmond company might have finally signed some new companies to make Windows Phone handsets, and Sony is rumored to be one of those. Microsoft could also speak on the topics of merging Windows Phone with Windows RT, and of course all plans for Windows Phone for the year.
Everyone is also eagerly waiting to see Windows Phone 8.1 that should introduce a notification center and a Siri-like voice assistant, but it might be a little too early for that. It’s still a possibility, though, but if it does not materialize the next date for Windows Phone 8.1 could be Microsoft’s April Build developer conference.
Everyone is also eagerly waiting to see Windows Phone 8.1 that should introduce a notification center and a Siri-like voice assistant, but it might be a little too early for that. It’s still a possibility, though, but if it does not materialize the next date for Windows Phone 8.1 could be Microsoft’s April Build developer conference.
9. Chinese Huawei will unveil its first smartwatch, a tablet and a smartphone
You might not know, but Huawei is the world’s third-largest phone maker, and after last year’s sleek-looking Ascend P6, it will be back at MWC 2014 with at least three new gadgets. The company will introduce its first smartwatch, a tablet and a smartphone. We have seen images leak out of the supposed Ascend P7 Android flagship, and it looks impressive, but we're yet to see whether those were real images. We'll be at MWC covering the Huawei event and booth so stay tuned.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is rumored to launch without the hype and fanfare we are used to seeing from Samsung. The company should launch it at a lower-key event, and equip the device with humbler than expected 1080p display. The phone is said to come without fancy eye scanners, but should still be a considerable upgrade over the Galaxy S4.
Not just that, Samsung also seems to be preparing new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet(s) for launch, and even a second-generation Galaxy Gear.