UPDATED 14:57 EDT / JANUARY 27 2015

It's Mobile World Congress Time NEWS

Latest iPhone 6 rivals we expect to debut at MWC 2015

It's Mobile World Congress Time

Holding out for the Samsung Galaxy S6, or any other Android-powered device worthy of considering over an Apple iPhone 6?  Mobile World Congress (MWC) is just around the corner, with promise of shiny new smartphones from popular brands including HTC, Huawei and Samsung.

Kicking off March 2, 2015 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain, MWC is the next big wave of gadget launches after CES. Today we take a look at the shortlist of flagship phones likely to launch at the annual event.

In 2014, we saw various devices debut at MWC, including the Blackphone, which prevents the government from accessing your mobile activities; the dual-screen Yotaphone; and an onslaught of wearable devices.

What can we expect to see at this year’s MWC? Will we see bigger phones or more features directed toward health and fitness? How about better cameras and longer battery life? What about better stealth phones and wearable technology? Or will we just see the same old devices getting facelifts? Check out the following phones rumored to make an appearance at this year’s MWC.

HTC

 

origin_13736193045HTC Corp. is rumored to be launching a flagship smartphone, dubbed the HTC M9, and a smartwatch. According to reports, the HTC M9 will feature a 20MP rear camera, a front camera with its UltraPixel technology, eight-core Snapdragon 810 processor from Qualcomm Inc., and Dolby Laboratories Inc.’s Dolby 5.1 audio technology. Reportedly, HTC’s Sense 7 user interface overlays the operating system, but it has not yet been determined if it will be an Android or Windows Phone.

As for the smartwatch, it is said to integrate with Under Armour Inc.’s fitness app and website. Aside from these two devices, HTC is reportedly adding to its Desire line. The HTC Desire 626 is rumored to be available in two variants, one with a 1.7 GHz octa core MediaTek processor with 2GB of RAM and the other with a 1.2 GHz quad core Snapdragon 410 processor with 1GB of RAM. Both versions will have a five-inch display with a 720p resolution, 16GB memory that can be expanded via a microSD card, a 5MP front camera, 13MP rear camera and 2000mAh battery. It will run Android KitKat but can be upgraded to Lollipop.

Huawei

 

A day ahead of the MWC 2015, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has set an event to introduce two devices: the Ascend P8 or P8 and the MediaPad X2. According to sources, the Ascend branding may be dropped, and the device could simply be called the P8. It will feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Huawei’s Kirin 930 64-bit processor, 3GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization and a 2,600mAh battery. It will run Android 5.0 Lollipop.

As for the MediaPad X2, the device is said to feature a seven-inch display with a 1920×1200 resolution, 1.8GHz Kirin 925 octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and 16/32GB storage, which can be expanded via a microSD. It will be encased in an all-aluminum shell.

Samsung

 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. saw its smartphone sales drop significantly in 2014, and Apple has eaten a huge chunk of its share in the Chinese market. In an effort to bounce back, Samsung announced last year that it was working on a flagship device from scratch, codenamed Project Zero.

According to sources, Project Zero is what will be known as Galaxy S6 to consumers. It will feature a Quad HD display with a 2560×1440 resolution; a 16MP or 20MP rear camera with optical image stabilization; and availability in 32, 64, and 128GB. It will use the Exynos 7420 processor and a 64-bit chip with four Cortex-A53 and four Cortex-A57 cores and come equipped with a new chip from Broadcom Corp., called the BCM4773, which takes and computes data from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS modules and other sensors to reduce battery drain. Some suggest that the device will have dual-curved edges and a water-proof version will be introduced in the market at a later date.

Acer

 

Acer Inc. CEO Jason Chen recently revealed that it will be releasing new Windows Phone devices this year, and it seems like some of these new devices will be making their way to MWC 2015. Don’t expect any high-end smartphones from Acer during the event, as Chen stated that the company will stick to releasing entry-level smartphones, as well as launching the devices in more countries.

No official word yet as to what devices we can expect or how many devices will launch at MWC.

No shows

 

Two mobile manufacturers are unlikely to reveal flagship smartphones at MWC. According to reports, the much awaited LG G4 won’t make its debut at the event. An LG Electronics Inc. executive stated in an interview that the device will be unveiled no sooner than a year after the G3, which was unveiled in May 2014. The unnamed executive stated that the company will utilize the time to perfect the smartphone.

The other device manufacturer not revealing a flagship product at MWC 2015 is Sony Corp. According to reports, Sony will instead unveil the flagship Xperia Z3 in either May or November of this year. Though no flagship will be shown, Sony will not be skipping MWC 2015, as it is expected that it will highlight its other mobile devices.

photo credit: chrisf608 via photopin cc


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