MWC 2018: What smartphones to expect from Samsung, Nokia, Xiaomi and more

One of the biggest mobile events of the year, Mobile World Congress, will begin on February 26 and will go on till March 1. Major companies including Samsung, Nokia and Sony will unveil new smartphones during the event. Additionally, we can also expect the launch of new tablets and smartwatches along with new trends in mobile.

Let’s take a quick look at the best smartphones you can expect:

1. Nokia

HMD Global is gearing up to launch new Nokia smartphones, including Nokia 9, Nokia 8 Pro, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 4, during Mobile World Congress.

The Nokia 9 will most likely be the high-end flagship device by the company. It will feature a 5.5-inch display will most likely be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. It will be equipped with a 12MP+13MP dual camera set up along with a 5MP front-facing camera. Running Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box, it will include an internal storage of 128GB, and no microSD card.

The company is also said to launch the Nokia 8 Sirocco (2018) smartphone, which will feature a 5.5-inch OLED display and will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor, paired with 6GB RAM. It will include an internal storage of 128GB.

Another smartphone rumoured to launch at Mobile World Congress is the Nokia 7 Plus. This smartphone is said to have extremely thin bezels, along with a 2.5D curved glass protection on top. It will feature a 6-inch screen along with a 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution. The Nokia 7 Plus will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor paired with 4GB RAM and an internal storage of 64GB.

Lastly, the HMD Global will also launch the Nokia 4, during the event. According to reports, the rumoured Nokia 4 device was first spotted in a Nokia camera app apk teardown. The company could halt production of the existing Nokia 3 and it could be replaced by the Nokia 4. The smartphone is also rumoured to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor. The report does point out that the device might not make its way to China as the number is considered unlucky.

2. Samsung

One of the biggest launches at Mobile World Congress will be by Samsung. The company will unveil the Galaxy S9 series – Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

According to a report by Slashleaks, the upcoming Galaxy S9 will sport a 3000mAh battery while the Galaxy S9+ will sport a 3500mAh battery. These are the same battery capacities, which we present in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ as well.

The company is also said to follow the new trend that has been adopted by Apple for the new iPhones and Google for the Pixel smartphones – no headphone jack. According to a report, Samsung was working on two Galaxy S9 prototypes, one with front-facing in-display fingerprint sensor and other with rear fingerprint sensor. However, a source suggests that the Galaxy S9 fingerprint sensor won’t be integrated into the display.

In terms of rumoured specifications, the Galaxy S9 would feature a 5.8-inch Infinity display, along with 12MP and 16MP dual cameras to the front and rear. In terms of operating power, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will have the latest-generation processors, namely either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or the Exynos 9810, depending on the country.

3. Sony

Sony is expected to unveil two new Xperia smartphones during Mobile World Congress, namely Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 will feature a 5.7-inch display and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4GB RAM and an internal storage of 64GB. Rumours suggest that both devices will feature dual camera set up as well.

On the other hand, according to the photo shared by a commenter on the Xperia Blog, the purported Xperia XZ2 Compact is placed next to an Xperia Z5 Compact. The image comes from a comment by ‘Grisha’ in a post about Sony’s MWC video tease. It is believed that there is no 3.5mm headphone jack and that the fingerprint sensor is located on the rear of the device, similar to the Xperia XA2 series.

The smartphone could feature a 5-inch screen along with Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. The device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4GB RAM and an internal storage of 64GB.

4. Xiaomi

Xiaomi might just introduce an impressive smartphone during Mobile World Congress, called the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. As per leaks, the new smartphone is currently codenamed ‘polaris’ and will include the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

According to firmware files received by XDA-Developers, the smartphone will feature an aspect ratio of 18: 9 along with an FHD+ resolution. Running Android Oreo, the device will be backed up by a 3400mAh battery.

The report also points out that the device may support AI camera features along with scene recognition support, which is similar to what we have seen on the Huawei Mate 10. Certain firmware files are suggesting that the new smartphone might pack in a Sony IMX363 sensor as well. At the moment, there is no information provided regarding price or availability.

5. Motorola

Lenovo-owned Motorola will most likely launch three new smartphone during the Mobile World Congress - Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus.

In terms of rumoured specifications, the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play will feature 5.7-inch full HD+ display while the Moto G6 Plus will feature a 5.93-inch full-HD+ display. The Moto 6 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, and will be available in two variants – 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage. Running Android 8.0 Oreo, all smartphones are said to include 12MP rear camera along with a 5MP front-facing camera. The Moto G6 may sport a 3000mAh battery, the Moto G6 Plus may include a 3200mAh battery while the Moto G6 Play may include a massive 4000mAh battery.