The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 goes underway on February 22, 2016. A pre-MWC 2016 day is scheduled on February 21, where the likes of LG and Samsung are expected to make major announcements. While some of the smartphones here have been confirmed to be present at MWC 2016, some others have only been speculated. We put together an exhaustive list of the best mobile devices expected to be launched, or at least turn up as an exhibit, at MWC 2016.
Project ARA (Finally?)
Yet another year gone by, and Project ARA is still due to make a public appearance. A recently-sighted benchmark hints at a Project ARA device bearing a 13.8-inch 1080p display, powered by a Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and (obviously) running on Android v6.0 Marshmallow. Of course, the configurations might change, but is Google finally ready to showcase ARA? Is the Mountain View giant at the final stages of the modular, customisable mobile device that is “built exclusively for 6 billion people”? It almost definitely will not launch at MWC 2016, but some sort of announcement or initial showing cannot be left out of the equation.
Huawei P9
Huawei has seen a recent resurgence for itself in the smartphones segment, making a Nexus device (the Nexus 6P) for the very first time, and following up the decent work with the Huawei Mate 8 and the Honor 7i, featuring a rotating camera on it. It is, hence, not surprising that Huawei has made it to this list. While a number of recent rumours suggest that Huawei might actually not launch the device at MWC 2016, we cannot deny that the addition of a well-priced stellar flagship handset would do Huawei a world of good, now that it finally has user interest up surrounding its mobile business.
Rumours have suggested that the Huawei P9 will feature a metal chassis with slots for a dual-camera setup at the top of the rear panel. It is also expected to house a 5.2-inch QHD display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels that will also be pressure-sensitive, dual-13MP camera setup on the rear, fingerprint scanner, Kirin 950 chipset, and a whopping 6GB of RAM! Most rumours have suggested that the device will have 4GB of RAM, but words of the phone housing 6GB of RAM refuse to die out.
If this is indeed launched, the Huawei P9 might just be one of the best smartphones of 2016 to watch out for, and actually set the bar higher for phones to feature higher amount of memory than your average everyday laptop!
Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge
The next iteration of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy devices have been rumoured, leaked and shot innumerable number of times. Samsung itself showed a teaser of an image with a box opening to cool blue lighting inside (the edges of which looks suspiciously like the number ‘7’), and has sent out invites for a major launch on February 21.
According to information available online, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will almost certainly come in two variants, with varying screen sizes and flat/curved edge displays. It is also expected to be built on a Magnesium alloy chassis, feature dust and water resistance, and house a USB Type-C port. The displays of the phones are expected to be 5.2 inches and 5.5 inches in size, and have a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. The Galaxy S7/S7 Edge are expected to be powered by Snapdragon 820 and the Exynos 8890, depending upon geographical distribution of the phones. They are expected to house 4GB of RAM, along with 64GB of inbuilt storage. Other expectations also include a Sabre 9018AQ2M audio chip that delivers nearly analogue audio quality, alongside supporting audio formats like DSD. Battery sizes are expected to be larger, at 3000mAh and 3600mAh respectively, and the cameras on the rear might house 20-megapixel BRITECELL Duo Pixel sensors.
Overall, with the excellent reviews that the Samsung Galaxy S6 lineup garnered, we expect the Galaxy S7 to be stellar devices. The question is, will they be good enough to match the predecessors’ reputation?
LG G5
The LG G5 is expected to be a premium device with a metal unibody design with a fingerprint scanner on the rear and volume controls at the side. A secondary always-on display has been officially touted by LG, and the primary display is expected to be a 5.6-in QHD display. Another crucial factor about the LG G5 is that it is expected to have a modular chassis that will have a removable battery. The secondary Always On display is expected to have a resolution of 160×1040 pixels. 16MP rear camera with dual-lens, 135-degree wide angle setup and 8MP front camera is expected to complete the imaging front. A Snapdragon 820 processor is expected to power it, along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The battery is expected to be a more efficient, 2800mAh pack.
Xiaomi Mi 5
The Xiaomi Mi 5 has been rumoured for almost a year-and-half now, and finally, Vice-President of Xiaomi Global, Hugo Barra, has confirmed that the device will be present at MWC 2016, on February 24, 2016. Xiaomi has taken its own sweet time with the device, and very high hopes have been put on it. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, along with a probable configuration of 3GB RAM and 16GB/64GB/128GB of internal storage. A slimmer, faster fingerprint sensor is also expected on it, and so are dual-SIM and NFC support. Rumours suggest a 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch screen size, with confirmed 1080p resolution. A 16MP rear camera is expected on the rear, and some sources have suggested that the camera will have flip-out mechanism, meaning that the camera will be hidden unless you need to take photos with it. The front camera is expected to have a 6-megapixel sensor. The battery is expected to be a decently-large 3800mAh. The Xiaomi hierarchy has previously stated that the wait for the Mi 5 will be “worth it”. We certainly hope so.
Microsoft Lumia 650
The Microsoft Lumia 650 is not the strongest rumour, but it would still give hope to the Lumia faithful. The Lumia 650 is expected to be a budget Windows 10 device, powered by a 1.3GHz processor, with 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, and a 5-inch HD display. It will also reportedly feature a metal build, and have the glance screen technology. The Lumia 650 may sound paltry by the standard slew of high-octane flagship smartphones, but Microsoft will probably bank upon its enhanced user experience and work on adding more app support to the platform, than go for higher firepower inside the device.
HTC One M10
Over time, the HTC One M10 has been expected to be confirmed for launch at MWC 2016, and subsequently expected to be delayed for launch. Nevertheless, we cannot leave out the slim chances of the device being launched at MWC 2016. The primary confusion surrounding HTC’s next device is its naming. While it was widely expected to be called the HTC One M10, recent reports suggest that the phone might be finally called HTC One Perfume. Apart from that, the One M10 (we’re calling it that for now) is expected to be yet another Snapdragon 820-powered device, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. It is also expected to feature a better DAC (Digital Audio Converter), and leave out BoomSound. The HTC One M10 is expected to mimic the One A9’s looks, and house a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display. Recent rumours have suggested a 12MP rear camera powered by the Sony IMX377 sensor, and a 5MP Ultrapixel front camera.
Even if the HTC One M10/Perfume does not launch at MWC 2016, we expect it to launch quite soon.
Alcatel Idol 4/4S
Information leaked via Alcatel’s website suggests that the company may launch two smartphones at MWC 2016. The Alcatel Idol 4S is expected to run on Snapdragon 652 SoC, and house a 5.5-inch QHD S-AMOLED display. The rear camera is expected to house a 16MP sensor, and the phone may be powered by a 3000mAh battery pack. The Idol 4, meanwhile, may run on Snapdragon 617 SoC and house a 1080p LCD display. The two devices are almost certainly expected at MWC 2016.