We’re just a couple of weeks away from one of the most significant dates of the year for the mobile phone industry. The 2014 Mobile World Congress (MWC) is about to kick off on February 24 in Barcelona, Spain, and many of the top manufacturers in the industry will be unveiling their latest handsets. But what will be the highlights of the show? Here are a few suggestions:
Sony Xperia Z2
The Sony Xperia Z2 will be Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758)’s latest effort to achieve serious penetration into the smartphone market. At present, their devices occupy a rather marginal position, but this latest handset rumored to feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display with a 506ppi, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, 20.7MP camera with Xenon flash and Android 4.4 may establish Sony as a significant market presence. It has been a good few months for Sony, with the PS4 a runway success, and they will be looking to build on this video games triumph in 2014.
HTC One 2
HTC is in a bit of a quandary. They continually produce some of the best reviewed mobiles in the world, yet they haven’t really penetrated the mainstream yet. Nonetheless, the HTC Corp (TPE:2498) One put them on the map, and it seems likely that we’ll see the HTC One 2 at MWC. The spec list murmurings for this smartphone points to a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, either 2 or 3GB of RAM, an UltraPixel camera, Android 4.4 and Sense 6, and if the device is as well reviewed as its predecessor then HTC might be able to gain ground in the smartphone market.
Samsung Galaxy S5
There is little doubt that this will be the highlight of the MWC; but will it be an iPhone beater? This is the intention that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) has for their latest Galaxy device, and media and consumer attention will be focused heavily on it during this event. Rumors about spec lists have indicated a variety of possibilities for this potential multi-million seller, but they now look to have settled on a 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display, Android 4.4, a 16MP camera and either an Exynos 6 or Snapdragon 805 processor. It will be particularly interesting to see if the Galaxy’s much-vaunted 2K display really delivers superior results to some of its competitors as Samsung is undoubtedly hoping.
LG G Pro 2
LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) has now established itself as a very significant and successful producer of television sets. Thus, the Korean manufacturer has been emboldened to branch out into the mobile phone market, despite the surprise of many analysts. Prior to last year’s LG G2, the company wasn’t a huge producer of smartphones, but this innovative device established the company as at least possessing some potential in the smartphone market.
This is one device that is definitely confirmed for MWC, with LG verifying this on its website. Some details are thus known already including an updated optical image stabilizer and 13MP rear lens in the device’s camera, while the rear camera will shoot video in ultra HD (3840 x 2160) and slow-motion. Others specs are still at the rumor stage, but an ultra-thin bezel has been suggested, with a 5.7-inch display, a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. A pretty nifty spec list, so it’ll be interesting to see the device at the event, as it could be one to look out for.
LG G2
In addition to the LG Pro, LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) will also be unveiling this budget smartphone at the MWC. The existence of this device was first learned of late last year, and at this point in time it seems that it could contain a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 540 x 960 display and Android 4.4 KitKat. This is a decent line-up for a more budget device, and it also suggests that the LG G2 may have a smaller screen which suits the spec list. Display size hasn’t been announced, but expect it to be between 4 and 4.5 inches.
Nokia Lumia 1820
Contrary to popular opinion, Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) still has the distinction of having produced the biggest selling mobile phone of all time. The mass market Nokia 1100 isn’t really up to the modern market, though, and Nokia has discontinued this basic device, and tried to move into the budget end of the smartphone market.
The Nokia Lumia 1820 is likely to be launched at MWC, Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s latest attempt to really break into the smartphone market in a big way. Twitter rumors state that this device will launch in the weeks immediately following the MWC, and have a 5.2-inch 2K display, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 3400 mAh battery and a Lytro camera with Xenon flash. This Windows Phone will be well worth keeping an eye on, and many would like to see a company which has long since been associated with mobiles produce a winner.
