We’re now in the final countdown before the curtains are pulled back at MWC 2016. With less than a week to go, it’s about time we got everything organized for you: what’s confirmed to be there, what’s rumored to show up and what we’re expecting to see. Our list is broken down by manufacturer, so hit the shortcuts for your favorite OEM or scroll down to check out everything you can expect from MWC 2016.
What is MWC and when is it?
MWC stands for Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile electronics trade show. MWC 2016 will be held between February 22 and 25 in Barcelona, Spain with press days on the weekend before. That’s when you can expect most of the MWC 2016 announcements to be made, with hands-on videos and articles coming soon after. So keep your eyes peeled for all the latest MWC 2016 news on February 20 and 21.
Samsung at MWC 2016
Confirmed: Samsung Galaxy S7 launch
When: February 21, 7 PM (10 AM PST, 1 PM EST)
When: February 21, 7 PM (10 AM PST, 1 PM EST)
Samsung has issued its press conference invites for the new Galaxy S7 series to be held on Sunday evening, February 21. While there is still debate as to whether there will be two or three Galaxy S7 variants presented, at the very least we know we’ll be seeing the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. It’s that trickyGalaxy S7 Edge+ we’re still not so sure about. We do know that all Galaxy S7 pre-orders come with a free Gear VR headset.
Rumored: Samsung Gear 360 VR and two new Galaxy Tab S3 tablets
The biggest MWC 2016 rumors for Samsung are both related to the Galaxy S7. Namely, that the new range will feature an IP58 water-resistant rating and see the return of the microSD card to the Galaxy line. Considering Samsung has been having some troubles with its mobile division of late, bringing back two hugely popular features might just be enough to give them the edge over the LG G5. Samsung is also rumored to unveil a Gear 360 VR camera and we might also see new 8- and 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 tablets.
LG at MWC 2016
Confirmed: LG G5 launch and LG X series launch
When: February 21, 2 PM (5 AM PST, 8 AM EST)
When: February 21, 2 PM (5 AM PST, 8 AM EST)
LG has also issued press conference invites for the LG G5 launch, which will happen on Sunday afternoon, February 21. The biggest news around the LG G5 is its modular design, which will allow users to use various hot-shoe accessories with the smartphone, including a variety of cameras, larger battery, physical keyboard and more. The LG G5 will have an Always On screen, much like the LG V10.
LG has also confirmed the new LG X line for MWC, which incorporates specialist flagship features in otherwise mid-range phones, and a new premium set of Tone Platinum headphones. The LG White Card and LG Pay system have been officially deferred until the second quarter of the year, after being rumored for an MWC unveiling.
Rumored: LG 360 VR
You may recall previously we guessed that when LG’s invite for “LG G5 Day” mentioned “come meet new friends on the playground”, we guessed that the plural “friends” could mean the G5 and new mid-range phones. That guess has proven to be correct with the confirmation of the LG X line, but that doesn’t mean that LG might not still have a VR headset or a 360-degree VR camera as well. We’re betting on a new LG G5 VR headset as the launch partner for the G5.
Sony at MWC 2016
Confirmed: Something
When: February 22, 8:30 AM (11:30 PM PST, 2:30 EST)
When: February 22, 8:30 AM (11:30 PM PST, 2:30 EST)
While we have no idea what Sony will be bringing to MWC 2016 we have received invites for a press conference on the Monday morning. This timing, and its location at the Sony booth rather than a big auditorium or venue, makes us think it won’t be anything too major, and certainly not the Xperia Z6which we’re expecting to arrive at IFA 2016.
Rumored: Something else
On the rumor side of things, it could be something to do with Sony Playstation VR, a new wearable or a tablet. We’re not holding out hope for an Xperia Z5 Tablet (or Xperia Z6 Tablet, knowing Sony’s penchant for peculiar naming conventions), considering the rumors that Sony will ditch tablets this year.
If it does turn out to be a tablet it might just be Sony’s last, and if it’s the Sony Smartwatch 4 it had better be seriously good to compete with the best Android Wear smartwatches around right now. It could also be a successor to last year’s budget Xperia M4 Aqua or the recently leaked Xperia C6.
Xiaomi at MWC 2016
Confirmed: Xiaomi Mi 5 launch
When: February 24, 9 AM (12 AM PST, 3 AM EST)
When: February 24, 9 AM (12 AM PST, 3 AM EST)
Xiaomi is attending its first MWC and is holding a press conference to celebrate the Xiaomi Mi 5 launch on the Wednesday. Whether we’ll be able to get a good look at the Mi 5 before that time we’ll have to wait and see but we’re sure to see plenty of other Mi products that aren’t always so easy to get ahold of, as well as find some time to chat with Hugo Barra who will be in attendance.
Huawei at MWC 2016
Rumored: Huawei P9 launch
When: February 21, 2 PM (5 AM PST, 8 AM EST)
When: February 21, 2 PM (5 AM PST, 8 AM EST)
Huawei has pretty officially broken into the global consciousness now, with the Mate S, Nexus 6P and Mate 8 knocking pretty much everyone’s socks off. But Huawei has been putting out great phones for years, most notably in the P series.
Some rumors indicate a later Huawei P9 launch than MWC 2016, but we’ll be at the press conference just in case it arrives early. it’s just a shame that it’s at the exact same time as the LG G5 launch. One thing is for sure though, the Huawei invite states “a brand new device” will be unveiled…
HTC at MWC 2016
Rumored: HTC One M10 launch in March
HTC may not have anything major to announce at MWC 2016. No press conference has been announced and the rumor mill has HTC doing the HTC One M10 launch at a separate event in March. A separate event would obviously help avoid losing the spotlight to Samsung and LG in Barcelona, but the M10 has got to be one of the least-anticipated flagship phones following the abysmal HTC One M9 reception last year. Still, we’ll see the UA Health Box and HTC Vive Pre again.
Oppo
Confirmed: “Breakthrough” battery and camera tech
When: February 23, 10 AM (1 AM PST, 4 AM EST)
When: February 23, 10 AM (1 AM PST, 4 AM EST)
Oppo has promised to “wow the world” with its ”breakthrough tech” at MWC 2016. We can’t yet say what it will be exactly, but we do know it relates to battery tech and cameras. Stay tuned to Android Authority for more on Oppo at MWC 2016.
Rumored: Oppo Find 9 launch
Considering Oppo will need a product in which to put its breakthrough camera and battery tech, we’re betting the Oppo Find 9 launch will be the centerpiece of Oppo’s press event.
OnePlus at MWC 2016
Confirmed: Nothing
OnePlus will have a presence at MWC 2016 as well, but won’t be launching any major new products. OnePlus isn’t holding a press conference either, so OnePlus’ MWC presence will be more about providing visitors a chance to get hands-on with their devices, accessories and power banks.
BlackBerry at MWC 2016
Rumored: A new BlackBerry Android device
The BlackBerry Vienna, BlackBerry’s rumored second Android device, could make an appearance at MWC 2016 but without a press conference scheduled this is starting to seem unlikely. There might be some other Android-related announcements to come from the company in Barcelona that don’t relate to new devices, or BlackBerry might simply want to be visible at the world’s largest mobile trade show.
Motorola/Lenovo at MWC 2016
Rumored: Lenovo Vibe launch
With everything that has been happening with Motorola lately, it seems unlikely that there will be any new Moto devices unveiled at MWC 2016. Indeed, Lenovo’s CEO has already confirmed a new Moto device in July. But its parent company is rumored to have a new Vibe smartphone ready for unveiling in Barcelona so stay tuned for more on that. Knowing Lenovo, there might also be some new Yoga tablets.
ZTE at MWC 2016
Confirmed: 5G products and “new smartphones”
When: February 21, 3 PM (6 AM PST, 9 AM EST)
When: February 21, 3 PM (6 AM PST, 9 AM EST)
ZTE issued a press release confirming that new 5G products will be shown at MWC 2016, including Ultra-Dense Network and Multi-User Shared Network technologies. The press release also mentions “smartphones and mobile devices” with a specific mention of ZTE’s AXON series.
Alcatel at MWC 2016
Rumored: Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4, Idol 4s and Pop 4 series
Alcatel has been leaking all kinds of devices in the lead up to MWC 2016: theOneTouch Idol 4, OneTouch Idol 4s and three new Pop variants: Pop 4, Pop 4S and Pop 4 Plus. The new Idol 4 models will ship with a VR headset built into the actual packaging of the phone, much like Google Cardboard.
That’s it for now, but we’l be adding more details as they arise and updating live as MWC 2016 news happens.
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