MWC 2018 preview: the smartphones we’re most excited to see

MWC 2018 preview

It’s a new year, and a new year means new smartphones – faster, sleeker, and all-around better smartphones. So obviously, we want to see which handsets we might be wielding in the coming months. We should get our first glance at many of them at Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona in late February. The annual smartphone-centric show usually ushers in the year’s first big device debuts, and along with a confirmed Samsung Galaxy S9 appearance, we’re expecting to see and touch plenty more in a few short weeks.

As always, we’ll be onsite to bring you all of the latest coverage – but for now, here’s a look at everything we expect (and hope) to see at MWC 2018.

SAMSUNG: HELLO, GALAXY S9!

It’s no longer a rumour: Samsung’s mobile boss confirmed at CES this month that the Galaxy S9 will make its debut at MWC. And we’ve already heard quite a bit about the sequel to last year’s top Android thanks to a bevy of purported leaks.

We expect the Galaxy S9 to mostly retain the design of the S8 aside from minor nips and tucks, packing in a faster new Exynos chip or Snapdragon 845. The one significant change may be the swap to a dual-camera module on the back, like the Galaxy Note 8, albeit with the rumoured addition of adjustable aperture for serious smartphone shooters.

HUAWEI: THE P20/P11 PREMIERES?

Huawei will have another chance to make a stronger impression with the rumoured launch of the P20 (or P11?) at MWC. We assume the P20 Plus would bump up to Quad HD specs, but in any case, the aspect ratio suggests an edge-to-edge screen like so many other phones from the last year.

Another rumour suggests that Huawei will try to stomp dual-camera arrays by putting three cameras on the back of the P20 – and one of them is suggested to be a 40-megapixel shooter, which sounds downright insane. But hey, Huawei needs to make a big splash, so we’ll see what happens.

LENOVO: MOTO, MOTO, MOTO

We don’t know yet if all of these phones will debut at MWC, but the new Moto G6 models are likely given that the G5 launched last spring. According to the leaks, there will be a standard Moto G6, a Moto G6 Plus, and a Moto G6 Play. All three will seemingly have 18:9 extra-tall displays (5.7in on the G6 and 5.93in on the G6 Plus), offering up a budget-friendlier alternative to the flagship trend, along with Galaxy S8-like 3D glass on the back instead of metal.

And what’s a little mind-blowing is word that Lenovo may release a Moto Mod for the Z3 that adds 5G speed capabilities. How would that work? No idea! But we’re into it.

NOKIA: THE 9 IS JUST FINE?

From the leaks and rumours, we expect a flagship-level handset with an extra-tall, 18:9 screen and a design that pairs Galaxy S8-esque curves with a more familiar Nokia touch. And with a price pegged to be around that of the OnePlus 5T, it might be able to undercut some of its flagship rivals while offering a comparably strong experience.

That’s the rumour, at least, but we’ll wait and see how it turns out. Chief product officer Juho Sarvikas says to expect their MWC showing to "be awesome," so we’re certainly intrigued.

Sony: Going Pro with the Xperia XZ

Last year’s Xperia XZ Premium (shown) went crazy on the specs, packing in a 4K HDR display along with top-of-the-line everything else, but underwhelmed a bit overall with lacking cameras and too much bulk. But maybe the Xperia XZ Pro can make a bigger impact. We’ll reportedly see another 4K OLED screen at 5.7in, although it didn’t seem terribly consequential the last time, but this time it’ll be a taller 18:9 display like nearly every other new flagship on the market.

Further specs suggest a new Snapdragon 845 chip, 6GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and a dual 18MP/12MP back camera setup. We’ll have to see how much Sony is charging for it, however, and whether they can pack in a bit more style than before.

EVERYTHING ELSE

BlackBerry will launch two phones in 2018, including a new version of the KeyOne (original version shown), so we may well see one of those handsets launch at MWC.

Xiaomi will attend MWC, and is rumored to debut a super-powered Mi 7 with a Snapdragon 845 chip, 6GB RAM, a 6in AMOLED screen manufactured by Samsung, wireless charging, and facial recognition abilities.

Alcatel will also bring its new line of phones to MWC, with the 5 series, 3 series, and 1 series models all offering 18:9 displays and facial unlock features with varying specs and price points.

Keep tabs on this page, though, because we’ll be adding more rumours and leaks as they pop up in the weeks leading into MWC 2018!