Mobile World Congress is the biggest mobile event of the year, with the launch of many of the top smartphones, smartwatches and tablets.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the biggest mobile event of the year. The show sees the launch of many of the year’s top smartphones, smartwatches and tablets, as well as seeing the emergence of the hottest new trends in mobile, such as 5G.
Generally speaking, all the big brands attend MWC in one way or another. The exception is Apple, although the trends outlined at MWC very much include the iPhone.
Here are all the Mobile World Congress 2019 announcements that matter, wrapped up in one place. What and when is Mobile World Congress?
MWC is an annual trade show run by the GSMA. The location theoretically moves around Europe, but for many years it has been held in Barcelona, Spain.
For 2019, the show runs from 25-28 February – those being the dates when the show is active, the keynotes are running and the exhibition halls are open. However, many of the big announcements happened at the press conferences on Sunday 24 February.
Outside of the consumer sphere, it also draws in many of the industry heavyweights to talk about the future of mobile, like 5G, mobile hardware, VR and other associated technologies. The biggest launches of Mobile World Congress 2019? Pocket-lint Sony at MWC 2019: Xperia 1 and Xperia 10
Sony Mobile always launches new handsets at MWC, and this year is no different with no less than three devices announced. Top of the range is the Xperia 1 that sees a 4K OLED HDR 21:9 aspect ratio display, offering a different form factor. Sony Xperia 1 initial review: Standing tall Sony Xperia 10 initial review: The £329 trend-setter? Sony Xperia 10 Plus initial review: Mid-range marvel
The Xperia 10 and 10 Plus also have 21:9 aspect ratio displays but they sit in the mid range. The Xperia 1 replaces the Xperia XZ Premium range, while the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus take the place of the Xperia XA range in an attempt to simplify the naming structure. Pocket-lint Huawei at MWC 2019: Mate X folding phone revealed
One of the show’s biggest announcements came in the form of Huawei’s folding phone, the Mate X. It’s not the first foldable phone we’ve ever seen, but it is the most sophisticated, thanks to an OLED panel that bends across a hinge to flip between tablet and two-sided phone formats. It makes the Samsung Fold, announced on 20 February, look like more of a prototype by comparison. But the Huawei will be a lot more expensive, at €2299, when it launches in the “middle of 2019”.
