The Huawei Mate X, Sony Xperia 1, LG G8 and more have all been announced at MWC 2019.
MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the biggest mobile tradeshow of the year, and the next instalment — MWC 2019 — has begun.
While MWC 2019 officially kicks off in Barcelona on February 25 and runs through to February 28, we’ve already seen manufacturers making announcements in the days running up to the show. It’s already a veritable mobile phone feast!
Update: With the show in full swing, our team of experts have had a sweep of practically everything that MWC 2019 has to offer. Which can only mean one thing – it’s time to award the best devices on show – it’s the TechRadar MWC 2019 Awards !
Read on for more information below.
So what can you expect? A number of things are now confirmed, such as the foldable Huawei Mate X, a 5G prototype from OnePlus and the arrival of the flagship LG G8, as well as the unveiling of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 .
We’ve put together this guide highlighting all things mobile that have, will and might be on show this week, and we’ll update it with everything that launches as it happens.
MWC 2019, as ever with the annual mobile phone spectacular, is awash with huge announcements from the major companies in the smartphone space. Want to know just the most important stuff from the show? Cut through the noise with our top five picks for the most interesting announcements from the show:
– Microsoft HoloLens 2: a new version of the leading mixed reality headset has been revealed, this time featuring a more comfortable design and improved optics that track where your eyes are looking for a more immersive, reactive, augmented reality experience.
– Huawei Mate X: the most extravagant phone of the show? We’d say so. Not only does Huawei’s crazy flagship have 5G connectivity, but it also comes in the shape of a mad folding design.
– LG DualScreen: speaking of mad, LG has revealed a crazy accessory for its new LG V50 ThinQ handset – a clip on clamshell case that also doubles up as an additional, full-sized screen for the phone.
– Nokia 9 PureView: we cant get enough of innovation in the smartphone camera space, and the Nokia 9 PureView, with its insane five lens camera array, shows plenty of potential.
– Sony Xperia 1: forget foldable phones – Sony thinks the future of the mobile display is with 21:9 ratio screens. Ultralong, they’re well suited to watching films, but the jury is out on whether or not it’s a useful set up for everyday use. Along with the flagship Xperia 1, Sony has revealed a whole range of 21:9 phones at MWC 2019.
With the show in full swing, the TechRadar team locked itself down in its mobile review bunker to crown this year’s finest products at MWC 2019.
It’s a varied and worthy bunch, from the bendy Huawei Mate X to the head-mounted HoloLens 2, showing just how much scope and innovation there is in what’s essentially now the convergence of the mobile computing space, as well as the mobile communications one.
Want to see who took the top honors? Check out our awards round up below:
Want to delve deeper into the key stories from MWC? Our team of experts at TechRadar offer up their thoughts and opinions on the top stories from MWC 2019 below:
We know the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro won’t launch at MWC 2019 — they have a March 26 date in Paris, France — but the Chinese firm did have something to show us in Barcelona – it’s own foldable phone, the Huawei Mate X .
Set to take on the Samsung Galaxy Fold with its 8-inch fold out display, we’re expecting Huawei’s premium device to come in at a more affordable price than Samsung’s. Huawei is calling it ‘the world’s fastest foldable phone.’ Which is a great claim when there are… two commercially available folding phones coming to market. Huawei, you did it !
Next up was the 2019 edition of the Huawei MateBook X Pro, pictured directly above. Think of it as Huawei’s answer to the MacBook Pro, with powerful internals running its Windows 10 operating system.
This was followed by the Huawei MateBook 14. It’s almost as powerful as the MateBook X Pro in many respects, but doesn’t have quite as snazzy a finish and some of the former’s more high-end features. Still, if you’re on a budget, it’s looking like a smart choice.
The LG G8 ThinQ landed at MWC 2019, and while it didn’t have quite as flashy a feature-set as the top-of-the-line competition, it’s trying some interesting things.
First up is Hand ID, a new way to unlock your phone with a wave over the phone’s screen as it scans the veins in your palm. It worked only temperamentally during our brief test, but the phone’s hole-less vibrating top speaker impressed, as did its innovative video portrait mode. A slightly modified version, the LG G8S ThingQ, drops to a Full HD resolution for a cheaper price tag.
LG has also announced its LG V50 5G phone at the event, one with a 4,000mAh battery, a vapor cooling chamber, and a Snapdragon 855 chipset.
It’s a powerful 5G phone with a twist – it can be paired with the detachable DualScreen case attachment, quite literally adding another optional screen to your device. It’s the Pimp My Ride of phones. Xzibit would be proud.
LG also discussed the potential for an LG foldable phone at the show. With its expertise in OLED technology, it certainly has the know-how to deliver one to match its rivals. But for now, it’s saying the ‘time isn’t right.’
We saw lots of Nokia-branded phones at MWC 2018, and MWC 2019 has seen the Finish company prove equally prolific. The highlight of the bunch might is the Nokia 9 PureView – a long-rumored flagship phone that packs five lenses for top-notch photography.
However, it wasn’t the only Nokia phone in attendance. Away from the Nokia 9 PureView, it’s all about affordability – the Nokia 1 Plus is a budget phone with a removable cover with a textured feel, the Nokia 4.2 is a promising mid-ranger with specs that could be attractive with the right price tag attached, and the Nokia 3.2 has a whopping 4,000mAh battery with what’s likely to be a pocket-money asking price.
