MWC 2015 PREVIEW

Which smartphones, tablets and wearables to expect from March’s MWC 2015

Sony Xperia Z4, Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 & more

CES 2015 in Las Vegas has been and gone so our thoughts turn to MWC 2015 in Barcelona where many of this year’s smartphones and tablets will be launched. Here’s what to expect from MWC 2015 from the big names, including Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG and others.

Scheduled for 2- to 5 March, MWC 2015 is only a matter of weeks away. For all you fans of mobile tech products it’s the highlight of the calendar with CES bringing only a handful of devices this year – namely the LG G Flex 2.

We’ll be heading to mainland Europe to bring you full coverage of the show, but until then let’s take a look at what to expect from the big names that will be exhibiting in Barcelona, including smartphones, tablets and wearables.

Samsung

With zero announcements on the mobile side from Samsung at CES, MWC will be an important time for the Korean company. We will certainly get an overview of the firm’s plans for 2015.

Samsung will hold an Unpacked event on 1 March where it will announce the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. All eyes will be on the flagship device, but Samsung is unlikely to stop there with a Galaxy S6 mini, budget handsets and others all possible.

On the wearable front, Samsung will supposedly challenge Motorola, LG and others with a round smartwatch codenamed the ‘Orbis’, which will come with wireless charging, according to SamMobile.

Note: If you’re a fan of the Galaxy Note range, Samsung traditionally launches new models later

on in the year in September at IFA. That’s when to expect the Galaxy Note 5 unless Samsung makes a dramatic change to its roadmap.

HTC

There are two products in particular that we reckon HTC will launch at MWC, and it has already sent out a save the date for Sunday 1 March that says ‘Join us to see what’s next’ and the tag line ‘Utopia in progress’.

The event starts at 4pm CET and we fully expect HTC to announce its new flagship smartphone in the form of the HTC One M9 ‘Hima’. There are also rumours of a larger version of the HTC One M9, and we expect a mini version will be announced later.

HTC is also likely to, at long last, announce its entry to the wearable market – currently dubbed the HTC One Wear – and will be announced in partnership with Under Armour.

Sony

Like Samsung, Sony stuck to other areas at CES, despite rumours of the Xperia Z4 being unveiled. This seemed unlikely given the firm’s six-month cycle on flagship handsets.