MWC 2019: Foldable Screens, 5G Phones & Things We Expect to See

Mobile World Congress 2019 kicks off from next week and here’s what we expect to see at the event.

It’s been more than a month since the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 in Las Vegas got wrapped up, showing all the technological leaps made by companies.

Now, it’s time to see what the mobile manufacturers and its industry is working on that is likely to hit the consumer market in the next few years.

This is where the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona starting from 25 February gives us a chance to see some upcoming products, which offer innovations that’ll become mainstream eventually. Here’s a look at what we expect to see at the mega mobile event next week.

Phones with Foldable Screen

Xiaomi and Samsung have shown us a glimpse of their devices, and Huawei is another brand putting its name in the ring.

This is probably going to be the highlight feature among phones at MWC 2019 and industry analysts have pointed out that a change in the form size of a phone is being considered since the gap between a phone and a tablet has disappeared.

The Galaxy Fold from Samsung is launching on 21 February in the US at a launch event, but it will be part of its MWC product line up as well.

This unique device is unlikely to be available on shelves before late 2019. Also, the most important thing, it will cost more than what most of you pay for the iPhone XS Max from Apple, which for buyers in India goes up to Rs 1.45 lakh this year. Samsung won’t be alone in this space.

In a recent video released on Xiaomi’s Twitter account, the company has showcased its own foldable phone many are calling as “Xiaomi Flex”. The interesting bit and what separates Xiaomi’s foldable phone from that of Samsung’s is that it can be folded from both the sides. It’s a double-folding smartphone and we’ll be keeping a close eye on Xiaomi’s booth for this product.

Enter 5G

There’s a long way before Indian consumers can rely on 5G for connectivity but globally, telecom operators have started trialing the next generation network.

Which is why Qualcomm, along with brands like OnePlus, Samsung and probably LG will show what they’ve been up to and how their respective devices will stand the test of the future.

Phones with More Cameras

Nokia is expected to launch its first-ever smartphone with five rear cameras much before the date for Mobile World Congress sets in. Serial leakster and renowned tipster Evan Blass via his Twitter handle @evleaks has shared the first visuals of the phone.

The highlight of the phone will be the five lenses placed at the back of the phone. The added interest with the lenses will be the use of Zeiss Optics, which has powered previous Nokia phones like Lumia 1020, which back in the day managed to offer resolution up to 41-megapixel.

The other brand in the reckoning is Oppo, which is expected to showcase a device with 10x optical zoom and this will happen on the eve of the MWC 2019 opening.

Sony's There Too

Yep, the Japanese brand is still around and apparently, it will showcase another set of Xperia devices at the mobile event next week. One of its phones is also expected to get a screen with 21:9 ratio and a 5G-powered device as well.

Will the Moto Razr Show Up?

Nokia used the platform a few years back to re-launch the Nokia 3310. So can we expect Motorola to surprise everyone by bringing back the Moto Razr, but in a new avatar? The company hasn’t specifically mentioned or shared any details about a possible product launch at the MWC 2019, but let’s hope Motorola does its own version of ‘one more thing’ to surprise us all.