MWC 2017 Rumor roundup
MWC 2017 is fast approaching us starting on Febuary 27th. MWC is generally used as a stage for the latest and greatest by the phone manufacturers. And as with any good show information has been leaking from everyone as press teams get ready. Lets take a look at some of the things we know sofar.
SAMSUNG
Samsung appears to be positioning the S8 to launch after MWC2017 this year. But it will have a 10nm SD835when it does made in Samsung’s own fabs. Although details of the upcoming S8 are flying around the net and more details on it will likely surface. The most likely launches at MWC are some midrange devices alongside information about the SD835 and exynos 9 SOC.
LG
Most of LG’s cards have been shown in the bevy of G6 leaks. The SOC will be the SD821 making performance for it mostly a G5 part II. The SD821 is a refinement of the 820 offering more speed by way of increased clock rate and little else. This isn’t the first time LG launched a flagship phone with a SoC that looked like a step down from the competition. When the Snapdragon 810 was the hottest thing in more ways than one they stuck with the more thermally friendly SD808 but that same trick might not work this time around. The Rumored LG V30 which will likely have a fall launch window like it’s predecessors, should sport a SD835 or some refinement of by the time fall is here.
HTC
HTC is a bit of a wildcard at MWC this year. There’s an expectation of a new flagship device turned up to 11 following up last years well received HTC 10. However with the recent launch of the Ultra U details about HTC’s plans are scattered at best. Expectations for a new flagship based on the Snapdragon 835 unfortunately include delays with Samsung gobbling up all the chips. News related to HTC’s exit of the entry level phone market will likely be a popular topic for MWC. Finally HTC has announced plans for a mobile vive branded VR headset the details are unclear but I anticipate some substantiation of this at the event.
HUAWEI
Huawei is expected to release a sequel to their well received watch this year. Details on the watch are a bit murky with rumors even pointing at the potential for multiple models offering different connectivity. They’re also expected to bring a new phone to the party with their flagship P10 and P10 plus. These new phones are rumored to use their own kirin 960. Information also points to them being equipped with dual cameras. The highest end models of these phones are suggested to include a staggering 6Gb ram and 128Gb storage. I’m dubious about currently the value of more than 4Gb of ram in a smartphone as it seems to offer bragging points more than anything although I’m sure that will change in the future.
MOTOROLA
Motora waited till summer to announce their modular flagships last year and likely will again in 2017. At MWC we expect to see the awkwardly named G5 and G5 Plus unveiled officially. These budget phones have had most of their details leaked already. Although a bit short on ram the G5 plus promises to be an interesting value proposition if the SD625 is fully utilized to offer 4k video capabilities like are available on the Moto Z play.
Final thoughts
MWC this year will be paper launches for many with the limited availability of the new high end chips. However the increasing power of mid and low end phones promises to keep things interesting. Furthermore with android wear 2.0 available I expect smartwatches to be a new buzz at the show this year. Are there any rumors we missed? Or manufacturers you think we skipped? Let us know that and your own predictions in the comments below.
