Nine Devices Samsung Will Show Off at MWC and One Likely No Show

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the biggest mobile event of the year. It’s held each winter in Barcelona and plays host to many mobile device makers hoping to make a splash with their latest products. Samsung will kick off the show with a highly anticipated product introduction Feb. 26. The company has shared few details on what it’s planning, but rumors suggest it will show off tablets, artificial intelligence and wearables. There is even speculation that Samsung might preview a radical new smartphone design. But the event also might be remembered by what wasn’t announced—a smartphone that could make folks forget about last year’s embarrassing Galaxy Note7 product recall. This slide show will discuss what mobile market observers are saying about the mobile products Samsung will introduce and shed more light on the one product that won’t appear at this year’s show.

Samsung is said to be working on a new Galaxy Tab Pro, which reportedly will be a 2-in-1 hybrid design running on Windows 10 and aimed at corporate customers and power users. Look for a high-end processor, big screen and portable design.

Samsung is also expected to announce a consumer tablet at the show. Likely part of the company’s Galaxy Tab S line, the slate is expected to run on Android and Samsung’s own user interface and support the S Pen stylus.

Samsung also is believed to be readying a foldable smartphone. The device, according to previous patent filings, would have a face entirely covered by a screen with a hinge in the middle to save space. Unfolded, the display would reach about 7 inches, according to reports.

Samsung Display, the Korean conglomerate’s display division, is also expected to talk about its latest technology. It likely will showcase new generations of its foldable and roll-up screens, and might even deliver very thin screens to help reduce the thickness of mobile devices further.

Samsung is working on a new artificial intelligence platform called Bixby. And several reports say the Galaxy S8 will have a button that will activate Bixby. Samsung has tipped that it might showcase Bixby at Mobile World Congress, officially kicking off its battle with Siri, Cortana, Alexa and others.

Samsung also will unveil new wearables at its Mobile World Congress event, reports say. The company likely will showcase a new entrant in its Gear S line, as well as some cheaper activity trackers. Either way, look for Samsung’s wearables to support the new Android Wear 2.0.

In a recent tweet, Samsung said its new 9-series Exynos processor is “coming soon.” Now, speculation abounds that Samsung will unveil the processor at Mobile World Congress and float it as the next best thing for those seeking high-end power in top-of-the-line smartphones.

While Exynos 9 could be announced at the show, Samsung partnered with Qualcomm to develop the chipmaker’s new Snapdragon 835 processor. Moreover, Samsung is rumored to have exclusive rights through mid-April. Samsung should discuss the component and perhaps even how it plans to use it during its keynote.

No Samsung talk about mobile devices would be complete without batteries. In light of last year’s embarrassing Galaxy Note7 battery debacle, Samsung likely will discuss its plans to safeguard batteries in future devices. The company also might reiterate its commitment to new programs aimed at boosting battery safety.

There will be one announcement Samsung won’t be making at Mobile World Congress: the unveiling of the Galaxy S8 high-end handset. The company has said it wants to unveil the device separate from Mobile World Congress. Samsung is believed to be planning a late-March Galaxy S8 event, followed by its launch in mid-April.