Mobile World Congress 2016 will start this weekend, from Feb. 22- 25. The conference will gather some of the world's biggest, most important tech companies. Watch them live as they try to outdo each other with the latest smartphones, tablets and plenty more.
It is estimated that more than 95,000 visitors will descent upon the Fira Gran Via conference facility in Barcelona, Spain for the tech's industry signature global conference.
USA Today reported approximately more than 2,000 companies will exhibit their latest gadgets in the event. This year's headliners are Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG and Facebook.
Speaking of Samsung, the South Korean tech giant will definitely unveil their all-new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on MWC 2016. These new flagship devices will boast IP67-rated dust and water resistance and bigger screen at about 5.5 inches. It is also interesting to see how Samsung will comepte with global Android competitors, almost all of whom will have their own presence in Barcelona.
While Samsung's gadget rumors get the recent headlines this week, LG takes a different approach. It released new information about their latest gadgets weeks before the tech trade show. Gadget lovers are anticipating the release of LG G5. The new flagship is said to have a powerful octa-core Snapdragon 820 chipset. We'll give you more details once the device comes out on MWC 2016.
For Sony, the company is expected to launch new tablet--Xperia Z5 tablet-- in the trade show. Additionally, the Japanese phone manufacturer might display new Android Wear smartwatch, according to Engadget. The Xperia Z line-up is still fresh from last year's launching, so fans might not see Xperia Z6 on Barcelona.
Tech enthusiasts also expect to hear more about virtual reality gadgets, the topic that garnered lots of attention at the recent CES and will continue in Barcelona. HTC and Facebook-owned Oculus are included in the list of companies who will attend the tradeshow. Also, there's speculation that Samsung will showcase the Gear 360.
Furthermore, there's a building a interest about the fifth generation of wireless broadband data---5G. The new technology will bring even faster speeds to mobile devices that the world has not yet seen. The details about the 5G standards are haven't been finalized yet, but it is expected tech companies will talk about the technology.
If smartphones remain a part of our everyday lives, we need faster internet in the future, and 5G technology might be the key for that.
Here is the schedule of events from Feb. 21-22.
Sunday, February 21
- LG Press Conference
Start time: 2:00PM CET | 8:00AM Eastern | 5:00AM Pacific
- Samsung Press Conference
Start time: 6:00PM CET | 12:00PM Eastern | 9:00AM Pacific
Monday, February 22
- Sony Press Conference
Start time: 8:30AM CET | 2:30AM Eastern | 11:30PM Pacific
