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Will Mobile World Congress Reboot Mobile Device Sales?

Feb 19, 2019
By: Marissa Camilli

Smartphone sales have had a tough time of it recently. More expensive devices, changes in the way people buy phones, and near market saturation have resulted in people keeping hold of their devices for much longer than manufacturers would like. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel with many experts predicting the “smartphone sales recession” could be over in a matter of weeks.

All eyes are on the mobile industry’s flagship event, Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is hosted in Barcelona and opens on February 25th.

Dozens of New Smartphones

According to media reports, dozens of new smartphones will be launched to coincide with the event, and some of them might be very different from anything we have ever seen before.

Could the Mobile World Congress 2019 be the start of a whole new era in smartphone innovation?

Samsung

Samsung, the world’s most successful device manufacturer, will be launching three new devices in the run-up to the event.

The Galaxy S10e, the S10, and the S10+ will be big, powerful and bristling with cameras – so not too much to get excited about but there are also high hopes for a glimpse of the companies soon to be launched (this side of summer) foldable device.

Huawei

The Chinese manufacturer is also rumored to have a foldable device which many execs at the company will be hoping might deflect some of the negative news the company has been receiving in recent months.

Whether foldable devices are the future of smartphone design remains to be seen, but if they catch the public’s attention, it’ll be the most prominent design shake-up in well over a decade. Let’s face facts, most smartphones, no matter how innovative, don’t look too different from the devices in our pockets a decade ago.

LG

LG (like Samsung, another South Korean smartphone powerhouse) will apparently be sticking with tried and tested designs with the launch of the LG G8 ThinQ – but don’t let appearances put you off. While the phone looks the same as virtually every other device, it’s screen packs a real punch.

The G8 features an OLED screen that doubles as an amplifier. For music lovers, film fans and gamers, this might be a real opportunity to buy a truly immersive entertainment system. With entertainment being at the top of many smartphone owners priorities this could prove to be an innovative move. Consider how many times you might have heard someone complaining about the “tinny” sound coming from their smartphone speaker as opposed to wondering why their device doesn’t fold in half.

Xiaomi, Oppo, and Lenovo

Xiaomi, Oppo, and Lenovo are also betting big on foldable devices. While these devices are all at an early stage – we might just get a glimpse at the show.  If nothing else, it’ll be interesting to see how Lenovo can justify a $1,500 price tag on their soon to be launched foldable Razr device.

Nokia, Sony, and Energizer

Nokia and Sony will be optimizing your selfies with new multiple camera devices. The Nokia 9 PureView which will hopefully get an airing at the show is rumored to have five rear cameras which put Sony’s Xperia XZ4 to shame with only three.

Then there’s Energizer, who might be a new name to you but will certainly be making a lot of noise at this year’s event by launch 26 new devices, one with a dual pop-up selfie camera – promising to deliver the highest quality “duck-faced” selfies yet.

Digital Turbine

Mobile World Congress wouldn’t be the same without the Digital Turbine team, and we’ll be attending in force.

You can find us on Stand D51 in Hall 8.1.

Want to avoid the crowds? Contact us today to book a meeting with one of the app marketing or device monetization experts today.

Marissa Camilli
By Marissa Camilli
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