Last month, we had seen the launch of Nokia 6, Samsung's 2017 series Galaxy A7, A5 and A3, and Asus' Zenfone AR, Zenfone 3 Zoom at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 in Las Vegas. And now in February, phone-makers have much bigger plans as they will be participating in Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona (February 27-March 2).
Here are the most-anticipated smartphones to be launched later this month:
Nokia 8 (aka Nokia P1):
Having launched mid-range Nokia 6 in China, HMD Global Oy, the official licensee of Nokia, is expected to unleash the flagship Nokia 8 aka (Nokia P1) with top-of-the-line hardware later this month in Barcelona.
Nokia 8 is said to come in two variants based on the system configurations — one with Snapdragon 830 + 6GB RAM + 64/128GB storage (microSD card) + 24 MP OIS + EIS primary camera+ 12 MP front-shoot (and dual front-facing speaker are also on the cards) and the other with Snapdragon 821 quad-core+4GB RAM (rest of the details are yet to be ascertained).
Both the Nokia 8 models are expected to boast Carl Zeiss-branded cameras, similar to the company's flagship Lumia series (now owned by Microsoft).
Lenovo's Moto G5 series:
As per reports, Moto G5 will be initially launched with two variants-- Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus. Both the generic Moto G5 and the top-end Moto G5 Plus share almost same hardware, except in two key aspects. The former is said to come with a 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display with 3,000mAh battery, whereas the latter is expected to feature a bigger 5.5-inch full HD screen and a 3,100mAh cell.
Rest of the specifications such as camera, CPU, RAM, storage and connectivity features remains same.
They are said to feature 13MP primary camera on the back, 5MP snapper on the front, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core CPU backed by 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. They will also boast advanced Bluetooth technology-- NFC (Near Field Communication) and Turbo Charging.
LG G6:
Last month, LG's Display division had announced the development of world's first QHD+ LCD screen with 18:9 aspect ratio for smartphones. We believe LG will incorporate it in the upcoming G6 series flagship mobile.
Even in the official teaser, the company hints LG G6 will have a wide screen, durable (water-proof) body, reliable (long lasting) battery and a really good camera with wide angle view of field.
Other expected features of LG G6 include wireless charging, contact less payment (LG Pay) and advanced Iris scanner. Unlike Samsung's infamously retired Galaxy Note 7, which had a dedicated IR-based scanner, LG device's ocular-based biometric technology will also make use of front camera for more accurate reading of the Iris and reduce false rejection ratio.
TCL-made BlackBerry Mercury:
BlackBerry's Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partner TCL has teased new smartphone DTEK70 code-named Mercury. It will be officially unveiled on February 25.
BlackBerry Mercury is expected to come with trademark QWERTY physical keypad with fingerprint sensor and Android Nougat-out-of-the box.
Under-the-hood, it is expected to house Qualcomm's Snapdragon 625 CPU, 3GB RAM, 18MP rear-facing camera, an 8MP front snapper and support Type C USB port.
Huawei P10 series:
Huawei P10 is also expected to be announced at MWC 2017 later this month in Barcelona. As per latest reports, it is said to boast all-metal body with a 5.5-inch QHD (2560x1440p) AMOLED display.
Inside, it is expected to come packed with in-house built HiSilicon Kirin 960 CPU, which can clock close to 2.3GHz speed. It will be backed by sumptuous 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage, 3,100mAh battery and Android Nougat OS.
Like the P9 series, P10 is also expected to house dual-camera, but it will have a second generation 12MP snapper co-engineered by world renowned camera pioneer Leica.
The word on the street is that Huawei has plans to announce another variant dubbed P10 Plus. It will offer two configuration options—6GB RAM+128GB storage and 8GB RAM+256GB— and come with a 3,650mAh battery.
Rest of the specifications are said to be same as the generic model.
Watch this space for latest news on upcoming flagship smartphones and MWC 2017.
