What to Expect at the 2012 Mobile World Congress

Every year the world's latest and greatest smartphones make an appearance in Barcelona during the MWC (Mobile World Congress). Every year the phones that are on display always wow attendees and technology enthusiasts around the world, and MWC 2012 promises to be the best yet with super sleek, ultra-powerful phones from HTC, Samsung, Nokia, and LG set to take center stage. Here is a look at some of the items to look out for when the MWC kicks off on February 27^th.

Samsung

It is very disappointing that Samsung will not be unveiling their next flagship phone at MWC this year, but that does not mean all is lost with Samsung. It is rumored that Samsung will announce the new Galaxy Tab.

The new Galaxy Tab will have a 11.6-inch screen, which is larger than the last Tab and most other tablets, but it will have a glorious 2560x1600 resolution which will be powered by the Tegra 3 chipset. It will be 4 times more powerful than the last Gtab, and hopes are high that high end HD gaming will finally be coming to tablets.

Asus

Asus's new concept the Padfone is set to revolutionize both the smartphone industry and the tablet industry, What makes it so unique is that the tablet is powered by the phone itself. When you want a tablet you simply place the phone into the tablet. You then get a fully functional, full size tablet. When you want a smartphone, you just take the phone out of the tablet case. Everything syncs seamlessly so there is no need to transfer data between the two devices.

The Padfone is rumored to have the powerful Tegra 3 Quad-Core chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space which can be upgraded to 32GB with a SD card, and A 10.1-inch screen on the tablet and a 4.3-inch screen for the phone.

LG

It looks like 2012 will be another great year for LG on the smartphone front. If the rumors are true, LG will be showcasing their first Quad-Core smartphone.

The LG X3 reportedly has the Tegra 3 chipset on-board and it will be married to 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space, an 8MP camera and a 1.3MP front facing camera. The 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) display is also set to wow the audience, especially seeing as it is housed in a case that is just 9mm thick. Other rumors indicate that there will also be a new version of the Optimus 3D, likely called the Optimus 3D max.

HTC

Their is no surprise that smartphone Powerhouse HTC will also be entering the Quad-Core arena with the HTC Edge.

The Edge will have the Tegra 3 chipset and it will be clocked at 1.5GHz. When you consider the most powerful phone on the market right now is a Dual-Core that is clocked at 1.5GHz, you can see that stepping up to Quad-Core will be a huge upgrade. The processor will be paired with the standard 1GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch HD display, and an 8MP camera.

Another device rumored to be traveling to Barcelona is the HTC Ville. While the Ville will not be the most powerful phone on display, it will still be impressive. It will boast a 1.5GHz Dual-Core processor, Android 4.0, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, and a huge 1,650 mAh battery. It seems that even middle of the road phones will now be as powerful as the average laptop on the market today.

Nokia, Windows Phone, and Blackberry

Nokia's partnership with Microsoft is starting to take off, and it certainly seems as if 2012 will be the year of Windows Phone.

Microsoft's mobile operating system has come along in a big way since debuting in 2010, and it is expected that both Steve Ballmer (MS CEO) and Steven Elop (Nokia CEO) will be detailing major upgrades to the operating system. Both Windows Phone Tango (set for a spring 2012 release) and Windows Phone Apollo (set for a Fall 2012 release) will be demonstrated.

If Nokia does bring a new device with them it will likely be a new version of the Nokia Ace (900) called the Nokia 910. It is almost a carbon copy of the 900, but it boasts a 12MP Carl Zeiss Camera instead of the standard 8MP.

Troubled smartphone maker Rim are also expected to be at MWC so that they can show that world that their Blackberry line is still alive and kicking. Blackberry 10 will be demonstrated in what could be the most important keynote in the company's history.

Anyway you slice it, the Smartphone industry has become the hottest sector of the technology world and this year's Mobile World Congress is going to serve up some of the best smartphones we have ever seen. The MWC kicks off on February 27^th in Barcelona, Spain.

Sources:

MobileWorldCongress.com