Then there are foldable phones. With Samsung previously announced its Galaxy Fold this week, and it’s quite probably other major brands will arrive with their own foldable smartphones at MWC, counting Huawei. But despite all the hype, foldable will not be a key theme for each vendor at MWC, says Stanton. “Only the biggest vendors with the biggest R&D budgets will be organized to unveil details of their foldable phone strategy,” he explains.
“Samsung will be there with Galaxy Fold, but this is possible to be on display within a glass box, as Samsung keeps its secrets under wraps.”
Given that foldable phones are likely to be targeted at early adopters owing to high prices, Stanton says the immediate smartphone trend will be of a “flurry of devices with the triple-camera arrangement, as well as devices which use a “hole punch display” instead of a notch display.”
In terms of trends, there will also be a superior emphasis on mid-range and low-end phones this year at MWC. Stanton believes players like Nokia, Alcatel, and ZTE will try to convince customers that their devices are best, but also warns they could get lost between the noise of MWC.
This year Chinese smartphone brands are anticipated to make major announcements during Mobile World Congress, Stanton said. Their hold on the largest mobile announcement and trade show in the world has increased over the past few years, as the Chinese vendors continue to appear to Europe for international expansion.
“Operators in Europe are trying to work out if these brands are serious about the market, so both will be looking to use MWC as a showcase of their spending power and commitment to Europe,” he says. Stanton expects both Oppo and Xiaomi will go to make a big splash.
While Oppo will showcase the latest smartphone that includes a triple-camera system that can achieve 10x zoom without losing any details, Xiaomi will launch its flagship Mi 9 smartphone.
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