Here's A precap from the Mobile World Congress 2015

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BY Unknown 20:00 0

Here's A precap from the Mobile World Congress 2015

The Mobile World Congress is one of the biggest events in the mobile industry and it's about to start this very Sunday.

As usual, the event is held in sunny Barcelona, where key industry players will present their latest products.

With so many product announcements happening in a few short days, it's bound to get confusing, so we though we'd come up with this cheat sheet to help you follow your favorite brands.

MWC 2015 at a glance

DEVICES	PRESS CONFERENCE	DATE
LG Watch Urbane LTE CONFIRMED	N/A	SUNDAY MARCH 1
	Over March 1, 11:30 Barcelona
Huawei Ascend P8CONFIRMED	Over March 1, 13:30 Barcelona / 07:30 New York
HTC One M9CONFIRMED HTC One M9 PlusRUMORED HTC PetraRUMORED	38 mins, 14 secs March 1, 16:00 Barcelona / 10:00 New York / 23:00 Taipei.
	38 mins, 14 secs March 1, 16:00 Barcelona / 10:00 AM New York
Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge CONFIRMED Samsung Z1 and Z2 UNLIKELY Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 RUMORED	3 hours, 8 mins, 14 secs March 1, 18:30 Barcelona / 12:30 New York
Lumia 635RUMORED Lumia 1330RUMORED Lumia 640 RUMORED	17 hours, 8 mins, 14 secs March 2, 8:30 Barcelona / 02:30 New York	MONDAY MARCH 2
BlackBerry Z20 RUMORED	N/A	TUESDAY MARCH 3
Sony Xperia M4 AquaCONFIRMED Sony Xperia Z4 TabletCONFIRMED	No event	NO EVENT SCHEDULED
Meizu MX4 (w/ Ubuntu Touch) CONFIRMED	N/A

Samsung

The largest smartphone manufacturer is preparing to blast through MWC with a flagship duo in the face of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Dubbed "Galaxy Unpacked 2015", the event is scheduled for March 1, and for what we know so far, the focus will fall on smartphones.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 AND GALAXY S6 EDGE

According to the latest pieces of evidence, the Galaxy S6 will house a 5" QHD Super AMOLED display and set benchmarks on fire with an Exynos 7420 chipset with an octa-core CPU and 3GB of RAM. At the back, there's a 16MP camera with dual LED flash. Samsung is also equipping the Galaxy S6 with a touch-operating fingerprint sensor, which is a major update over the previous, swipe-based one.

The Galaxy S6 Edge on the other hand will pack a curved display. The latest leaked photos indicate that the phone's display is curved on both the left and right sides. In terms of specs, it's believed to be identical to its regular brother, but nothing is confirmed just yet.

SAMSUNG Z1 AND Z2

Samsung usually has one of the largest booths at the MWC floor and it's likely that we'll see the Samsung Z2. The handset pioneers Tizen OS and has already sold over 100,000 units in India and Bangladesh. Rumor has it that the Samsung Z2 is in the works already, but it's unlikely a prototype will visit Barcelona.

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S2

Recent chatter about the company's tablet line-up includes the Galaxy Tab S2 - a successor to the company's Super AMOLED line-up of slates that debuted last year. Rumor has it that the tablet will be thinner than the iPad Air 2, which measures 6.1mm.

While we don't have our hopes too high up to see the tablet at MWC 2015, it'll certainly be nice. If the rumors are true, we should expect the new Tab S tablets to come in 8" and 9.7" options.

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_unpacked_2015_event_is_on_march_1-news-11025.php

HTC

Samsung won't be alone in the announcement of flagship smartphones as HTC is expected to put up more than a decent fight with the debut of the One M9. The successor to one of the most beautiful smartphones launched in 2014 promises to fix all the One M8 issues, while keeping all the awesome stuff like aluminum build and front stereo speakers.

HTC ONE M9

Current evidence points that the HTC One M9 will rock a Snapdragon 810 chipset with an octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and a 20.7MP camera, which replaces the unsatisfactory 4MP UltraPixel snapper of the One M8. However, this same UltraPixel camera is anticipated to take place at the front as a secondary camera.

The One M9 display will remain unchanged at 5" with 1080p resolution. Expect a 2,900mAh battery and a microSD card slot on board as well.

HTC ONE M9 PLUS

A larger, phablet-like version of the One M9 dubbed the One M9 Plus is possible to make an appearance, too. While details are scarce, we've seen evidence pointing at a 5.5" Super LCD3 display of QHD resolution - a first for an HTC smartphone. Additional rumored specs of HTC One M9 Plus include Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 20.7MP camera, and Android 5.0 Lollipop. A leaked press image from last month points at fingerprint scanner as well.

While it's not yet confirmed, it's not out of the realm of possibility to see a fingerprint scanner as well. The company isn't expected to out any mid-range smartphones, but the recently announced Desire 626 is certainly going to be on display at the company's

HTC PETRA

The HTC Petra is the codename for the company's wearable device. It's expected to be a fitness and sport accessory with IP57 certification. The wearable will communicate with smartphones over Bluetooth though it should have its own GPS receiver. The screen will be a flexible 1.8″ PMOLED with 160 x 32 resolution. The whole thing will weigh just 23g, but pack enough battery to last three days.

Microsoft

Microsoft will balance its MWC 2015 presence with both hardware and software announcement, as the company has been focusing on opening up its software services for both Android and iOS.

LUMIA 635

The Redmond-based company is likely to launch an updated version of the Lumia 635 with a bump in RAM. While the rest of the specifications are expected to remain unchanged, we're open to seeing more updates under the hood of the device.

LUMIA 1330

Joining it could be the successor to the Lumia 1320 - the Lumia 1330. Sporting the model number RM-1062, the upcoming device is tipped to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, 1GB of RAM, and 5.7" 720p display, and 32GB of onboard storage. The device's main camera is said to be a 14MP PureView unit, coupled with a 5MP front-facing snapper.

Sony

Sony is experiencing rough times in its mobile department, but nevertheless, the company is going to have a solid presence at MWC 2015. We're in for a smartphone and a tablet launch, namely the Xperia M4 Aqua and the Xperia Z4 Tablet.

SONY XPERIA M4 AQUA

There's not much information regarding the Xperia M4 Aqua at this point. We can deduce that the phone will be IP68 certified like the M2 Aqua before it. The M4 Aqua will also run with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

SONY XPERIA Z4 TABLET

In the tablet space, Sony is preparing the ultra-thin Xperia Z4 Tablet, which leaked out a few days ago to sport a 10" 2K display (2048 x 1080 pixels). A leaked description on Sony's Xperia Lounge app points to "the latest ultra-fast processor", which could be the octa-core residing in the Snapdragon 810 chipset.

We'll know everything about the two products on Monday, March 2 when the company will be holding its press conference. More details and, hopefully, a live stream to come.

Huawei

Huawei is preparing a wearable and a smartphone for its MWC event on March 1.

HUAWEI ASCEND P8

The company is likely to reveal the Huawei Ascend P8. It's going to be powered by Huawei's latest Kirin 930 chipset, which is the first to be made using 16nm process technology. It will sport a 5.2″ Full HD screen as well as dual cameras from the Honor 6 Plus (the device might even get an upgrade to dual-13MP main cameras), and will pack a 2600mAH battery.

The smartwatch, which hasn't had its name leaked yet, will sport 4G LTE connectivity and is destined to rival the Samsung Gear S.

LG

LG WATCH URBANE LTE

LG seems to skip on smartphone announcements at this year's Mobile World Congress. The company will focus on showcasing its Watch Urbane LTE instead and we can't wait to feel its premium traits.

Acer

Acer will not be skipping on announcements in Barcelona and the company has teased new phones and a wearable for MWC 2015. Specifics are a mystery at this point, but from the teaser image the company shared, we're in for some good looking devices.

Meizu

MEIZU MX4 UBUNTU

Meizu will be showcasing the MX4 running three different operating systems - the traditional Flyme 4.0,the new YunOS, and the much anticipated Ubuntu Touch. This is the second Ubuntu Touch smartphone after the BQ Aquaris and with more powerful hardware, the Meizu MX4 should run it a lot better.

BlackBerry

BLACKBERRY Z20

Finally, BlackBerry is making an appearance at MWC 2015. The company is holding a press conference in Barcelona, but virtually nothing has been leaked so far. There were indications later last year that the company will launch the BlackBerry Z20, which will slot in between the Z3 and Z30.

BlackBerry Z20 features Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 with 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU and 2GB of RAM. A 5" 720p touchscreen, 8MP main camera, 2MP front-facing snapper, and 2,800mAh non-removable battery are also tucked into the device's 9.5mm thick body.a

Microsoft jumps the gun on the Lumia 640 and 640 XL news post

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BY Unknown 20:00 0

Microsoft jumps the gun on the Lumia 640 and 640 XL news post

The Lumia 640 has been popping up in various rumors throughout the past month or so. The Windows Phone handset was rumored to make an appearance at MWC 2015 and even though you never know untill it official, the upcoming unveiling of the smartphone is beyond any doubt now.

The company's official news center jumped the gun earlier today and released an article for the device, confirming its existence. This is a substantial lip up on Microsoft's part, but what makes it particularly juicy is that the article also refers to another, previously unknown phone, dubbed the Lumia 640 XL.

According to a previous leak the Lumia 640 is allegedly a dual SIM smartphone that sports integrated digital television (DTV) and supports 3G and Bluetooth 4.0. Judging from the XL moniker, we can only assume that the other device will be a larger version of the handset, just like the Nokia XL was to the Nokia X.

The article itself was naturally quickly taken down, but thanks to Google's helpful web crawlers a cached version is still available, sowing the article's title and original URL. The leak does not really disclose any info about the two devices, but it does proclaim their existence and definitely elevates expectations for Microsoft's Barcelona event, set for tomorrow, March 2, at 08:00 GTM+1.

Exclusive: Gionee Elife S7 leaks ahead of launch at MWC

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BY Unknown 19:15 0

Exclusive: Gionee Elife S7 leaks ahead of launch at MWC

Gionee will be announcing the Elife S7 at MWC tomorrow on March 2. But before that, we have some exclusive images of the upcoming slim smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer.

Gionee Elife S7 is said to be 5.5mm thick, which is about the same as the S5.5 but slightly more than the S5.1. It is said to be running on a 64-bit processor, although whether it will be a MediaTek or Qualcomm chipset is not yet known. Also, as you can see from the images, the phone is running on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

   

Other than that you can expect a 13 megapixel camera and a 5.0-inch display with 720p resolution.

More details when the phone is officially announced tomorrow.

Meizu keeps on teasing the MX4 Ubuntu Edition, due to be unveiled at MWC

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BY Unknown 23:30 0

Meizu keeps on teasing the MX4 Ubuntu Edition, due to be unveiled at MWC

For almost two weeks now Meizu has been teasing the upcoming release of the Ubuntu-running edition of its MX4 smartphone. At first, things were pretty cryptic, but yesterday the Chinese company published the first official screenshots of Ubuntu running on the MX4 – so all was clear. Today it’s keeping the teasing campaign going with the image you can see below.

So we get yet another confirmation that the Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition will finally become official during MWC next week. Meizu even found time to take an ever so subtle jab at the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition, which was the first ever handset to run the mobile version of the OS. But indeed that is no “premium device”.

We expect the Ubuntu-running MX4 to come with the same specs as its Android-touting sibling. That means it will have a 5.36-inch 1,920×1152 touchscreen, a 20.7MP rear camera with dual-LED flash, a 2MP secondary shooter, 2GB of RAM, and a 3,100 mAh battery. At the helm should be MediaTek’s MT6595 SoC, coming with an octa-core CPU with four 2.2 GHz Cortex-A17 cores and four 1.7GHz Cortex-A7 ones.

Alcatel to announce new phones this Sunday at the MWC 2015

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BY Unknown 18:30 0

Alcatel to announce new phones this Sunday at the MWC 2015

Alcatel has announced it’s going to hold a press conference at the Mobile World Congress this year. Scheduled for Sunday, March 1, the event should see a yet unknown number of phones announced.

The company has been quite mysterious lately and has managed to keep its upcoming line-up of devices under cover. Historically at the MWC, Alcatel has always announced smartphones covering all of the market tiers and we expect the same thing to happen this year, too.

Alcatel promises its press event to deliver an “Upside down” experience, whatever this means. In any case, we’re very much looking forward to what the company has in store with its new OneTouch phone members.

Sixth Lenovo smartphone confirmed for its MWC lineup

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BY Unknown 00:58 0

Sixth Lenovo smartphone confirmed for its MWC lineup

Yesterday, we reported on Lenovo's upcoming line-up of five smartphones for MWC 2015, but we've been tipped that there's in fact one more phone that will debut there. As it turns out, the sixth new Vibe member is the Vibe Max, which isn't the same as the Vibe Shot.

The Lenovo Vibe Max, as MXPhone.com tipped us, is a big screen device with a 6.0" display boasting QHD resolution. It's performance oriented, but specifics on the chipset aren't available yet. The Vibe Max will be the first Android smartphone from Lenovo to pack a stylus. It's called AnyPen and we suspect it will be able to do some cool stuff, although details are scarce.

The Vibe Max also packs a big battery, probably north of 4,000mAh and the phone will include a fingerprint sensor and NFC connectivity. Sadly, photos of the phone aren't available yet.

At the Mobile World Congress this year, Lenovo will reveal its 2015 Android line-up including the Vibe S1, Vibe X3, Vibe P1, Vibe P1 Pro and the Vibe Shot in addition to the Vibe Max.

Meizu teases Ubuntu phone ahead of MWC event

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BY Unknown 22:40 0

Meizu teases Ubuntu phone ahead of MWC event

Ubuntu on mobile phones has been a long standing project for Canonical and quite an ambitious one. Much like Microsoft and its new One Windows ideology, Canonical hatched the scheme for a unified cross-device application ecosystem long ago, but progress has been rather slow.

Meizu has been a vital part of the new OS development with various demo builds and rumor of Ubuntu-powered Meizu handset popping up ever since the MX 3 was the company's flagship offer. Today the Chinese smartphone maker posted a rather interesting teaser on Facebook. The image hints at a new OS, which will join the ranks of Flyme and YunOS and probably be unveiled at this year's MWC.

We can instinctively point a finger towards Ubuntu Touch, which we will hopefully see in mass-production devices. This hunch is further backed up by rumors of an Ubuntu MX4 hitting the market early 2015. The current flagship device has been a long-standing candidate for the Ubuntu experience, but we can definitely expect surprises.

Last week Canonical threw a quite unexpected curve ball by announcing that the BQ Aquaris E4.5 will be the pioneer of the Ubuntu on a Smartphone. Keeping that in mind it is not certain if the MX4 or MX4 Pro will offer a high-end hardware home for the new OS or Meizu will bring an entirely new phone to the scene.

In any case the news is exciting. The Ubuntu Touch platform itself is an interesting brain child of Canonical Ltd. The main idea behind it is a uniform kernel and set of base technologies that form a cross device application platform. What this implies is a high level of uniformity and compatibility, allowing you to use pretty much the same set of applications, both on mobile and desktop devices. To further add to the excitement, Ubuntu touch also promises a full desktop experience and perhaps even in the future a full desktop Ubuntu session running straight from the phone or tablet once hooked to a bigger screen.

The latter, also known as "Full desktop convergence" is kind of experimental at this time, so it might be a while until we are actually able to dock our phone and use it as an everyday work PC replacement for example. There are also some hardware requirement for the feature to work but they are definitely not out of reach for current gen mobile devices so here's hoping we finally see a full-featured Ubuntu experience on a Meizu device in Barcelona.