Android Gamer: What we expect to see at Mobile World Congress

Mobile World Congress kicks off in Barcelona tomorrow and we’ll be covering all of the announcements and action to stem from it. This year’s MWC should bring some exciting announcements and we’re here to let you know you the most exciting things that we’re expecting to see. Without further ado, let’s get started with the star of the show, Samsung.

Galaxy S5 and variants

This is the big one of the show. The Galaxy S5 is Samsung’s flagship for 2014 and is expected to launch with several variants. One of the most common rumors we’ve been hearing is that there will be a standard version and then a “Prime” version. The standard version should be high-end and a bit more similar to last year’s S4. The Prime version looks to be for the spec nerds out there with rumored specs such as a 1440p display.

Also likely are variants of the Galaxy S5. We’re expecting to see a Galaxy S5 Mini and a Galaxy S5 Zoom. Also possible is a Galaxy S5 Active. All of these were variants of last year’s Galaxy S4 and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung update them for the S5.

Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo

Smartwatches are continuing to gain traction in the market and it would be logical to think that Samsung would want to get in on the action. Last year’s Galaxy Gear is starting to age a bit and several leaks have pointed to new Galaxy Gear variants coming at MWC. Today, we had our first look at them in a leaked image and they were said to be dubbed the Galaxy Gear 2 and the Galaxy Gear 2 Neo.

The Gear 2 will most likely be the higher-end version with the Gear 2 Neo being a cheaper, mid-range version. One interesting note is this, @evleaks, who originally leaked the photo, later came back and said that the watches may not be Galaxy branded. What that implies is that rumors about Samsung’s new smartwatches running Tizen may be true. This would be intriguing to see and would be Samsung’s first mainstream use of Tizen. We’re keeping our eyes on these.

TouchWiz overhaul

This is something that’s been long awaited. With the release of the Galaxy S5, Samsung may debut a much-needed refresh to their TouchWiz UI. We’re not entirely sure what this will entail, but there’s a good chance that it could be much flatter and more like the Android aesthetics that we all know and love. Check out the leaked screenshots above for an idea of what it could be.

LG G Pro 2

LG has already let the world know about the G Pro 2 and revealed many of its specs including a 1080p 5.9-inch screen, 13-megapixel camera with 4K video and Android 4.4 KitKat. Launch information hasn’t yet been announced and we’re hoping that LG will reveal more about that at MWC.

Sony Xperia Z2 and Xperia Tablet Z2

Sony is expected to announce a new high-end smartphone dubbed the Xperia Z2 as well as an update to their high-end tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z2. Rumors aren’t too detailed on these but we’re expecting to high-end specs such as Snapdragon 800 processors and on the Xperia Z2, a 4K camera.

HTC Desire 8

HTC’s Desire lineup has traditionally been low-end but the Desire 8 has to be one of the most gorgeous phones that we’ve set eyes on. The Desire 8 has been leaked several times and is rumored to include BoomSound, Sense 6.0, a 13-megapixel camera and surprisingly for a mid-range phone, a 5.5-inch 720p display. This phone certainly has us excited and we’ll definitely watch it.

Nokia X

Last, and in terms of specs, definitely least, we have the Nokia X. The Nokia X is Nokia’s first foray into Android and rumors have pinned it to include some very low-end specs such as a 4-inch WVGA display, 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 512MB RAM. While this phone doesn’t excite us, it signifies Nokia’s willingness to use Android and further down the pipeline, there are rumors of higher-end Nokia Android devices.

That’s our list of things that we’re expecting to see at Mobile World Congress. What about you? What excites you at MWC? Let us know in the comments!