LG, Huawei Flagship Phones Not Appearing At MWC 2018; Samsung Hogging Spotlight?

LG Electronics and Huawei have confirmed that they will not be showcasing new flagship phones at next month’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018. This means Samsung Electronics’ successor to the Galaxy S8 would be the center of attraction at the largest exhibition for the mobile industry.

Etnews reported Wednesday that LG and Huawei apparently decided to change their initial plans of introducing their next flagship phones at MWC 2018, while Samsung is determined to introduce its highly anticipated Galaxy S9 at the big event next month.

The news may not come as a surprise to LG fans, since the South Korean company already announced its decision to not follow its traditional timetable for its new releases at CES 2018 earlier this month. LG said that it has decided to do so to give its flagship offerings more time to shine in the market. Plus, it is using a different approach this time around — one that does not entail releasing new handsets just because its rivals are also releasing new phones.

What’s surprising is Huawei’s decision to not launch its P20 flagship phone at MWC 2018. The Chinese company has instead decided to hold a special event in Europe this April to introduce its new products including the P20 flagship handset. This is a bit of a letdown for fans who expected the P20 to debut next month. After all, Huawei introduced its predecessor at last year’s MWC.

To make up for the G7’s absence at MWC, LG is introducing a derivative model of last year’s V30. IBTimes previously learned that the upgraded model will be named “LG V30+‘α’” and it will feature new and improved artificial intelligence features. An industry source disclosed that the new V30 will have partial changes to some parts, but he did not specify the parts that have been modified.

On the other hand, Huawei is gearing up to introduce its new tablet PCs and 2-in-1 laptops instead of the P20 at next month’s Barcelona, Spain event. Aside from launching these new products, Huawei is also believed to be taking its time in overcoming internal and external tasks like preparing for the American smartphone market, stabilizing the supply and demand for new chips and improving its standards of triple cameras.

Meanwhile, Samsung can definitely hog the spotlight at this year’s MWC because it is unveiling its Galaxy S9 flagship phone on Feb. 25, a day prior the kickoff of the big exhibition. Samsung is then expected to showcase its Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the event, before making them available for preorders in early March.

When reached for comment about the rumored specs and features of the Galaxy S9, a Samsung representative said, “We cannot mention any detailed information regarding Galaxy S9 series since they are new products that are not announced yet.” The rep then went on say, “There is a high chance that Galaxy S9 series will have upgraded functions such as dual-cameras that users prefer and have improved level of convenience at the same time.”