MWC 2018: HTC Joins LG, Huawei In Ditching Venue For Flagship Launch

Contrary to previous reports, HTC isn’t going to unveil its next flagship smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2018 next month. This means Samsung could be the only smartphone maker to introduce a flagship handset at the big Barcelona, Spain event.

On Thursday, Android Headlines exclusively learned from an HTC insider that the Taiwanese company is not announcing the rumored HTC U12 at MWC. The inside source also disclosed to the publication on condition of anonymity that HTC is planning to host a separate launch event for its next premium phone after MWC. The insider did not provide a specific date, but the news outlet thinks it’s happening either in March or April.

In the past, many smartphone brands would show off their latest flagship devices at MWC. But this year, Samsung could be the only big player in the mobile phone industry to showcase a flagship handset. Earlier this week, LG and Huawei confirmed that they will not be unveiling their next flagships at the largest exhibition for the mobile industry this coming February.

LG’s confirmation does not come as a surprise, since the South Korean company announced at CES 2018 earlier this month that it will not be following its traditional schedule for its smartphone releases anymore. Huawei, on the other hand, has decided to just hold a special event in Europe in April to introduce its new products including the P20 (formerly rumored as P11) flagship handset. Both companies showcased their 2017 flagships at MWC last year.

HTC’s decision shouldn’t also come as a surprise because the Taiwanese company has been steering away from the MWC kerfuffle ever since the HTC 10, which was launched in April 2016. From then on, HTC has opted to hold separate events about a month after MWC to introduce its new high-end devices.

Circulating rumors are saying that the HTC U12 will resemble the HTC U11+, which came out just two months ago. However, HTC is believed to be following in the footsteps of Samsung and Apple by trimming the bezels of the upcoming smartphone. The device is also expected to sport a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, while it’s chassis could be made out of metal and glass. There are also reports claiming the U12 could ship with a large display that has an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Meanwhile, the absence of HTC, LG and Huawei’s flagships at MWC this year could mean that Samsung will have the limelight all to itself. The company has already sent out invitations for its pre-MWC event where it will introduce the highly anticipated Galaxy S9. The invitation teases that the Galaxy S8’s successor will come with a “reimagined” camera technology.