The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC), one of the most important dates on the cellphone calender, kicks off in exactly a week’s time (15-18 February) in Barcelona, Spain. As can be expected the rumour mill is already working, with some interesting speculation on this year's event.

“Microsoft will showcase the latest Windows phones and investments in the mobile space,” their exhibition section on the MWC website reads. After impressing with their current smartphones running on Windows Mobile (WinMo) 6.5, the likes of the HTC HD2 and the new Sony Ericsson Aspen, it looks like the software giant is getting ready to take on Android and Apple iPhone OS by showing a demo of WinMo 7 at MWC 2010. 

Samsung will be presenting a phone that uses their new 3.3" 800 x 480 pixel (WVGA) “Super AMOLED” display. The display is 20% more visible outdoors in sunlight than the current range of mobile phone displays. More importanty, the phone is rumoured to be the first to run on their brand new bada mobile OS, which Samsung famously abandoned Symbian for last year.

Keep checking TechSmart.co.za for the latest on MWC 2010.