Mobile World Congress (MWC) is an annual event, and if the name didn't give it away, the week-long experience in Barcelona, Spain is the go-to experience for anything to do with the mobile industry. As such, it serves as the primary platform for smartphone manufacturers to showcase their wares, with Android OEMs in particular using it to make a strong start to the year. 

Right foot forward

If a manufacturer can make a good impression at MWC, they can usually set themselves up for a solid 12 months thereafter. Point in case, Samsung, which made quite the mark with its Galaxy S6 and S6 edge offerings. The year before it was Taiwanese manufacturer HTC with the One (M8) (review). This year, the prediction for best in show is a little harder to determine, as each manufacturer will most likely have a different focus for their time in Barcelona next week. 

MWC is not only important for device makers, it is of equal significance for media and trend analysts alike, with more than 94 000 people expected to make up the former. As far as the latter goes, MWC also plays host to a number of conferences dealing with mobile industry trends, with the ramping up of 5G broadband, the importance of establishing your brand as mobile-first and the perennial discussions around the Internet of Things (IoT) likely to feature.

Head-to-head

This year's iteration starts on Monday, 22 February, but it's the Sunday beforehand that will draw more attention, as three Android OEMs have large-scale events planned. This sees Huawei, LG and Samsung all go head-to-head. Samsung and LG are confirmed to have flagships readying for debuts on the 21st, with reports suggesting that Huawei are doing the same. It is, however, Huawei and LG that have the most to prove, as Samsung has been the dominant manufacturer within the Android OS space. The South Korean manufacturer dispatched HTC last year, with the Taiwanese company failing to impress with its HTC One M9 (review). 

The winners are...

Along with mobile device announcements and panel discussions on industry trends, MWC also has its own awards show. The categories range from Best mobile innovation in the automotive sector and Best use of NFC & mobile money, to Best use of mobile for retail and Best mobile innovation for IoT. As such, to gauge which company has or indeed will make the biggest impact within the mobile industry, the MWC Awards Show is one to watch.

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