By Cho Mu-hyun
The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the biggest mobile trade show of the year, begins in Barcelona, Spain, Monday.
It will run through Thursday and provide a firsthand look at what to expect from an industry known for quick changes and fast-paced development.
Nonetheless, the venue is now the Fira Gran Via, twice as large as last year’s Fira Montjuic, with more companies showing off their wares, whether they be handsets, tablets, apps or even something unimaginable until now.
Local information technology firms have mostly increased their presence, excluding Samsung, and many are looking to arouse interest from overseas clients.
There is much speculation that Samsung, which became the world’s largest handset maker last year, will launch the Galaxy Note 8.0, a third version in the popular series. The company’s mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun is speculated to head the presentation for the new device as he has previously at the MWC.
It is also expected to present budget phones, as Samsung is never shy in showing off its manufacturing prowess.
Telecommunications giant KT is vastly upgrading its presence at the event to show off a diverse portfolio.
Its chairman, Lee Suk-chae, who became a board member of the mobile alliance GSMA last year, will give the keynote speech at the trade show, a first for the head of a Korean mobile operator.
He is expected to address some of the key changes and trends in the industry, as well as what mobile operators across the globe such as KT should prepare themselves for.
The firm, together with Samsung, will demonstrate its long-term evolution (LTE) portfolio. “We will show why we are the best mobile carrier in Korea,” said company spokesman Kim Chi-hyun. “Visitors will get a glimpse of what KT can offer, especially its LTE capacity.”
Korea’s largest carrier SK Telecom will also have a booth at the MWC.
LG Electronics is likely to flex its muscles at the trade show to prove that it is far from obsolete with new devices such as the recently released Optimus G Pro.
Other high-end devices will be available for visitors to try, while the company’s mobile head Park Jong-seok is a likely candidate to make a presentation.
Since the launch of the Optimus G, LG has been steadily increasing its market share.