Subsequent week sees Cell World Congress return to Barcelona, two years after the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the cancellation of the world’s largest cell phone commerce present, and one yr after the present passed off with out lots of its largest exhibitors in attendance. Not everyone seems to be making a return to this yr’s in-person occasion (Sony, Lenovo, and a few media retailers together with The Verge aren’t attending) nevertheless it nearly feels just like the present is again to full energy.
But it surely’s additionally an occasion that’s going to point out off precisely how a lot the smartphone business has shifted in recent times. Because it stands, all of the present’s largest {hardware} bulletins seem more likely to come from Chinese language manufacturers like Oppo, Honor, TCL, Xiaomi-sub-brand Poco, and Huawei, fairly than manufacturers from Europe, America, and even one other Asian nation like South Korea.
Honor plans to announce the Magic 4 on the present
Honor, for instance, is planning to announce the Magic 4 sequence on the present, marking its first Western flagship smartphone launch since splitting with former dad or mum firm Huawei. Though the corporate launched the mid-range Honor 50 globally final yr, the Magic 4 is rumored to be utilizing Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, making it a direct (and certain reasonably priced) competitor to the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S22 or the OnePlus 10.
In the meantime Oppo has stated it plans to announce “a number of high-end flagship merchandise” alongside augmented actuality and 5G “R&D achievements” at this yr’s MWC. The corporate is recent off the heels of saying its newest flagship smartphone, the Discover X5 Professional, final Thursday, however nonetheless intends to make use of this yr’s present to make main bulletins.
Or what about TCL, which says it plans to disclose extra entries in its 30 Sequence of smartphones after saying the primary two entries, the 30 XE 5G and 30 V5G, at CES earlier this yr. Or Poco, the Xiaomi sub-brand that plans to announce the Poco X4 Professional 5G and Poco M4 Professional at an occasion on February twenty eighth. Oppo spinoff Realme is promising to announce the “world’s quickest smartphone charging expertise” at this yr’s present, which for these protecting observe would should be quicker than the 125W UltraDart expertise it introduced a few years in the past.
In distinction, main cellphone manufacturers outdoors of China have not often proven a lot curiosity in utilizing MWC for main consumer-facing bulletins. Google has by no means launched a smartphone at MWC, and Apple takes the present about as significantly because it takes each different main commerce present, which is to say “not very.” However even Samsung, which used MWC to announce its flagship Galaxy S smartphone as just lately as 2018, seems to be focusing its MWC launches this yr on a humble laptop computer. Solely HMD, the Finland-headquartered firm that now produces Nokia-branded smartphones, has routinely timed its main product bulletins with the Barcelona commerce present.
HMD, which produces Nokia smartphones, is a serious exception
MWC’s growing deal with Chinese language firms doesn’t imply it’s shedding relevance, as a result of these telephones are extra widespread with prospects all world wide than ever. As of final yr, IDC stories that three out of the highest 5 hottest smartphone manufacturers worldwide — Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo — are headquartered in China, with the primary and two spots being taken up by Samsung and Apple. It’s an analogous scenario in Europe particularly, the place Counterpoint Analysis stories that seven out of the highest ten hottest smartphone manufacturers are headquartered in China.
As an alternative, I believe the pattern is an fascinating show of who has probably the most to realize from timing a giant announcement to coincide with a crowded commerce present. It’s not firms like Samsung and Apple, which have the sort of world bodily presence that enables them to host huge launches individually from main commerce reveals. However for an organization like Honor or TCL, a present like MWC seems to be like a useful strategy to get quite a lot of press into one place to point out off your wares.
The information round MWC 2022 will nearly actually be dominated by Chinese language tech manufacturers, who’re doing the most effective out of anybody at protecting the thrill round Europe’s largest cellular present alive. However the extra you have a look at it, it begins to appear to be good logistics.
