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Here are all of February's mobile-related announcements
February 2019 was filled with phone launches. We saw foldable handsets, 5G devices and smartphones with five rear-facing cameras all launch in the same month.
Because a variety of OEMS revealed handsets in February, it's difficult to remember exactly what was launched, that's why we've constructed a list of devices that were announced this last month.
Samsung unveiled a variety of devices in February, including a 5G phone and a foldable handset.
Samsung Galaxy S10 / Galaxy S10+
The Galaxy S10 and S10+ are Samsung's tenth-anniversary handsets. The latter can be configured with up to 1TB of storage and up to 12GB of RAM. Both feature punch-hole displays, expensive price tags, Samsung's One UI and headphone jacks.
Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy S10e, a smaller, more affordable S10 variant that's available in several vibrant colours. The phone, similar to the S10, features an Infinity-O display cutout, Snapdragon 855 processor and a 5.8-inch screen.
To learn more about all three S10 models, read our review.
The South Korean company also revealed the S10 5G. It features a 6.7-inch display, a Snapdragon 855 processor in the U.S., three rear-facing cameras, as well as a time-of-flight sensor for depth map processing and comes with a Qualcomm X50 modem for 5G connectivity in countries where the networks are available. At least for the time being, Samsung doesn't plan to release the Galaxy S10 5G in Canada.
For more on the S10 5G, click here.
Last but not least, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold, a foldable device that features a 7.3-inch display when unfolded and a 4.6-inch cover display. It also has a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 12GB of RAM and a 4,380mAh battery. The Galaxy Fold will come to Canada, but expect a hefty price when it does.
For more on the Galaxy Fold, click here.
Unlike Samsung, Huawei only revealed one handset at Mobile World Congress, but it too was very foldable.
The Chinese company revealed the Huawei Mate X. Unfolded, the handset features an 8-inch display, and a 6.6-inch display when it's folded. It also includes 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
The Mate X's multi-mode Balong 5000 modem features 5G connectivity, as well as 4G, 3G and other previous networks. Huawei plans to bring the Mate X to the Canadian market.
For more on the Huawei Mate X, click here.
LG revealed two phones at Mobile World Congress, one of which is coming to Canada while the other is not.
LG announced the G8 ThinQ at MWC 2019. Of the two phones LG announced at MWC, it's the one that's coming to Canada.
At first, the device doesn't seem much different from 2018's G7 ThinQ, but it comes with rounded corners, 3D face scanning technology and a time-of-flight camera that enables LG's new 'Air Gestures' feature.
'Air Gestures,' allows users to wave at their phone to open apps and perform in-app actions.
For more on the LG G8 ThinQ, read our hands-on with the device.
The LG V50 ThinQ is a smartphone that features both 5G connectivity and an attachable screen. The phone also sports a Snapdragon 855 processor, 4,000mAh battery and a normal 6.4-inch display. With the V50 5G, LG plans to offer an accessory that allows users to add a secondary screen to the phone. This 5G-capable handset is not coming to Canada.
For more on the LG V50 ThinQ, click here.
HMD Global released several new devices at MWC 2019. At this moment it's unclear if any of these devices will come to Canada.
The Nokia 9 PureView is one of the most unique devices to come out of Mobile World Congress. While the device seems simple from the front, on the rear the PureView sports a seven-array setup with five cameras, a time of flight sensor and a dual LED flash. The phone also features a Snapdragon 845 processor with 6GB of RAM, a 20-megapixel selfie camera and a 5.99-inch display with a 1,440 x 2,880-pixel resolution.
For more on the Nokia 9 PureView, click here.
Nokia 4.2, 3.2 and 1 Plus
HMD Global also announced several budget phones, including the Nokia 4.2, a phone that offers a notched 5.71-inch display with a 1,520 x 720-pixel resolution. It also sports up to 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 3,000mAh battery. The 3.2, meanwhile, has a 439 processor with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Lastly, the 1 Plus features a a 5.54-inch display with a MediaTek processor, 1GB of RAM and up to 16GB of storage.
For more on these budget Nokia devices, click here.
Sony's latest flagship is the Xperia 1, it features a 6.5-inch OLED display with an odd 21:9 aspect ratio and a 4K resolution that supports HDR 10. Additionally, the phone sports Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage, as well as Dolby Atmos.
For more on the Sony Xperia 1, click here.
Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus
Sony also revealed the Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus, two more devices with 21:9 aspect ratios. These devices, on the other hand, feature the midrange Snapdragon 636 chipset, and a 1,080 x 2,520-pixel resolution, instead of the 4K resolution of the Xperia 1.
For more on the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus, click here.
Sony did not provide any details about Canadian availability.
TCL / Alcatel / BlackBerry
Alcatel 3, 3L and 1S
China's TCL announced three new Alcatel-branded devices at MWC: the Alcatel 3, 3L and 1S.
Of the three, the Alcatel 3 features the best specifications. It sports two-rear facing cameras — one with a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens and a 5-megapixel sensor with a f/2.4 aperture. The handset also has a 3,500mAh battery, 439 octa-core processor and up to 4GB of RAM.
Next, the Alcatel 3L sports a 5.94-inch screen with a Snapdragon 429 chipset, 2GB of RAM and a 3,500mAh battery
Lastly, the Alcatel 1S features a 5.5-inch panel with a 720 x 1,440-pixel resolution. It also sports 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and Android 9 Pie.
For more about these devices, click here.
BlackBerry KEY2 Red Edition
Internally, TCL's BlackBerry KEY2 Red edition is the same as the original KEY2, but comes in a handsome new colour.
For more on the BlackBerry KEY2 Red, click here.
In addition to new Alcatel and BlackBerry phones, TCL unveiled its new 'DragonHinge' mechanism that it plans to integrate into a foldable smartphone sometime in 2020. The company revealed that its TV unit helped develop the display for its foldable smartphone prototype.
For more on TCL's DragonHinge, click here.
Motorola unveiled the G7, G7 Power and the G7 Play, as well as the Brazil and Mexico-only G7 Plus.
These phones are all quite similar, with the G7 featuring an Essential-style teardrop notch and the G7 Play and Power sporting iPhone X-style notches. All three handsets sport Qualcomm's Snapdragon 632 processor, the G7 and G7 Play feature a 3,000mAh battery and the Power sports a massive 5,000 battery.
For a complete breakdown of these devices, check out our G7 family hands-on.
OnePlus 5G phone
Xiaomi Mi 9 (a device that's definitely not coming to Canada)
HMD Global to reveal rumoured Nokia 9 PureView on February 24 at MWC: report
Samsung Galaxy S10 series receives June security patch, dedicated Night Mode
Huawei Mate X 5G foldable gets 3C certificate, likely to launch in China soon
Spec comparison: Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X