14 DAY TRIAL // The MWC show in Barcelona will open is doors next month, and as it happens every year, several large phone makers will attend to announce their new-generation devices going on sale in 2019.
Somewhat surprising is that Microsoft itself will join this club, as the company itself announced today.
Needless to say, Microsoft attending a mobile event makes everyone dream about a Windows phone or maybe the highly anticipated Surface Phone, but this is very unlikely to be the case.
Instead, Microsoft’s MWC 2019 appearance will be all about more boring stuff for Windows Phone fans and will include, as the company itself says, “real-time insights and experiences, delivered by highly responsive and contextually aware apps.”
Microsoft will also discuss the Internet of Things, but also provide a closer look at its efforts to “transform spatial understanding through advanced sensors and AI at the edge to make technology more personal and natural.”
Don’t hold your breath for Windows phones
So no, there won’t be a Windows phone going live at MWC, but for Microsoft watchers, this event will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.
Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella himself is expected to attend the show, alongside other high-profile executives like Alex Kipman, who will probably dissect the HoloLens and share a few more details about the future of this device.
As for Microsoft’s future in mobile, it basically comes down to Surface Andromeda, a device that’s expected to have little in common with smartphones. With a dual-screen design, Andromeda would be more oriented towards productivity on the go, though it was believed that phone capabilities could also be offered.
Andromeda was pushed back to the drawing board back in 2018, and it’s now projected to be finalized sometime this year, albeit people with knowledge of the matter said the project could very well be shelved too.