Mobile World Congress, held annually in Barcelona, plays host to some of the biggest phone launches of the year. Samsung, Sony, Nokia and other major manufacturers all hold lavish press conferences to unveil their latest and greatest and Pocket-lint attends to give you the low-down on the handsets to salivate over in the coming months.
Laptops, tablets and wearables also make an appearance, so there are plenty of products to see. That's why it's always a tough job to wheedle them down to the best devices to appear at the show. But wheedle them down we have.
Here then are our top picks for the products that stole MWC 2018. You won't go far wrong if you opt for any of these.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
Samsung returned to hosting an Unpacked event on the eve of Mobile World Congress this year and we're very grateful indeed. That's because it launched two of the best handsets at the show, in the form of the Galaxy S9 and S9+.
These phones might look like the previous versions, but they have been super-charged. Not only do they have incredible 18.5:9 ratio displays, but they also sport a unique 12-megapixel camera on the rear. It is also capable of shooting extreme slow motion video at 960fps while also offering a dual-aperture function to boost low-light shooting.
In addition, the S9+ gets a zoom lens too, to round out a hugely compelling package.
Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact
Sony also launched two new handsets during MWC itself, the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. In this case, the Compact version is one of the smallest phones you'll find with flagship power.
Sony Mobile has completely changed its approach to design with these handsets, which is a refreshing move, while also loading it with the latest hardware and an impressive camera.
Both these phones offer an HDR display and have the distinction of being the first capable of shooting 4K HDR video. They are as powerful as they come, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, and offer 960fps capture like the Galaxy S9s. However, they beat Samsung to the punch with a higher 1080p resolution for slow-mo.
Nokia 8 Sirocco
Nokia announced no less than five new handsets during its Mobile World Congress press conference, with the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco at the top of the pile.
It's a 5.5-inch device with curved edges. And while it sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor rather than the all-new 845, it has a mammoth 6GB of RAM to ensure it moves as smoothly as a well-greased eel.
A dual Zeiss camera can be found on the rear and it's one of Nokia's first handsets to adopt Android One - a version of Android Oreo that comes completely free of bloatware. If you're looking for a clean flagship experience, you can't go far wrong here.
Huawei MateBook X Pro
It's refreshing to see products other than mobile phones at MWC, including a few laptops, and the Huawei MateBook X Pro is great proof as to why.
It fits the mobility angle perfectly, being just 1.3kg even though it has a 13.9-inch 3000 x 2000 pixel display. That's partly thanks to a superthin bezel around the edge - it's just 4.4mm on each side, given you a 91 per cent screen to bezel ratio.
The laptop is no slouch either, with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. It even has Dolby Atmos audio and a quad speaker setup. Ideal for your travels.
Nokia 7 Plus
Like the Nokia 8 Sirocco, the Nokia 7 Plus is an Android One phone, ditching the bloatware for a clean Android Oreo experience.
Its cheaper than its flagship stablemate, but offers an 18:9 aspect display - this time a 6-incher with a 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution.
Inside, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also has an impressive 3,800mAh battery with fast charging through USB-C. But the icing on the cake is the dual Zeiss camera units on the rear, running at 12 and 13-megapixels. A 16-megapixel camera can be found on the front.
This is going to be a very popular phone for the price, we feel.
Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro
There haven't been many tablets launched at Mobile World Congress this year - it's clearly a slowing market - so it's great to see the Huawei MediaPad M5 Pro continuing to fly the flag for the sector.
It's a valid iPad Pro competitor, with an included M-Pen stylus and great quality 10.8-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS LCD display.
Huawei has opted for its own Kirin 960 processor to run the show and 4G connectivity is on offer for internet access when out and about. You can also get an optional keyboard accessory to turn it into an all-in-one for work and fun.
Lenovo Yoga 730
Another laptop to catch our eye at MWC was the Lenovo Yoga 730. Launched alongside a slightly lesser spec'ed Yoga 530, the 730 has a trademark hinge system to flip it over into tablet mode, but is every bit the powerhouse notebook you'd expect from non all-in-ones.
It can come with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, plus a 512GB SSD. And its 13.3-inch touchscreen can be bumped up to Ultra HD. A 15-inch option is also available, and can even come with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics for gaming.
There's also Amazon Alexa integration and up to 11 hours of battery life - great for all-day use.
Sony Xperia Ear Duo
Sony's Ear Duo is an interesting headset. It's aimed at those who need to be aware of their surroundings while out and about, but want to listen to music or stay in contact with their phone. It's sort of an augmented audio experience, if you will.
Although it the looks might divide opinion, there's something of a futuristic chic to this headset - it won't replace your traditional headphones which deliver sound quality and isolation, but to can add music like the soundtrack to your life, while ensuring you're not so absorbed in music that you lose track of what you're doing.
LG V30S ThinQ
There's more to the LG V30S ThinQ than you might at first think. It isn't really a new handset - it has the same design and hardware as the V30 launched late in 2017, the same great display, same waterproof build and same camera setup. It's sitting on the same core hardware, but gets a boost in RAM and storage, so might zip along a little faster.
What this phone does though is evolve the AI landscape for LG. Introducing ThinQ to LG handsets, it arrives initially in the form of an AI camera - point it at something and it will identify it and set-up the camera for the best shot.
In future, ThinQ is going to weave its way into linking and working with all LG products and a wider smart world. In short, this is the start of something new, where AI brings the advancements rather than hardware.
And let's face it, of all the 18:9 devices on the market, the LG V30 still looks the best of all of them.
Asus ZenFone 5
The ZenFone 5 is a slick Qualcomm Snapdragon 636-powered, 6.2-inch handset that'll be launched in the UK later this year. We loved the look and feel of this mid-ranger (we're not worried about the notch, it's just a fact of life) and although we haven't officially been told the price point, the rumours we're hearing are that it will cost less than £400.
And for that price, this is an absolute steal. There's only one downside; the screen is a fairly low-res FHD+ affair, but many in its target market won't be too bothered about that. Asus has a serious mid-range contender on its hands.
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