The phones of Mobile World Congress 2016 (pictures)

Mobile World Congress is the biggest mobile phone show around, and manufacturers the world over are showing off what's in store for 2016.

First up is the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Samsung's latest flagship refines the efforts of its predecessor, souping up the camera's performance while giving you more to do with the edges of the curved, 5.5-inch display.

The Galaxy S7 also made its debut. Its 5.1-inch display is a bit smaller than its sibling, and there are no curves on this screen.

But all of the S7 Edge's other goodies remain intact: You'll get the neat camera, the "Always-on" display that keeps important information surfaced on the lock screen, and a microSD card slot for your storage needs.

LG's G5 has a trick up its sleeve: Pull on the bottom edge of the phone, and you can replace the mundane battery with modular accessories.

These are currently limited to the Cam Plus, which offers physical camera controls, and the Hi-Fi Plus, which promises to soup up your audio experience.

The Akyumen Holofone is a Windows 10 phablet with a built-in projector. If you think that sounds ludicrous I'm right there with you, but I suppose I don't often find myself needing to give a presentation from my phone.

If that piques your interest, this 7-inch device might be for you. A 45 lumen lamp sits on the top of the phone, and it can beam images for up to two hours of continuous use -- if your presentation is dragging on, just plug the phone in via the USB-C connector.

So maybe a built-in projector isn't for you. But who hasn't ever wondered if the monsters under your bed or in your closet had returned? Wonder no more, for the rugged Cat S60 has a built-in thermal imaging camera.

Cat's devices are directed towards folks who work in extreme environments, including construction and emergency first response. A thermal imaging camera that can detect heat signatures through walls would likely come in handy for that market segment. But I can't help but wonder what kind of mischief I could get into with one of these...

Sony's Xperia X is a mid-range Android phone with a premium look and feel. The 5-inch display has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and there a 23-megapixel camera equipped with a predictive autofocus feature -- Sony claims it'll anticipate your subject's motion, and take clear shots.

There's no word on price or availablitiy, but it's due to arrive globally in a few months.

The all-metal HTC One X9 is attractive, if a little underwhelming. A meager processor and 5.5-inch 1080p display are joined by a 13-megapixel camera. That's not much to write home about, but perhaps good looks will be enough to sway you.

Lenovo's value-focused Vibe K5 shows you can get quite a bit of phone for a budget price. You'll get an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 1080p display, for $149 (around £100 or AU$210).

The Alcatel Idol 4S's marquee feature is a dedicated, programmable shortcut button. You can use it as a dedicated shutter button for the 16-megapixel camera or to fire up particular apps.

The rest of the phone is no slouch either, with a 5.5-inch 1440p display, and Android Marshmallow.

ZTE is maintaining a low-key presence at Mobile World Congress this year, but the Blade V7 is a nice budget entry that'll be available globally this Spring.

A 1.3GHz octa-core processor powers the 5.2-inch 1080p display. You'l also find a 13-megapixel shooter on the rear, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.

The ZTE Blade V7 Lite is a more affordable take. It dials down the specs a bit, though. You'll find an 8-megapixel camera and a quad-core processor.