Mobile World Congress 2015: Samsung Galaxy S6 and What Else to Expect

— -- Smartphone fanatics rejoice: The Mobile World Congress gets underway in Barcelona next week where some of the biggest technology companies are expected to show off the next wave of innovative devices.

While the event doesn't officially begin until Monday, Samsung is starting the festivities one day early when it live streams its Galaxy Unpacked event at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, during which it is expected to announce at least one, if not two, new smartphones.

Samsung hasn't said what is on the agenda. However, the South Korean tech giant has been dropping hints along the way about what to expect from an anticipated Galaxy S6. The anticipated smartphone has been expected to take on the curved design that Samsung unveiled with the Galaxy Note Edge.

Photos posted online by Samsung and T-Mobile also suggest the "next big thing" will trade in its plastic backing for an all-metal frame.

"Samsung has to hit a home run to stem their precipitous share losses, particularly on the premium phone range," Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights and Strategies told ABC News.

Samsung recently acquired mobile wallet LoopPay, a competitor to Apple Pay, something Moorhead expects will be referenced on Sunday. However, he said he doesn't "see it being integrated immediately but very soon afterwards."

Also expect Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC to compete on Sunday with Samsung when it holds a press event showing off what many believe will be its One M9 device, a follow-up to the One M8 released last year.

"I'm expecting a new premium phablet product with updated specifications and new industrial design," Moorhead said.

While it's a wildcard, it's also possible that HTC could share new insights on how their partnership with Under Armour will bring meld technology and fitness.

Aside from product announcements, the Mobile World Congress is known for hosting talks with some of the biggest players in the technology industry.

Fresh off a vote to preserve net neutrality in the United States, Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is scheduled to deliver a speech. Also on the agenda this year are Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, Google's head of Android, Chrome and Apps.

With 1,900 exhibitors, most of the big-name companies will hold press events on Sunday and Monday, clearing the way for the exhibition floor to take the spotlight the rest of the week.

"We could see some surprises with some wearables that we haven’t seen before," Moorhead said. "I would expect them to follow along the lines of what Apple has done -- things that look more like a watch than a cross between a watch and a smartphone."

Apple is known for doing its own thing. The company won't be at the event but is instead readying to host a mystery presentation in San Francisco on March 9 where it's expected the iPhone maker will show off even more features of its Apple Watch, which is set to debut in April.