We have barely had time to wipe the sweat from our brow after the hard work before and during CES 2011, but already MWC 2011 is fast approaching.

Kicking off in Barcelona on the 14^th of February, Mobile World Congress is the biggest event in the mobile technology calendar. First appearing on the technology calendar in 1987 when holding your mobile phone to your ear was a test of strength and endurance, Mobile World Congress called Cannes home until 2006 when it relocated to Barcelona. The reason behind this move may have something to do with the leg-aching 365,000m2 of floor space they have at the Fira de Barcelona event venue.

We know from the recent CES 2011 convention in Las Vegas that tablets were one of the big product categories represented by a lot of consumer electronics companies, and I’m sure no one is doubting that there will be more on display in Barcelona.

But beyond tablets the question remains what will be the big technology trends and innovations on display?

After the headline-stealing success of the launch of the LG Optimus 2X and the Atrix from Motorola at CES earlier this month, the betting man would have his money on more brands launching dual-core smartphones, with Nvidia supplying the processors!

Another hot-topic of conversation is the evolution of 4G technology and the handsets supporting this. 4G is unsurprisingly the successor to 3G, but the exciting thing is that it allows handsets to more effectively use features like video calling, mobile TV and much improved browsing speeds.

The problem still remains that there is yet to be a uniform technology agreed upon. Signs point toward the emerging eminence of LTE (Long Term Evolution, as used by Verizon Wireless in the US). Pocketlint recently spoke to UK service providers, and came to the conclusion that 4G was still some distance away within the UK, despite 4G handsets lined up for UK release this year. Regardless of this news, expect 4G to be very much present at MWC in Barcelona.

The bad news for all of you hardcore mobile phone fanatics is that MWC is not open to the general public. The good news is that we will be keeping you up to date with all of the latest announcements, products and innovation from LG at MWC 2011 right here on the blog.