Chinese smartphone vendors are scrambling to showcase their latest cutting-edge designs in preparation for the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2019, a global telecom industry gathering to be held in Barcelona, Spain in late February.

Vivo, for instance, announced its latest concept, the APEX 2019. Powered with fifth generation mobile communication technology, the smartphone has almost no holes, boasting only a tiny microphone slit below the screen.

The 2019 model features a high screen-to-body ratio and slim bezels. There's no headphone jack and no USB-C port, commonly part of a normal handset. Charging is handled by a rear-mounted magnetic connector that can also be used for data transfer.

The new smartphone comes with a full-display fingerprint scanner, which makes it far more convenient to unlock device and toggle apps with just one tap.

Although the APEX 2019 to be showcased at the MWC 2019 is just a concept phone, it is possible for the model to evolve into a commercial product, just as the first APEX, unveiled last year, eventually evolved into the NEX S.

Vivo's move came after Huawei Technologies Co Ltd announced it would unveil its first 5G foldable smartphone at MWC 2019. It is expected to be a large-screen device, which can be bent and rolled to function both as a smartphone and tablet.

Xiaomi Corp and Lenovo Group Ltd are reportedly working on similar foldable products.