It’s that time of year again. Mobile World Congress has returned to Barcelona, filling the halls of the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via convention center from February 26th to February 29th. The trade show bills itself as “the largest and most influential event for the connectivity ecosystem,” with tens of thousands of attendees from manufacturers, mobile operators, and other companies.
We’ve already seen announcements covering smartphones, laptops, and some wearables. Honor and Xiaomi have given their formerly China-exclusive smartphones global launches, Lenovo has a new range of laptops to show off, and OnePlus is back in the smartwatch game with the OnePlus Watch 2.
We’ve also seen an up-close demo of Humane’s AI Pin.
And, of course, there are some flashy concept devices and ideas that seem destined to disappear back into the industry’s R&D labs after the show. Can I interest anyone in a laptop with a transparent screen?
Read on for all the biggest news coming out of the show, and be sure to check back, as we’ll be updating this page regularly throughout the course of the week.
Highlights
- The Phone 2A makes a guest appearance at Nothing’s MWC event.
- The Humane AI Pin worked better than I expected — until it didn’t
- The OnePlus Watch 2 is a bid to redeem its smartwatch reputation
- Wear OS is revamping notifications to improve battery life
- Gemini is about to slide into your DMs
- Samsung has big ambitions for the Galaxy Ring
- Lenovo worked with iFixit to make some ThinkPads easier to repair
Mar 5
AI gadgets, bendy phones, and more from MWC
There’s one thing you can count on at Mobile World Congress: a whole mess of Android smartphones. This year’s conference in Barcelona, Spain, delivered, with new devices from Xiaomi, Nothing, and others showing off the state of the art in the smartphone world.
Read Article >But there was something else brewing at this year’s MWC: some new ideas about what a “mobile device” might really mean. As generative AI changes the way we interact with technology, devices like the Humane AI Pin are starting to chart a path past the slab of glass in your pocket. Some of those slabs of glass are becoming more than just bundles of apps.
Mar 1
What if phones actually bent to our needs?
Mobile World Congress, like any good trade show, tries to present us with the best of what’s possible now and a vision for what’s coming next. Which translates to a lot of questions, particularly about the future of phones, like:
Read Article >“What if phones, but controlled with your eyes?”
Feb 27
The Phone 2A makes a guest appearance at Nothing’s MWC event.It’s not due to launch until March 5th, but Nothing couldn’t help teasing its first budget handset, yet again, in Barcelona.
As you can see, the light-up glyphs are back, but we’ll need a few more days before we get a better look at this device.
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Feb 27
Intel plans to be inside 100 million AI PCs by next year.Intel vice president David Feng said during Mobile World Congress that as part of the push to put AI into everything it builds, it will produce 40 million CPUs for AI PCs this year and 60 million in 2025, reports Nikkei Asia.
The “AI PC” concept includes Microsoft’s new CoPilot button plus Intel Core Ultra processors with built-in GPUs and neural processing units for AI models, which are now available as part of its vPro platform for business laptops.
Feb 27
The Humane AI Pin worked better than I expected — until it didn’t
Look, I’m a Humane AI Pin doubter as much as the next person. And I still think the wearable, AI-powered assistant suffers from a case of this-thing-could-have-been-an-app. But I finally got to spend a little face-to-face time with the pin this morning, and you know what? It’s a darn cool gadget. It’s just buried under a layer of marketing so thick that it’s hard to appreciate what it actually could be if Humane wasn’t so self-serious.
Read Article >If you spend time on Tech Threads or the like, you probably already know what the pin does: you clip it to your shirt, talk to it, and it uses generative AI to answer. It’s a standalone device with its own SIM card, and there’s no screen — just vibes. That, and a little laser that projects menus and text onto your palm so you can interact with mortal trifles like Wi-Fi settings and media playback controls.
Feb 26
Oppo just busted out AI smart glasses at MWC.Oppo’s Air Glass 3 look like an ordinary pair of glasses, but it connects to Oppo smartphones to access the company’s AndesGPT LLM. Like other smart glasses, you tap the sides for controls and it can play music, display information, and take voice calls.
So far, it sounds similar to what Meta is trying to do with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, where you can ask an AI assistant to deliver more context about the things you actually see. The catch is it won’t be available outside of China — and this is only a prototype in any case.
Feb 26
Gemini’s photo generator ‘will be back in a few weeks.’Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, in a keynote during the Mobile World Congress, acknowledged the model applied a range of people for images “too bluntly.” Hassabis said Gemini’s photo generation feature, which was paused last week, is being fixed to offer a more narrow range of people for historical accuracy.
Feb 26
The OnePlus Watch 2 is a bid to redeem its smartwatch reputation
OnePlus is keenly aware that its first smartwatch was a disaster. Nearly three years later, I’m still haunted by that launch and the abysmal experience I had reviewing it. News that OnePlus is back with a second-gen smartwatch fills me with trepidation, but on paper, the updates seem promising. Not only will the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 run on Google’s Wear OS 4 but it’ll also use a novel dual-engine architecture that will purportedly enable up to 100 hours of battery life. Oh, and it’ll have Google Assistant.
Read Article >The most interesting thing about the OnePlus Watch 2’s hardware is it features two separate chipsets: the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and the BES 2700 MCU. The result is a dual-OS structure that sounds a smidge like Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5. The BES 2700 MCU will run an RTOS and handle background activity and “simple tasks.” Meanwhile, the Snapdragon W5 will run more intensive tasks like apps. This, plus a 500mAh battery, is what nets you that supposed 100 hours of battery life.
Feb 26
Wear OS is revamping notifications to improve battery life
Google just announced a handful of new Wear OS updates at Mobile World Congress 2024. At the heart of it is a way of handling notifications that will purportedly improve performance and battery life. Wear OS watches are also getting public transit directions in Google Maps as well as Google Wallet passes.
Read Article >Since 2018, Wear OS watches generally have had an application processor (AP) to handle power-intensive tasks and an ultra-low-power co-processor microcontroller unit (MCU) for always-on tasks like step counting and heart rate. The update will let wearable makers offload notification processing to the MCU. That includes the ability to read and dismiss notifications as well as send quick replies.
Feb 26
Qualcomm’s latest Wi-Fi 7 chip could make your phone a better key.That’s thanks to integrated ultra wideband, according to the company’s MWC 2024 announcement. It’s also about half the size and, Qualcomm says, uses 40 percent less power than its previous Wi-Fi chip.
That makes it easier for device makers to add the precision-finding tech that makes AirTags so good or lets cars like some Teslas know you’re close and what side of the car you’re on.
Feb 26
This is not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.But it is the modem-RF chip that’s likely to be paired with Qualcomm’s next-gen processor in 2025’s big Android flagships. The Snapdragon X80 5G modem is an update to the X75 and supports six-carrier aggregation, 5G Advanced standards, and certain satellite-based non-terrestrial communications. And there’s a bunch of new AI optimization, because it’s 2024 and of course there is.
Feb 26
Xiaomi’s SU7 electric car is here.It’s sleek, blue, and runs Xiaomi’s Hyper OS to integrate with the company’s phones and other smart products. It’s loaded with cameras on the outside from what I can see, and can do zero to 100km/h in 2.78 seconds. The EV on display here at MWC is spinning around on a pedastal much, much slower than that.
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Feb 26
Gemini is about to slide into your DMs
Google’s got a round of Android and app updates in time for MWC, starting with a new way to chat with its own chatbot Gemini: right inside Google Messages. There’s also a handful of other small updates touching Android Auto, Google Docs, and a couple of new intelligent accessibility features for visually impaired people.
Read Article >If you’re just dying to DM your new bestie Gemini, you won’t have to wait long — it’s arriving as an update to the Messages app this week, though you’ll need to be enrolled in Google’s beta testing program to access it for now. The same access rules apply so there’s no Google One subscription required, at least for this version. When I tested Gemini alongside ChatGPT a few weeks ago, Gemini left a lot to be desired as a conversational partner. Adding the chatbot to your messaging app is one way to make it feel more like talking to a friend. Gemini in Messages is only available in English for now, and only in “certain markets.”
Feb 26
Samsung has big ambitions for the Galaxy Ring
At Galaxy Unpacked last month, Samsung teased a brand-new wearable in a new product category with not much more than a splashy video and a name: Galaxy Ring. Now, we have a little more to go on, including the fact that it’s expected to arrive this year.
Read Article >I got some hands-on time with a prototype ring ahead of Mobile World Congress — it’s very light and comes in three colors, though Samsung emphasizes that the final product is subject to change. But I also got a sense of Samsung’s bigger goals for this new product line, which it sees as not just another wearable but part of the company’s vision for a future of ambient sensing (more on that in a minute).
Feb 25
Lenovo worked with iFixit to make some ThinkPads easier to repair
While the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Lenovo showed off at MWC 2024 is just a proof of concept, the company also announced refreshed versions of several ThinkPads and ThinkBooks as well as a few accessories.
Read Article >That includes three refreshed ThinkPad T-series laptops: the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, and ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, all with Intel Core Ultra processors (or an AMD Ryzen 8040 option for the T14 Gen 5). All three get Lenovo’s communication bar, which extends a portion of the top bezel to house the camera and microphones, giving those laptops slimmer top bezels and taller display ratios. Lenovo previously added this feature to other ThinkPad laptops, like the X1 Carbon and X1 Nano.
Feb 25
Peering through Lenovo’s transparent laptop into a sci-fi future
A year after flexing its R&D muscles with a rollable laptop that expanded its screen with a simple button push, Lenovo is back at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, with another somehow even more sci-fi concept device. This is the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop, a 17.3-inch notebook with a screen you can peer straight through.
Read Article >The key draw is its bezel-less 17.3-inch MicroLED display, which offers up to 55 percent transparency when its pixels are set to black and turned off. But as its pixels light up, the display becomes less and less see-through, until eventually, you’re looking at a completely opaque white surface with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.
Feb 25
A phone that bends over backwards for you.I got to check out Motorola’s concept phone with a bending display. Is it impractical? Yes. Is it cool as hell? Also yes.
I was allowed to put it on my own wrist with a special magnetic bracelet keeping it in place. Can you imagine just casually checking the time on your bendable slap bracelet phone in the middle of a meeting? The ultimate flex!
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Feb 25
A short gif of Infinix’s color-changing charging E Ink phone concept.Plug in Infinix’s E-Color Shift phone, and its E Ink back rapidly cycles between different colors, and only stops when you unplug it again. Infinix hopes to one day let you choose between different colors in software (you can see less flashy design options here), since the process is far from practical in its current form.
Feb 25
Now there’s a 28,000mAh battery with a phone in it
Four years ago, my then-colleague Vlad brought you news of an 18,000mAh battery with a phone in it. Well, I am delighted to inform you that Avenir Telecom is at it again, only now it’s packed a smartphone into a 28,000mAh battery. That, in this industry, is what we call progress.
Read Article >The device itself is called the Hard Case P28K, and like its predecessor it’ll be sold under the Energizer brand (which Avenir licenses from the battery manufacturer). The company claims the P28K’s battery is substantial enough to last for a whole week regular of usage. The device also has a pretty rugged IP69 rating to survive the kinds of off-the-grid adventures you might want to have while away from a charging point. Talk time is rated at 122 hours (or a little over five days) while standby time extends up to 2252 hours, or almost 94 days.
Feb 25
The Samsung Galaxy Ring won’t be a mystery for long.The company announced this morning that it’s going to talk about its “new health form factor” at Mobile World Congress, which is going on now in Spain. Samsung says the device is part of a slate of AI-driven “seamless health experiences.”
The Verge is on the ground at MWC, so we should have an idea soon whether the Galaxy Ring is something special.
Feb 25
Xiaomi’s new Watch S3 has a bezel you can swap as easily as a strap.The bezels attach and detach with a simple twist, and you also get a choice of over 180 watch faces to further customize the watch’s look. The watch’s features include the ability to track winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, and curling, and there are also some Apple Watch-style one-handed gesture controls for good measure. It’s joined by a new Wear OS smartwatch, the Xiaomi Watch 2. Prices start at €149 for the S3, and €199 for the Watch 2.
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Feb 25
The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra are going global — minus the US
Xiaomi is using MWC to launch two of its flagships for a global audience — though not including the US, as usual. The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra have already been announced in China, and today they’re on center stage with tweaked designs and camera-forward feature sets. They’re available to order starting today; the 14 Ultra will cost €1,499 (about $1624) and the 14 starts at €999 (about $1082).
Read Article >The Xiaomi 14 covers the flagship basics, with a smaller 6.36-inch screen — now an LTPO 120Hz panel for smooth scrolling and power efficiency — and comes with more modest camera specs, at least by comparison to the 14 Ultra’s a 6.73-inch, 120Hz 1440p panel and 1-inch-type main camera. Go big or go all out, I guess.
Feb 25
The Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro is Xiaomi’s new iPad.Just with beefed-up specs like a 144Hz display and six speakers with Dolby Atmos support, the company said at Mobile World Congress today. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the company says it can get to a 100 percent charge, thanks to 120-watt charging.
And of course, it will have lots of AI features like generating images from your sketches. It costs €699.
Feb 25
Honor’s Magic 6 Pro launches internationally with AI-powered eye tracking on the way
A month and a half after debuting the Magic 6 Pro in China, Honor is announcing global availability of its latest flagship at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Alongside it, the company has also announced pricing for the new Porsche Design Honor Magic V2 RSR, a special edition of the Magic V2 foldable with higher specs and a design themed around the German car brand.
Read Article >The Magic 6 Pro is set to retail for €1,299 (£1,099.99, around $1,407) with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and be available from March 1st, while the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR will cost €2,699 (£2,349.99, around $2,625) with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage and will ship on March 18th. Expect both to be available in European markets, but they’re unlikely to be officially available in the US.
Feb 25
HMD is making a Barbie flip phone alongside a smartphone for tinkerers
HMD is crossing its fingers for a second summer of Barbie. The company, which has exclusively sold phones under the Nokia brand name for the past seven years, has announced plans to release a Barbie-branded flip phone this July in partnership with Mattel. It’s one of several devices HMD has on the way for this summer, which also include a new Nokia-branded retro feature phone and an HMD-branded smartphone. Finally, the company has also announced early plans for a new development platform it’s calling “HMD Fusion.”
Read Article >No pricing, specs, or features were announced for the as-yet-unnamed Barbie phone, but expect it to be a traditional feature flip phone rather than a smartphone. In an interview, HMD’s global head of insight, proposition, and product marketing, Adam Ferguson, confirms it’ll be an all-new device. “Barbie is not the kind of brand that you go, here’s an off-the-shelf solution,” he says.