The Mobile World Congress, better known as MWC, takes place next week. This edition of the Barcelona show – dedicated to everything related to mobile technology – promises to be one of the liveliest of the year.
With the convergence of AI and mobile devices, including smartphones, headsets and wearables, there will be many exciting new products to discover. And this even if the list includes concepts and prototypes that are more promising than practical. What happened to 5G? What about 6G? We will also have answers to these questions.
Ahead of MWC 2024, I’ve rounded up three major reasons to get excited about this year’s event, even if you don’t consider yourself an avid tech geek.
1. Don’t fall asleep on concepts and prototypes
Motorola
Two things are certain at every MWC: smartphone concepts and tapas. Although it’s hard to beat a plate of pan con tomate, I have a feeling I’ll be more drawn to the futuristic and surprising smartphones that will be on display at the show this year.
Back in February, Motorola revealed its rollable phone concept, which I think should have been called “Moto-rolla,” while OnePlus showed off its icy blue OnePlus 11 Concept. These two devices demonstrate the potential of our devices when manufacturers push the limits. Even if ideas take years to come to fruition.
This year we will see even more innovation:
- Although Motorola hasn’t confirmed anything, the company’s Adaptive Display concept (pictured above) could make another public appearance after being revealed at Lenovo Tech World last October. I can’t wait to see if there really is a future where our smartphones can replace our smartwatches.
- Deutsche Telekom also plans to demonstrate an “artificial intelligence phone” that will replace apps with generative artificial intelligence assistants.
- Equally strange, next week phone maker Tecno will introduce the Phantom Ultimate, its first rollable display concept featuring a “double-sided display that extends from 6.55 inches to 7.11 inches.” Are rollable screens the new foldable screens?
- Or are transparent screens the new trend? Recent rumors from Windows Report indicate that Lenovo will unveil a transparent laptop at MWC. If true, it wouldn’t be the first device to feature a transparent display this year – CES was filled with them – but it would be a first for laptops.
2. Growing competition in the East
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Smartphone concepts aside, several mobile products will arrive really in the global market after MWC, including Xiaomi’s 14 Ultra, the company’s high-end smartphone with a 50-megapixel triple camera, titanium build and the latest Qualcomm processor, according to rumors.
Xiaomi is in third position in terms of global smartphone market share in the fourth quarter of 2023, behind Apple and Samsung, according to Canalys. All that remains is to hope that Xiaomi continues this momentum, and that it can eventually give the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra a run for their money.
Honor, Huawei’s former sub-brand, will also launch a smartphone in Barcelona. While not as flashy as the foldable Magic V2 that the company unveiled last month, the Magic 6 Pro features a 180-megapixel periscopic camera that should be capable of taking some of the most detailed portraits and the most vivid ever seen on a smartphone.
Perhaps the most important smartphone at MWC will be the Nothing Phone 2a, a more affordable option to last year’s high-end Nothing brand phone. Although the official price and specifications have not yet been revealed, Nothing has announced that the Phone 2a will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip, a processor that should offer above-average performance at an accessible price. If Nothing plays its cards right, this will be the budget phone to beat in 2024.
3. Wearables will steal the show
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
This is my boldest prediction for MWC: if the quality of new wearables in recent months is anything to go by, most of this year’s buzz might not revolve around smartphones, but the gadgets that surround them .
From XR glasses and VR headsets to fitness trackers and smart rings, companies large and small are doubling down on their efforts to keep us connected, entertained, and always aware of our health. health.
Building on the momentum of Unpacked, Samsung may reveal more about the features and capabilities of its first-ever Galaxy Ring, although the official launch likely won’t happen until July or August. Xreal and HTC will also be present at the show and will present their latest innovations in spatial computing. Finally, the OnePlus Watch 2 could round out the best news in wearables, with a “100-hour battery life” and improvements that could be enough to resurrect a once-maligned smartwatch model.
Source: “ZDNet.com”