The Mobile World Congress (MWC) of 2024, the most highly anticipated event in the field of technology, has returned to the streets of Barcelona. With the latest innovations in mobile technology, MWC attracts journalists, industry leaders, and enthusiasts from around the world. This year, MWC gave us a glimpse into the future of mobile innovation, showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and bendable displays. Here is a rundown of the major brands and innovations displayed at the Mobile World Congress.
SAMSUNG
Samsung showcased the latest mobile tech at the Mobile World Congress, and it’s pretty impressive! The Samsung booth showcased a range of products, including the Galaxy Book4 series, which offers a more intelligent way to get stuff done. They also had the Galaxy Watch6 series on display, which has some incredible health features. And Samsung’s latest wearable device, the Galaxy Ring, made its public debut at the event!
At the booth, Samsung demonstrated some of the AI features of the Galaxy S24 series. For instance, Live Translate allows you to get real-time translations during phone calls. Circle to Search with Google is another cool feature that makes searching easy. Not to mention Note Assist, which simplifies complex texts, and Generative Edit, which offers creative flexibility in photo editing.
Samsung’s health lineup is also pretty incredible! The Galaxy Ring, for instance, is a new health form factor that offers smarter and healthier living experiences. Samsung Health provides a more connected digital wellness platform, and upcoming features like My Vitality Score offer personalized health insights based on multiple factors.
And that’s not all! With Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem, you can control connected lights for optimal sleep, set reminders to take medicine, and track exercises while following a fitness video on a connected TV. These features are available on the Galaxy Watch6 series when paired with the Galaxy S24.
MOTOROLA
During Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, Motorola made an announcement about its collaboration with Corning, the leading glass manufacturer. As per this partnership, Motorola has decided to use Corning Gorilla Glass exclusively for all its upcoming smartphone models scheduled to launch later this year. While most of Motorola’s high-end devices already come equipped with Gorilla Glass, this move is more targeted towards the budget and mid-range phone segments. With this collaboration, Motorola aims to enhance the durability and toughness of its phone screens while offering a superior user experience to its customers.
Motorola has presented a revolutionary phone with a rollable display at the Mobile World Congress. The Adaptive Display concept was first introduced in October, and it’s a significant achievement in flexible display technology. The Motorola rollable phone features a 6.9-inch screen that can bend around the wrist, completely transforming the conventional smartphone design. The phone has a plastic-based pOLED display with FHD+ resolution, providing a regular smartphone’s appearance with a slightly taller form factor. The Motorola bendable phone has a back panel of multiple segments covered with textile material, enabling the device’s flexibility, which cannot be achieved with metal or plastic. The device can be wrapped around the wrist, turning it into a bulky smartwatch or a small wearable display. When the device is flat, it functions as a traditional Android smartphone with a full-screen interface. Users can adjust the device to a self-standing position or a compact form with a 4.6-inch display.
LENOVO
Lenovo has created a buzz with its latest innovation, the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept. This groundbreaking laptop features a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display that combines the virtual and real worlds. It’s powered by AI-generated content creation (AIGC) tools to make your work more efficient and collaborative. This feature lets you interact with physical objects and overlay digital information. The keyboard area is also transparent, and the chassis design offers a sleek, futuristic look.
The latest laptops from Lenovo include the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2, and ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4. These devices are powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, which provide top-notch security, power efficiency, and an immersive user experience. They come equipped with AI features designed to significantly enhance work efficiency and productivity. The T series features premium design and user-centric innovations, highlighting Lenovo’s focus on sustainability and repairability by incorporating recycled materials and allowing for easier upgrades.
In addition to laptops, Lenovo introduced accessories and software designed to complement the mobile workforce. The ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 Mobile Monitor provides a portable touch-enabled second screen option for professionals who are always on the move. To further enhance users’ mobility and connectivity, Lenovo has developed the ThinkPad Executive 16-inch Backpack and the USB-C Slim Travel Dock. Lenovo also unveiled Smart Connect, a solution that offers seamless multi-device experiences, and Lenovo Identity Advisor, powered by Norton, to monitor and safeguard users’ digital identity.
HMD
HMD’s announcement at the Mobile World Congress brings a new vision – it’s all about creating Human Mobile Devices! They are committed to making affordable, beautiful, and desirable phones to help you solve tech-related problems such as e-waste and digital fatigue.
HMD wants to create visually attractive phones. They have won awards for producing repairable devices and phones that last longer. They want to make the repairability experience accessible to everyone and aim to sell more repairable devices globally.
This coming summer, HMD plans to launch a new and innovative smartphone that will be a platform for creativity, making technology more accessible to more people worldwide. They will release a toolkit for developers and businesses to enable people and businesses to augment their phones to fit their needs and champion their creativity.
In addition, HMD has announced an exciting partnership with Mattel and Barbie. The Barbie Flip Phone will arrive in 2024 and offer style, nostalgia, and a much-needed digital detox flipping the script on smartphone culture.
HMD even committed to sell Nokia phones and bring back an iconic phone this summer. They will also introduce a stellar line-up of exciting new brands this year.
TECNO
Tecno has expanded its product portfolio beyond smartphones at this year’s MWC. They have introduced two new products, the Tecno Pocket Go and AR Pocket Vision.
Tecno Pocket Go
The Tecno Pocket Go is a Windows handheld console that works with a pair of AR glasses. The headset has a 0.71″ micro-OLED screen, with a viewing angle equivalent to a 215″ TV from six meters away. The handheld is 50% smaller and 30% lighter than other Windows gaming handhelds and looks like an Xbox controller. Tecno revealed that the device has an 8-core, 16-thread CPU with frequencies up to 5.1 GHz. It also has a cooling fan and three copper pipes for heat dissipation and a 50 Wh replaceable battery.
The glasses are called AR Pocket Vision and come with a six-axis gyroscope with an AI algorithm that learns about the head movements of the object. The Pocket Go has a Tecno Smart Box, a central hub for managing games and settings. It also allows the AR Pocket Vision and Windows handheld to connect to other Tecno devices and act as a mobile workstation.
Tecno Dynamic 1
Tecno Dynamic 1 is a robot dog inspired by the German Shepherd. It is designed to provide smart home entertainment, assistance, education, and training.
Dynamic 1 has a torque output of 45 Nm/kg, meaning the dog can effortlessly climb stairs. It can also bow and give a paw. An AI HyperSense Fusion System and Intel Real Sense depth camera take care of the stable mobility that allows it to recognize and move around obstacles. The robot is equipped with an unspecified 8-core Arm CPU.
The dog has 64 GB storage, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. It can be operated via a smartphone app and supports remote control operation and voice commands. Dynamic 1 has a 15,000 mAh battery that provides 90 minutes of runtime, and it can be swapped and charged separately for minimum downtime.
By the way, Tecno mentioned that Dynamic 1 is not here to compete with products from Boston Dynamics. As a matter of fact, it’s unlikely to be commercialized at all. Tecno said the unveiling of this dog is to showcase the company’s innovation capabilities in advanced robotics and AI.
XIAOMI
Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Xiaomi hosted a significant event in Barcelona just before MWC and unveiled two new flagship smartphones for an international audience. The phones are the Xiaomi 14 and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipsets. However, while the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra were launched at the event, the Xiaomi 14 Pro is only available in China.
The Xiaomi 14 smartphone features a 6.36-inch LTPO OLED screen with up to 3000 nits peak brightness and a 1200p resolution, and it comes with Gorilla Glass Victus on top. The rear camera setup is quite impressive, with three 50 MP cameras, and the primary camera features a brighter f/1.6 aperture and a larger 1/1.31-inch sensor with dual-pixel PDAF. The telephoto camera has a 75 mm equivalent 3.2x zoom lens, while the third is an ultra-wide-angle lens. The Xiaomi 14 also has a slightly larger 4,610 mAh battery that supports 90W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.
Moving on to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the phone is even more incredible! It comes with a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED panel that can reach up to 3000 nits peak brightness and uses a custom protective sheet called Shield Glass. The rear camera setup is quite similar to the Xiaomi 14, with the primary camera having an upgraded variable aperture that can go as bright as f/1.6. The phone also has a new 1-inch type sensor. The 5x telephoto camera, the 3.2x telephoto camera, and the ultra-wide-angle shooter are all the same as in the predecessor – 50 MP Sony sensors that are 1/2.51 inches in size. In Europe, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, slightly smaller than the 5,300 mAh battery in China. The device comes with Android 14-based HyperOS pre-installed.
The Xiaomi 14 comes in three colours: Black, White, and Jade Green, and has two storage variants (12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB) with a starting price of €1,000 (approx. ₹90,000). The Xiaomi 14 Ultra, on the other hand, is only available in Black or White and has only one storage variant (16GB/512GB), which costs €1,500 (approx. ₹1,35,000). Don’t worry if you accidentally break your screen in the first 6 months of ownership. Both phones come with free screen repair.
HONOR
Honor Magic 6 Pro
Honor launched its latest smartphone, the Honor Magic 6 Pro, at the Mobile World Congress. The phone features the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
Here are some of the phone’s specifications: The Honor Magic 6 Pro boasts a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with a peak brightness of 5,000 nits and 4320Hz of PWM Dimming. Its glass is protected by NanoCrystal Shield, which is said to be 10 times more drop-resistant than regular glass. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with an Adreno graphics processor for all the graphics-intensive tasks. The smartphone comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. It runs on the company’s proprietary MagicOS 8 custom skin based on the latest Android 14 operating system.
Regarding optics, the Honor Magic 6 Pro features a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 180MP periscope telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide-angle lens. Additionally, a 50MP selfie shooter to the front handles all selfie and video call-related requirements.
The phone houses a 5,600mAh battery that can be fast charged via an 80W fast charger and a 66W wireless charger. The phone also supports 5W reverse wired charging.
The Honor Magic 6 Pro comes in two variants: 12GB RAM/512GB storage variant priced at 1299 Euros (approx ₹1,16,000) and 16GB RAM/1TB storage variant priced at 2699 Euros (approx ₹2,42,000).
Honor MagicBook Pro 16
Honor MagicBook Pro 16 laptop runs on the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H with six performance cores, eight efficient cores, and two low-power efficient cores. It also has a GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPU and runs on Windows 11. There is a 16-inch display with a 3072 x 1920 pixel resolution and up to 165Hz refresh rate.
The laptop also has AI features, including Smart Picture Search, Smart Document Summary, Text Comprehension, AI Subtitle, and Magic Text. Plus, it has six speakers – four woofers and two tweeters – making it the world’s first spatial audio laptop on a Windows-based PC. And if you’re worried about battery life, don’t be! The device is powered by a 75Wh battery, which gives you up to 12 hours of battery life, according to the company.
Honor Pad 9
Now, let’s talk about the Honor Pad 9 tablet. It’s equipped with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC processor, coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The tablet runs on Android 13-based MagicOS 7.2 and has a 12.1-inch LCD display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. It also has a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. The tablet has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, OTG, and a USB Type-C port for connectivity.