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When tech insiders and industry bigwigs descend on Barcelona next week, they will be looking for signals that help them understand where the mobile landscape is headed. After all, Mobile World Congress is the biggest annual phone and telecom event in the tech calendar. Every year, MWC offers a first glimpse of technology that will shape future trends, and this year’s show promises to be the biggest yet.
As has been the trend, every major tech company will have a presence in some capacity, and MWC is a show known for smartphone launches. Names like Xiaomi, HMD Global (Nokia), Honor, and OnePlus are expected to make big announcements. However, MWC goes beyond phones. Over the years, brands have increasingly used MWC to showcase concept devices, electric cars, and next-generation features coming to a host of screens, giving a peek at technology that could become mainstream in the future.
But MWC isn’t only a reflection of how new technologies evolve but also how business models and user habits are changing over time. This year it would be even more interesting than ever. My expectation is high because I believe this year companies, big and small, will show us more tangible use cases around new technologies that are topical, such as generative AI, far from the glitz that had been the case with 5G in the past.
Here are some of my expectations from this year’s show:
This year’s MWC is shaping up to be one of the best in terms of phone launches, signaling a positive trend for the smartphone industry. Xiaomi is set to unveil its flagship 14 series in Barcelona later this week. The new phones in the Xiaomi 14 series will feature cutting-edge specs, and if the buzz is to be believed, the company may also tease a brand new Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which could boast a 1-inch type sensor for its main camera. HMD Global, the makers of Nokia phones, are also making a significant comeback, this time with a focus on their first branded phones featuring a new design language. Honor, too, has confirmed the launch of its flagship Magic 6 Pro at MWC this year. Of course, there will be many more brands that will announce new smartphones at the Mobile World Congress.
Although many predict a slowdown in smartphone sales and the plateauing of innovation, MWC will make it clear that phones, as a product category, are still booming. Smartphone makers will announce a host of improvements, ranging from better screens to cameras with improved picture quality. However, this doesn’t end the conversation around the future of smartphones and whether they have a place in our tech lives when everyone’s talking about face computers.
There’s something strange and peculiar about MWC that attracts repeat attendees. You can take a look at YouTube or Twitter and get a sense of the theme. However, the reason why people travel to Barcelona and attend MWC is to see concept devices. They may not be ready for prime time yet, but that one gimmicky feature or design element is enough to pique your interest in the product. Something similar happened last year when Motorola showed a concept Rizr smartphone with a rollable display. I expect the strangeness to continue this year as well. Both Motorola and Lenovo are rumored to bring their new concept devices to MWC. I am betting my money on a bendable smartphone that can be worn like a bracelet. Motorola first teased the concept phone at Lenovo Tech World last year, and I am looking forward to seeing it in person at MWC. There’s even a “transparent laptop” that Lenovo may bring to Barcelona, letting attendees have the first look at the concept notebook.
AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini aren’t the only use cases to demonstrate what generative artificial intelligence can do, and the industry is well aware of this. Earlier this year, AI took centrestage at the world’s largest electronics show, CES, giving attendees a taste of how this tech will be embedded into everything. I would expect a similar theme to emerge at MWC as well, with brands showcasing specific AI applications tuned for products, workplaces, and industries, aiming to improve productivity and lead us toward true automation in the products we use every day. The use of Gen AI-powered features, such as real-time language translation, will become integral to the mobile user experience, something brands like Samsung have already demonstrated with the Galaxy S24 series. However, the future lies in how these advancements in on-device AI and edge computing will bring smarter, more efficient devices that can process data locally, reduce latency, and improve privacy. Beyond the excitement and hype, the real question is how these AI advancements will translate into useful benefits for everyday users.
Although there has been a lot of chatter about pioneering 6G since last year, the truth is that the industry as a whole has failed to leverage 5G monetisation. Even though 5G has been rolled out in many parts of the world, including India, the idea of earning revenues from 5G investments hasn’t materialised. While there have been talk of both Jio and Airtel planning to increase 5G prices by the end of the year, the reality is that industry leaders still aren’t sure how monetizing 5G might actually work. This is obviously an industry-wide problem because the current business model is built on acquiring more users, far from making a profit from providing fast connectivity that involves billions of dollars in investments. Perhaps the biggest barriers to monetizing 5G are the lack of benefits (and more than use cases) of the next generation of mobile internet connections that aren’t reflected in higher 5G tariffs. At MWC this year, I am expecting telecom carriers and operators to be better prepared not only to tackle the tough questions on 5G monetisation but also to offer solutions that help them bring additional revenue from 5G services.
The writer is in Barcelona, Spain on the invitation of Xiaomi India.
