Mobile World Congress is unanimously considered the world’s largest mobile telecommunications trade show. During these days, more than 80,000 people and 2,000 companies traveled to Barcelona to learn about the latest developments in the mobile segment. And we have been there.
A lot has changed in the mobile world since the last time 4gnews was present at this event. And at the invitation of Xiaomi Portugal, we went back to Barcelona, which for me was the first time at this iconic event where I personally always dreamed of going. In this article I tell you my opinion about it.
Day 0 – The Xiaomi 13 series event
It all started on a kind of day zero, where we went to the CCIB – Barcelona International Convention Center to find out what’s new from Xiaomi. This is the privileged space in Barcelona to discover products of the size of the Xiaomi Series 13.
New technology smartphones put most of the chips in the partnership with Leica for their cameras. And the first impressions about the devices are the best. At this event, the brand also presented other products from its ecosystem, more specifically a and premium. You can see our detailed coverage below.
Two days to discover the ‘latest mobile technology’
Arriving at Fira Gran Via is impressive. That is where everything happens, being the great center of this MWC. From the beginning, a good organization was noted, beginning with the fact that the entrance was completely digital, without the need for a physical credential.
Although we know about 80,000 people attended MWC these days, I never faced huge queues. The different pavilions end up dispersing the participants, so we always feel that there is space to circulate. And upon arrival, the first stop turned out to be at the Xiaomi stand.
The Xiaomi world was in evidence at MWC 2023
There we were going to find much more than the new Xiaomi Series 13. We immediately saw the well-known Cyberdog in action, and there was also CyberOne (Xiaomi’s new humanoid concept). Xiaomi’s new AR glasses could also be seen (albeit from a distance), and we’ll tell you more about them.
It was nice to see some products there that we didn’t get a chance to test because they weren’t released to the global market. We are talking about the Xiaomi 12S Ultra (the brand’s first smartphone with Leica lenses), and also its latest folding smartphone.
The same applies to other products in the Xiaomi ecosystem: some of them are still only available in China. We are talking about a 6 liter air fryer (not smart), an oven / stove, a printer or a coffee maker, to name a few examples. An ecosystem that promises to continue evolving over the coming years.
Honor introduced the new ‘king of photography’ and the first foldable worldwide
In the field of launches, one of the most prominent was Honor. Totally free from the ‘shackles’ of Huawei (and with Google services), it took advantage of the event to launch its new high-end smartphones worldwide, the Honor Magic5 and Magic5 Pro. The latter already leads even the .
But that is what leaves us perhaps most curious. This is the brand’s first foldable smartphone to be launched globally, where it will cost €1,599. It appears with a philosophy similar to that of the Galaxy Fold4, which could be a hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet. The first contact with the product was very positive.
Oppo Find N2 Flip and the OnePlus concept
Brands like Oppo were also present and showed their Find N2 Flip, recently introduced to global markets (and which we are already testing). Or the Oppo Find N, which we’ve tested in the past. In this Oppo stand were also the latest smartphones of its OnePlus sub-brand.
It was there that we saw the (obvious) OnePlus 11 and the latest OnePlus concept. This one has a back that, at first glance, appears to have lights. But it’s actually an effect created by your coolant. The brand also had one of its next products to hit the market: a gaming keyboard.
Lenovo: From Extendable Screen Concepts to Dual Screen Laptop
Lenovo appears to be betting heavily on extendable display products in the near future. That’s why he had his concept of a smartphone with an extendable screen there, which you can see in action on our Instagram. But what impressed me the most was the concept of laptop with extendable screen that was right next to it.
Still at the Lenovo booth, we got to experience the impressive Yoga Book 9i. This is much more than a laptop because of its versatility. This is because it has two touch screens, which can be used simultaneously, using touch, the smartpen and the keyboard.
But it can also be used as a tablet, and you have the possibility to use the second screen as a keyboard or as a trackpad. It is a product that just hit the market in June, and its price will start at $2,099.
TCL introduced the 40 series of smartphones and the new NXTPAPER
TCL also took advantage of MWC 2023 to show off its . In conversation with those responsible for the brand, we learned that the focus is intended to be on the entry-level/mid-range segment, where the latest 40-series smartphones have been launched.
The NXTPAPER series is not just a tablet anymore. This range offers display products with eye protection hardware, exclusive to TCL. In addition to the new tablet and smartphone coming to Portugal, TCL also showed us a hybrid at MWC (which sadly won’t be sold in Europe).
Samsung and environmental concern
The Samsung stand did not offer us much new, if we take into account the experience we had recently at the Samsung Summit Event. But in this one, the brand proudly displayed the latest environmental achievements, especially in the latest Galaxy S23.
The brand not only uses more and more recycled materials in its products, but also aims to give them greater longevity. Proof of this is the reinforced commitment of four years of Android updates, and five years of security updates in the top of the range of the brand.
The Nothing Phone (1) and Realme clone with 240W charging
Nothing didn’t have a booth at MWC 2023, but they were there in spirit. It is that a brand unknown to many, Unihertz, took advantage of the event to present Luna. This is a true Phone clone (1), and we even stopped to compare both devices. Also in Nothing, the event was made up of confirmations, since it was made official that .
Realme took the opportunity to introduce the GT 3, which is the world’s first smartphone with 240W charging. It charged 22% on stage in just 80 seconds, and is the only one in the world to fully charge a 4600mAh battery in Just 10 minutes.
ZTE 3D Screen Tablet (without glasses)
At the ZTE stand there was a product that caught my attention and it was called Nubia Pad 3D. Developed in association with Leia Inc, this is a tablet that allows standard 2D content to be converted to 3D in real time. To do this, use the front cameras, they monitor the movement of your eyes and thus create the effect.
And no, this is not just a concept. It is a tablet that will go on pre-sale from March 25, being available from April 11. Something that deserves to be looked at again in the future.
These were just some of the examples of products, concepts and launches that we saw at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona. Some with an expected arrival on the market, others that will not reach Europe, and others that are just a concept for now. But that’s how it is in what is the largest mobile event worldwide, and to which we want to return in the future.