Mobile World Congress 2024, or MWC, is the world’s largest connectivity event – from IoT, AI, laptops, PCs, smartphones and other mobile devices to digital cameras, flying robots and cars, and VR headsets, this annual four-day show is a celebration of innovation across the mobile sector, accompanied by tapas and beer networking events.
Taking place at its usual location, Fira Gran Via in sunny Barcelona, MWC 2024 kicks off on Monday (26 February), and more than 85,00 attendees are expected to attend with nearly 2,500 exhibitors from 200 countries and territories demonstrating their wares.
Here are some of the fantastic launches and things that we expect to see at next week’s event…….
MWC always sees the biggest tech companies descend on Barcelona and this year will not be any different with many major brands having already teased new product launches ahead of the show.
New products anticipated at this year’s MWC are Xiaomi’s new flagship 14 and 14 Pro at an event scheduled for Sunday 25 February and Honor’s Magic V2 thinnest foldable smartphone – again launching at an event scheduled for that Sunday before the event officially starts.
Other mobile device companies with events scheduled at the event include London-based newcomer Nothing (on 27 February), which we think might be unveiling its Nothing Phone 2A.
Rumours abound around potential MWC announcements such as OnePlus’ anticipated first-ever smartwatch based on Wear OS, the OnePlus Watch 2, which was teased by OnePlus on Tuesday. The smartwatch will be the company’s first after a three-year hiatus and is claimed to have a 100-hour battery when used in smart mode.
While the conversations around 6G have already started, this is still a standard in negotiation as there are no compatible devices for it yet. That means we expect instead to see a wealth of 5G and even 5.5G being showcased, but Wi-Fi 6E will also likely be very present at this year’s show as the latest wireless standard.
Lenovo fans attending MWC 2024 will no doubt be rushing to see if the rumoured transparent laptop has made it to that brand’s stand. However, I feel that wearables will steal the show and one that I am particularly excited to get my hands on is the OHealth H1 from Oppo. This smart health gadget tracks six vital health signs and has been in anticipation since it was first revealed as a concept back in December 2022. So hopefully it will make it to MWC 2024.
Another wearable that I look forward to testing out at the show is the Samsung Galaxy Smart Ring, which I have high expectations for, especially after the Oura Ring.
For those who want to take a wander, Hall 3 is home to the Talent Arena, which puts digital professionals to the test in an area where they can showcase their talents and build networks for future collaboration. It will host a 48-hour hackathon, have 18 tech stands exhibiting cutting-edge technology and 13 workshops with practical demonstrations.
Journey to the Future, in Hall 6, will highlight game-changing innovations from flying cars, fixed-wing drones and unmanned vehicles to UV cameras and AI surgical robots, and more.
Keynote speakers at MWC 2024 include the “father of AI”, Demis Hassibis and AI is touted to be a major theme for this year’s event – with Humane (creator of the AI pin) and Rabbit (of pocket AI assistant fame) both in attendance. Other keynotes are Dell Technologies, Accenture, Deutsche Telekom, Deep Mind, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Huawei, Orange, Telefonica, Telstra and Vodafone, to name just a few so hope to see you there.
