The Global Mobile Conference will be held in Barcelona this week, providing manufacturers with an opportunity to show off new gear without having to hold their own splash events. So far, we've learned about some new laptops and phones, as well as upcoming updates to AID Android and Meta's Internet connectivity announcements. There are also some interesting ideas in the world, and many concepts that may never be put on the market, but it will look interesting in any way.
This is everything announced by Mobile World Congress and has caught our attention. We will update this story throughout the week.
Lenovo
Sam Rutherford
Among the large manufacturers, Lenovo is arguably the busiest MWC to date. The company revealed a bunch of laptops, including an upgraded ThinkPad and several interesting concept models.
The ThinkPad T14S 2-in-1 is designed more consistent with the convertible format of the yoga lineup, rather than the typical ThinkPad. The 14-inch machine can be equipped with a 400nit Wuxga touch display. Other ThinkPads are undergoing specification upgrades, while Lenovo claims the new ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 has “one of the lightest ThinkPad designs ever”. The company also has fresh laptops with the ability to generate AI.
Some concepts of association undoubtedly attracted our attention. The company currently does not intend to turn the yoga solar PC concept into a commercial device, which is frustrating. Thanks to the solar cells on the casing, the laptop can absorb enough sunlight energy in 20 minutes to play an hour of video. Light as low as 0.3 watts is enough to juice the battery. While solar-powered laptops are nothing new, yoga solar finds great. I hope Lenovo will do more about this concept in the future.
Sam Rutherford
In addition, Lenovo also showed some concept display accessories for the Thought Book laptop. There is an eight-inch screen that can be magnetically attached to the sides to help you keep up with notifications and widgets. The Magic Bay Dual Display concept adds a 13.3-inch panel to either side of the main display. There is also a slim second display designed to sit above the laptop screen and provides quick access to time, weather, notifications, focus mode timers, AI assistants and notifications.
Sam Rutherford
Most importantly, Lenovo offers a new prototype laptop with flexible displays. The technology used in Thinkbook Plus 6 Collable is based on technology, and the proof of concept of the ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC (to provide the full name) has a foldable screen. This allows Lenovo to increase the panel size from 13 inches to 18.1 inches. On the other hand, the Thinkbook Rollable's display can extend to 16.7 inches. Again, Lenovo is not currently planning to release a commercial version of this folding laptop, but it's an interesting idea.
Samsung
Photo by Mat Smith in Engadget.
Samsung's main MWC news this year is the company's latest mid-size and budget phones. The Galaxy A56 has a larger screen at 6.7 inches than its predecessor, but is also thinner at 7.44mm vs. 8.2mm. There's a tiny bump right now, the volume and power buttons are all here – we think the A56 is easier to handle for the tweaks.
Samsung switched the camera array in the A56. On the front, there is a low resolution 12MP lens. On the other side, you'll find an upgraded 12MP Ultrawide, a 50MP main sensor and a 5MP macro lens. The A56 has a bunch of AI-powered camera and image editing features, such as enhanced subject detection and object erasers in portrait mode.
The Galaxy A56 is open for reservations in the UK and costs $499/£499. It will strike the UK on March 19, but people in the United States will have to wait until later this year.
Samsung also revealed the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G. Both devices have a 120Hz, 6.7-inch display with brightness up to 1,200 columns. They also share an IP67 rating and a 5,000mAh battery with the A56.
However, each model has only 6GB of RAM (compared to the 12GB of the A56). Additionally, the A36 has a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, rather than the Exynos 1580 that the A56 has, while the A26 has an Exynos 1380 chipset.
Samsung concept folding mobile phone and game handheld
In addition to properly launching the trio of A-series phones, Samsung also brought a bunch of concept devices to Barcelona, ​​further demonstrating its flexible display capabilities. We've seen these reports, Android policeman Overrides “Flex Game” handheld. The prototype consists of a 7.2-inch OLED screen that will be bent in half. The side of the monitor is the controller and hole when the handheld folds, they can be mounted. Elsewhere on the internet, we also saw Samsung showcase a galaxy Z Flip-style device that has two hinges that allow it to fold from the top and bottom. Allison Johnson edge Nicknamed “Claw”, to our editor Cherlynn Low is just reminiscent of an MSI device.
Millet
Sam Rutherford
Unfortunately, Xiaomi has no plans to bring its phones that it shows off at MWC to the United States. It's a real regret because today, no other company sells phones like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in the country.
Xiaomi has collaborated with Leica to create a smartphone that incorporates a lot of photography. The camera array includes a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony main sensor, an f/2.2 50MP Ultrawide Cam, a 50MP mid-range lens, a 70mm focal length and a 200MP periscope array with a 100mm focal length – equal to 4.7x optical zoom. Some preset Leica filters help blend the knowledge of the two brands.
This is not everything for mobile snappers. Xiaomi’s separate photography kit includes an additional camera grip with physical shutter buttons, adjustable dials and dedicated video buttons. You can also choose to connect a standard 67mm filter adapter to the housing – in other words, some devices you might use on a dedicated camera are compatible with the Ultra 15 as part of this setup.
Additionally, the Ultra 15 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 3200 columns of brightness to help you take a closer look at the capture. Also, unlike some other Chinese phones (such as Huawei), Xiaomi supports Google Services in Hyperos 2, which is an Android skin. The Ultra 15 starts at around €1,499 (approximately $1,572).
Android
Speaking of Android, Google announced two new AI-driven features for the operating system at MWC. The live video feature that Google previewed on I/O 2024 for the first time allows you to share what your phone’s camera sees with Gemini, so you can ask questions about the video-recorded chatbot.
The new screenshot feature works in a similar way. You can ask Gemini questions to learn anything on your phone or tablet display.
If they work and are advertised, these features may be a boon for accessibility. Google will first make it available to Gemini premium subscribers from later this month. Those with $20 a month Google One AI premium membership (some Verizon plans) have access to Gemini Advanced.
there is nothing
Mat Smith's picture for Engadget
Samsung isn't the only smartphone manufacturer to showcase two new mid-range devices at MWC. At the event, no one made his debut, even though it hasn't released the phone 3 yet.
The 3A Pro has a smarter camera module (literally, the device is about 10 grams heavier than the 3A). It contains a 50MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom; a 50MP main sensor with an F/1.88 lens and dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF); and a speeding 8MP sensor with a 120-degree field of view. The phone also has remote mode. As for the 3A, it has a main 50MP camera with a single-pixel PDAF, but the other two sensors are the same as those on the 3A Pro.
The camera is the main difference between the two phones, both with a 6.77-inch AMOLED LTPS display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 1,300 columns. The phones come with a 5,000mAh battery and support 50W fast charging, and they run on the Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 chipset.
These devices don't have any versatile basic keys, a physical button that can take screenshots and helps you record voice notes. The phone also has some generated AI features, such as the ability to transcribe the above voice notes and describe the content in the screenshots and photos.
As usual, these devices were not initially provided in the United States through the Beta program. Phone 3A reservations are now open for $379 on March 11. On March 25, this $459 phone is in your hands.
Yuan
MWC goes beyond new gear and operating system updates, and there is more news. Meta and Internet Society announce partnerships to enhance affordable internet connectivity around the world. They have invested $30 million together over the next five years.
The main purpose of the project is to help build infrastructure in areas where commercial providers have not yet done so. Connectivity-co-funded programs will also return to training programs, community solutions in underserved areas and local networks. The Internet society hopes to find more partners to help the project.
HMD
Finnish Company HMD also makes equipment under the Nokia brand, bringing a bunch of phones to Barcelona this year, but perhaps the most interesting ones are some earbuds. The Amped earbuds are a fairly standard pair of Bluetooth buds, with a twist in the case: a built-in 1,600mAh battery that supports reverse wireless charging. This is a very solid idea – given that you may have already carried your phone and some headphones. Maybe a problem: 1,600mAh is enough to charge a lot of headphones, but it's bigger than the battery in your phone. Still, the extra life of battery life may be lifeguards.
Updated, March 7, 2025, 4:05 pm ET: The story has been updated twice since its release. Once the section of the Samsung concept folding device was included, and a section was added to the Amped earbuds of HMD. The introduction of the article has also changed.
This article originally appeared on Engadget
