Highlights from Mobile World Congress 2025

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is happening in Barcelona this week, showcasing the latest gadgets from various tech manufacturers. It’s an excellent platform for companies to present their new products without organizing individual launch events. So far, we’ve seen some exciting announcements related to laptops and smartphones, upcoming AI features for Android, and innovations in internet connectivity from Meta. There are also intriguing headphone concepts and some wild ideas that may never make it to store shelves but are fun to see nonetheless.

Below we summarize some of the most interesting announcements from MWC.

Lenovo’s Innovations

New ThinkPads and Concepts

Lenovo has been quite busy at MWC. They unveiled several updated ThinkPad models and some groundbreaking concept devices.

1. ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1: This device showcases a design similar to Lenovo’s Yoga line instead of the standard ThinkPad styling. It features a 14-inch WUXGA touch display with 400-nit brightness.

2. ThinkPad X13 Gen 6: Known as one of the lightest ThinkPad designs, this laptop comes with impressive specifications.

3. Generative AI Laptops: Lenovo has announced a new series of laptops equipped with generative AI capabilities.

Among the exciting concepts showcased was the Yoga Solar PC Concept, which is powered by solar energy. Interestingly, just 20 minutes in sunlight can enable the laptop to play videos for an hour!

New Display Accessories

Lenovo is also introducing unique display accessories for ThinkBook laptops:

• Magic Bay Dual Display Concept: This includes 13.3-inch panels that can attach to either side of your laptop for extended visibility.

• Side and Above Displays: An eight-inch display that magnetically attaches to the side for updates and a slim display crafted to sit above a traditional laptop screen.

Flexible Display Laptop

Lenovo also showed off its Flip AI PC, a prototype laptop featuring a flexible display that can extend from 13 inches to 18.1 inches, though there are no current plans to sell it commercially.

Samsung’s Latest Offerings

Samsung Galaxy A Series

Samsung is making waves with its Galaxy A series midrange smartphones:

• Galaxy A56: This model has a 6.7-inch screen and is slimmer than its predecessor. It also boasts an AI-enhanced camera system with multiple lenses, including a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide, and special editing features. Pre-orders are open in the UK for about $499, with a release date of March 19.

• Galaxy A36 and A26: These devices come with a 120Hz display and a 5000mAh battery. They also share some features with the A56 but have less RAM and different processors.

Concept Devices

Samsung also revealed exciting concept devices:

• Gaming Handheld: A folding gaming device with a 7.2-inch OLED display.

• Dual-Hinge Phones: Devices that fold in on themselves, showcasing Samsung’s strength in flexible display technology.

Xiaomi’s Photography-Focused Phone

Xiaomi launched the 15 Ultra, a smartphone dedicated to photography. In collaboration with Leica, this device features impressive camera specs:

• Camera Setup: It includes a 1-inch 50-megapixel main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 200MP periscope lens capable of 4.7x optical zoom.

• Photography Kit: This kit includes a camera grip and filter adapter, allowing users to take high-quality photos reminiscent of professional cameras.

Xiaomi’s Ultra 15 also has an AMOLED display, supporting Google services, and starts at about $1,499.

Android AI Features

Google announced new AI features at MWC for Android. These include:

• Live Video Function: This feature allows users to share what their phone’s camera sees while interacting with Google’s AI, Gemini, about the content.

• Screen Sharing: This lets users ask Gemini questions about whatever is displayed on their screens.

These features aim to enhance accessibility and will initially be available for subscribers to Gemini Advanced.

Nothing’s Mid-Range Devices

Nothing launched its Phone 3a Pro and Phone 3a:

• Camera Features: The 3a Pro has a powerful 50MP telephoto sensor, while both devices share a 6.77-inch high-refresh AMOLED display.

• Smart Features: Both phones include an Essential Key to help with functions like taking screenshots and voice notes, with AI capabilities to transcribe notes and describe photos.

The 3a is priced at $379, while the 3a Pro starts at $459.

Meta’s Internet Initiative

Outside of hardware, Meta announced a partnership with the Internet Society to improve affordable internet access globally. With a $30 million investment over five years, the initiative aims to build infrastructure in underserved regions and create community-centered solutions.

HMD’s New Earbuds

HMD, known for Nokia devices, showcased Amped Earbuds with a unique twist: a charging case equipped with a 1,600mAh battery for reverse wireless charging. While this battery capacity is smaller than most phone batteries, it’s designed to provide extra power for earbuds when on the go.

These announcements from MWC highlight the innovative strides being made in technology, focusing on enhancing user experience, connectivity, and efficiency. Whether it’s Lenovo’s solar-powered devices or Xiaomi’s photography-centric smartphone, the future of mobile tech is looking exciting and diverse.