If in the latest editions of the MWC –even in those prior to the one suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic– the prevailing technology was 5G, the consolidation of this, which is already reaching consumers in its primary phases, opens up the range of what is going to be seen at the Fira Gran Via. Mobile has changed a lot since it arrived in Barcelona and it is now more than just a mobile phone fair. It has become the world's largest mobile communications event.
That includes not only everything that powers devices that fit in a pocket. One of the growing trends in recent years has been cars, which from a certain point of view could be considered as mobiles with wheels if their current and future communication capabilities are taken into account.
But cars are not the only vehicles in which we travel. For example, Hyperloop TT is participating in this edition of the MWC, one of the companies developing the very high-speed transport system (up to 1,200 km/h) in vacuum tubes whose concept was presented by Elon Musk in 2013. The CEO of HyperloopTT It is the Spanish Andrés de León. This company will exhibit one of the striking prototypes of its passenger capsules at the Mobile.
In the pure aspect of the telephony novelties this year, most of the main mobile manufacturers arrive with renewed catalogs just for the dates of the MWC, although beyond the models, their cameras and their chips – they all resort to the same providers–, the race that has been declared is for the loading speed.
Realme and Xiaomi will show their new devices in Barcelona, Realme GT3 and Xiaomi 13 Pro, with 240 W and 120 W chargers respectively. To measure the madness of these figures, it is enough to remember that a laptop only needs half that power.
Fast charging, according to Realme, Xiaomi and Oppo, another of the Chinese companies in this arena, is not detrimental to battery life or poses a danger to the integrity of the mobile. Other large manufacturers, such as Samsung and Apple, which have more moderate fast charges, have not yet entered a race that began a few years ago and seems to still have its finish line far away.
Oppo also has 240 W charging technology, although it limits it to 44 W for the mobile that it brings to Barcelona, its first foldable to be distributed in Europe, the Find N2 Flip, presented last week.
One of the trends that manufacturers announce for the coming years is folding phones. In it you have to count on the firm commitment of Samsung –Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip–, although the mobile that arrives as a novelty from the great Korean manufacturer at this MWC is one of the candidates to compete for the best of the year: the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Another of the Chinese companies, Honor, spun off from Huawei a little over two years ago, is also going to take advantage of Mobile to present its high-end, which includes a foldable already presented in China, the Vs.
Virtually all the major mobile manufacturers will be there, although with some usual absence, such as Apple and Sony, which decided to give up fairs for its mobile division.
Beyond the phones, the trends in the event will also be marked by virtual reality (metaverse), with numerous dedicated exhibition spaces by various companies; artificial intelligence, which has gained great weight in the public debate due to the appearance of creative models capable of simulating humans; and as in previous years, robots, with all kinds of solutions for business, health and home.
