Mobile World Congress (MWC) is back, promising a series of big launches in the phone space, including new handsets, new technologies and more.

It’s the biggest mobile tech show of the year, when the industry’s top players come together to showcase products, strike deals and learn about some of the innovations that will make their way to consumer devices at the over the next 12 months.

In recent years we’ve seen fewer smartphone launches at MWC – these now tend to take place at separate events, including Samsung Unpacked – but there will still be plenty of news and announcements to come from the event over several days.

We’ll be on the ground at MWC as always, and we’ll bring you all the big news as it happens. Before the event officially begins, here are the most exciting launches to watch.

When is MWC 2023?

MWC 2023 runs from Monday, February 27 through Thursday, March 2 – but expect most of the big announcements to happen near the start of the week, rather than the end. It takes place in Barcelona, ​​Spain, with a wide range of exhibitors in attendance, and many conferences and meetings taking place throughout the event.

What to expect at MWC 2023

Almost everyone with an interest in mobile technology will be at MWC 2023: even if the companies are not launching new products, they will certainly present existing ones (like the Oppo Find N2 Flip, for example).

We’ve already had some clues and rumors about what to expect at this year’s Mobile World Congress, and these are some of the areas where we expect a lot of news and new gadgets. to explore.

Phones, foldable and rollable

As we’ve already mentioned, we don’t have many phone unveils at MWC these days – although there were a few launches at MWC 2022. The launches we know of are the OnePlus 11 Concept, a international expansion for the Honor’s Magic Vs foldable phone (above) and global availability for the Xiaomi 13 (plus maybe one or two more Xiaomi surprises).

We’ll also be sure to get demos of the latest folding and rolling screen technology ready to roll out in the phones of the future. Expect to see various screens and prototypes showcased at MWC 2023, with improvements in resolution, clarity and durability, especially from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Honor.

It’s getting easier and cheaper to make foldable phone screens, which means more models are on the way and phone makers can get more creative with design and form factors. . Regarding screens that extend while driving, we know that several manufacturers, including Samsung, are interested in this type of technology.

AI, applications and satellite technology

It’s hard to walk away from AI right now – ChatGPT, anyone? – and that will no doubt continue until MWC 2023. Expect to see plenty of AI demos running on smartphones, as we’ve already seen in Qualcomm’s Stable Diffusion test in the Galaxy S23 , and news on the quality of the handsets will enter this look in the not too distant future.

Apple now avoids Mobile World Congress – although it hasn’t always been so – but Google usually makes an appearance to promote Android and support its partners. We won’t get any major news from Android, but there might be one or two software updates or new apps mentioned; many app creators and developers will be present at MWC 2023.

Speaking of Apple, the satellite technology it added to the iPhone 14 will most likely see a response from mobile companies at MWC this year. Satellite connectivity and satellite messaging will likely be the order of the day, giving us an idea of ​​how we might communicate without cellular signal or Wi-Fi on the phones of the future.

6G and networks

There’s a lot going on at Mobile World Congress that isn’t too exciting for humble consumers – supply chain deals, infrastructure upgrades, and more. – but that hopefully means cheaper technology and faster speeds on our end. We haven’t heard much about 6G yet, but that might be about to change at MWC 2023.

You might think that the 5G speeds you get on your phone — if you get them — aren’t good enough yet for us to even think about 6G, but that’s part of what MWC 2023 is about. point: preview future technology. We wouldn’t be surprised if we heard news of some 6G tests and theoretical download and download rates.

Fret not, 5G fans, because there will also be plenty of news and updates on the existing technology, whether in terms of extended coverage, better connection speeds for phones or components. Cheaper internals that can maintain a high-speed link without using as much battery life.

VR headsets count as mobile technology, and you’ll notice MWC tech roundups are often accompanied by photos of people wearing weird and wonderful boxes on their heads. Nearly all of the big names in VR and AR will be at MWC, though there might not be many big new product unveilings.

Mobile World Congress is often a chance for small tech companies to shine, and that just might be the case when it comes to virtual, augmented and mixed realities. Look for innovative new gadgets from lesser-known manufacturers, as well as improvements in underlying hardware technologies.

There’s a lot of metaverse-related chatter and discussion going on at MWC 2023 – so while consumers aren’t completely sold on the idea yet, those working in the mobile industry are still excited about the idea. push. As always, we will select interesting news to share with you.