Cellular World Congress is going down in Barcelona this week, providing producers a possibility to point out off new gear without having to carry their very own splashy occasion. Thus far, we've discovered about some new laptops and telephones, in addition to upcoming AI updates to Android and an web connectivity announcement from Meta. There's additionally been some fascinating concepts on the planet of headphones and an entire lot of ideas that may by no means make it to market, however are enjoyable to have a look at any approach.
Right here's a have a look at the whole lot introduced at Cellular World Congress that caught our eye. We'll replace this story all through the week.
Lenovo
Among the many bigger-name producers, Lenovo has arguably had the busiest MWC to this point. The corporate has revealed an entire bunch of laptops, together with upgraded ThinkPads and a number of other intriguing idea fashions.
The ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 has a design that’s extra aligned with the convertible format of the Yoga lineup than a typical ThinkPad. The 14-inch machine could be geared up with a 400-nit WUXGA contact show. Different ThinkPads are getting spec upgrades, whereas Lenovo claims the brand new ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 has “one of many lightest ThinkPad designs ever.” The corporate has a contemporary slate of laptops with generative AI capabilities as effectively.
A few of Lenovo’s ideas have definitely caught our consideration. It’s a bummer that the corporate doesn’t presently plan to show the Yoga Photo voltaic PC Idea right into a industrial system. Because of the photo voltaic cells on the casing, the laptop computer can take in sufficient power from the solar in 20 minutes to play an hour of movies. As little as 0.3 watts of sunshine is sufficient to juice up the battery. Whereas solar-powered laptops aren't precisely new, the Yoga Photo voltaic PC feels polished. Right here's hoping Lenovo does extra with the notion sooner or later.
As well as, Lenovo confirmed off some conceptual show equipment for a ThinkBook laptop computer. There's an eight-inch display screen that attaches to the facet magnetically that can assist you, as an illustration, sustain with notifications and widgets. The Magic Bay Twin Show Idea provides a 13.3-inch panel to both facet of the primary show. There's additionally a slim second show that's designed to sit down above your laptop computer display screen and supply fast entry to issues just like the time, climate, notifications, a spotlight mode timer, an AI assistant and notifications.
On high of all of that, Lenovo provided a have a look at a brand new prototype laptop computer with a versatile show. Constructing on the tech the corporate used within the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, the ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC Proof of idea (to offer its full title) has a fold-out display screen. This enables Lenovo to double the panel's dimension from 13 inches to 18.1 inches. The ThinkBook Rollable's show, however, can prolong to 16.7 inches. Once more, Lenovo doesn't presently plan to launch a industrial model of this fold-out laptop computer, but it surely's an fascinating thought.
Samsung
The principle MWC information from Samsung this yr is the corporate's newest midrange and funds telephones. The Galaxy A56 has a bigger display screen than its predecessor at 6.7 inches, but it surely's thinner too at 7.44mm vs. 8.2mm. There's now a small bump the place the amount and energy buttons are — a tweak that we really feel makes the A56 simpler to deal with.
Samsung has switched up the digicam array within the A56. On the entrance, there's a lower-res 12MP lens. On the opposite facet, you'll discover an upgraded 12MP ultrawide, 50MP essential sensor and a 5MP macro lens. The A56 has a bunch of AI-powered digicam and picture modifying options, similar to enhanced topic detection in portrait mode and an object eraser.
Pre-orders are open within the UK for the Galaxy A56, which prices $499/£499. It would hit the UK on March 19, however of us within the US should wait till "later this yr" for it.
Samsung additionally revealed the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G. Each units have a 120Hz, 6.7-inch show with brightness of as much as 1,200 nits. Additionally they share an IP67 ranking and 5,000mAh battery with the A56.
Nonetheless, the bottom fashions of every solely have 6GB of RAM (in contrast with the A56's 12GB). As well as, the A36 has the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor as an alternative of the Exynos 1580 that the A56 boasts, whereas the A26 has a Exynos 1380 chipset.
Samsung's idea folding telephones and gaming handhelds
Along with correctly launching the trio of A-series telephones, Samsung additionally introduced a bunch of idea units to Barcelona, additional displaying off its versatile show prowess. We've seen reporting of those, like Android Police's protection of a "Flex Gaming" handheld. That prototype consists of a 7.2-inch OLED display screen that bends in half. Flanking the show are what look like controllers and holes the place they'd match when the hand held is folded up. Elsewhere on the web we additionally noticed Samsung showcase a Galaxy Z Flip-esque system that had two hinges that permit it fold in on itself from the highest and backside. Allison Johnson at The Verge has nicknamed it "The Claw," which to our editor Cherlynn Low is simply paying homage to an MSI system.
Xiaomi
Sadly, Xiaomi doesn't have plans to convey a handset it confirmed off at MWC to the US. That's an actual pity, as a result of no different corporations are promoting telephones fairly just like the Xiaomi 15 Extremely within the nation today.
Xiaomi teamed up with Leica to make a smartphone that leans closely into images. The digicam array features a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony essential sensor, an f/2.2 50MP ultrawide cam, a 50MP midrange lens with a 70mm focal size and a 200MP periscope array with a 100mm focal size — that equates to a 4.7x optical zoom. Some preset Leica filters assist to tie the 2 manufacturers' knowhow collectively.
That's not all that is perhaps fascinating to cell snappers. Xiaomi's separate Pictures equipment consists of an add-on digicam grip with a bodily shutter button, an adjustable dial and devoted video button. You'll have the choice to connect an ordinary 67mm filter adapter to a case as effectively — in different phrases, among the gear you would possibly use on a devoted digicam is appropriate with the Extremely 15 as a part of this setup.
Furthermore, the Extremely 15 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED show with 120Hz refresh charge and as much as 3,200 nits of brightness that can assist you get a great have a look at your captures. Plus, not like another Chinese language telephones (like Huawei's), Xiaomi helps Google companies in HyperOS 2, which is an Android pores and skin. The Extremely 15 begins at about €1,499 (round $1,572).
Android
Talking of Android, Google introduced two new AI-powered options for the working system at MWC. The Reside Video operate, which Google first previewed at I/O 2024, means that you can share what your telephone's digicam sees with Gemini so you’ll be able to ask the chatbot questions in regards to the footage.
The brand new screensharing operate works in an analogous approach. You possibly can ask Gemini questions on no matter's in your telephone or pill's show.
In the event that they work in addition to marketed, these options could possibly be a boon for accessibility. Google will first provide them to Gemini Superior subscribers beginning later this month. These with a $20 per 30 days Google One AI Premium membership, which is included with some Verizon plans, have entry to Gemini Superior.
Nothing
Samsung wasn't the one smartphone maker of word to point out off two new mid-range units at MWC. Nothing debuted its Telephone 3a Professional and Telephone 3a on the occasion — though it has but to unleash the Telephone 3.
The 3a Professional has a beefier digicam module (fairly actually because the system is about 10 grams heavier than the 3a). It incorporates a 50MP telephoto sensor with a 3x optical zoom; a 50MP major sensor with f/1.88 lens and dual-pixel part detection auto-focus (PDAF); and an ultrawide 8MP sensor with a 120-degree subject of view. The handset has a telemacro mode too. As for the 3a, that boasts a essential 50MP digicam with single-pixel PDAF, however the different two sensors are the identical as on the 3a Professional.
The cameras are the primary distinction between the 2 telephones, which each have a 6.77-inch AMOLED LTPS show with a 120Hz refresh charge and as much as 1,300 nits of brightness. The telephones have a 5,000mAh battery with help for 50W quick charging, they usually run on a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset.
The units have Nothing's multipurpose Important Key, a bodily button that may take screenshots and show you how to document voice notes. The telephones even have some generative AI options, similar to the flexibility to transcribe stated voice notes and describe what's in screenshots and pictures.
As regular, Nothing is initially providing these units within the US by means of a beta program. Telephone 3a pre-orders are open now and the $379 handset ships on March 11. That's the date when pre-orders for the Telephone 3a Professional go stay. The $459 telephone could be in your fingers on March 25.
Meta
There was extra information out of MWC past new gear and OS updates. Meta and the Web Society introduced a partnership to bolster inexpensive web connectivity across the globe. They're collectively placing $30 million into the initiative over the following 5 years.
A significant goal of the challenge is to assist construct out infrastructure in areas the place industrial suppliers have but to take action. The Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative will even again coaching applications, community-centered options for underserved areas and domestically owned networks. The Web Society is hoping to search out extra companions to assist with the challenge.
HMD
Finnish firm HMD, which additionally makes units underneath the Nokia model, introduced a bunch of telephones to Barcelona this yr, however possibly essentially the most fascinating factor was some earbuds. The Amped Earbuds are a pair of pretty commonplace Bluetooth buds, with a twist within the case: It's obtained a 1,600mAh battery in-built that helps reverse wi-fi charging. It's a reasonably stable thought — given you're doubtless already carrying a telephone and a few headphones. Maybe the one situation is that capability: 1,600mAh is sufficient to cost plenty of headphones, but it surely's dramatically smaller than the battery in your telephone. Nonetheless, an additional 20 % of battery life could possibly be an lifesaver.
Replace, March 7 2025, 4:05PM ET: This story has been up to date twice since publish. As soon as to incorporate a bit on Samsung's idea folding units, and as soon as so as to add a bit on HMD's Amped Earbuds. The introduction of the article was additionally modified.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/everything-announced-at-mwc-2025-samsung-nothing-lenovo-xiaomi-and-more-tech-news-200029465.html?src=rss