This year's Mobile World Congress has proven to already be a swirl of interesting tech even well beyond the base mobile format. In the stunning Fira Barcelona Gran Via in Spain, some of the most enticing, fascinating, and futuristic forms of mobile tech have emerged from their secret vaults behind among the most lauded tech firms in the space. From Huawei to Lenovo, MWC 2023 has attracted some of the greatest minds in mobile technology to lend credence to the future of the craft.
While more than most may be just fine with an Apple iPhone, evidenced in the staggering number of US-based teenage iPhone users, rivals like the aforementioned Xioami, Motorola, and OnePlus are pushing boundaries by testing all-new avenmues for approaching the mobile device. No longer is it just a slab of glass with some yearly upgradable internals, but a complete gaming platform, one that could put even the Steam Deck to shame.
But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Below is some of the most enticing mobile gadgets making headwaves out of MWC 2023, many of which spell the future of the industry:
Xiaomi Wireless AR glass Discovery Edition
As Apple's VR headset gains in outward popularity and its shadow casts a wide net on the market, the XR concept still proves a bit too early. Metaverse pundits have slowly rescinded their efforts as hype around a metaphorical digital universe diminishes, but augmented reality, or AR, could still prove promising in the right hands.
That's where Xiaomi comes in. At MWC 2023, the tech firm has shown off its new AR Glass Discovery Edition, which is an incredibly stylish and sleek form of an XR platform. It boasts instant access to either a virtual world or reality-based effects due to its electrochromic lens, which is fitted into a magnesium-lithium alloy and carbon fiber frame.
Xioami's glasses wigh all but a mere 4.4 ounces, or around 126g, which is intended to make long-time wearing a bit less stressful on the nose and face. The displays also have a peak brightness of 1,200nits, in addition to incredibly advanced hand-tracking capabilities. The firm claims users will be able to interact with the digital landscapes in all-new and mind-numbing ways, making these glasses something of golden goose.
Tecno Phantom V Fold
Folding phones are becoming ever more popular, allowing for a wide range of screen real estate suited for extreme multitasking. MWC was no stranger to a bevy of flip phones, as witnessed with the likes of the Oppo Find N2 Flip and Honor Magic VS, but most impressive is Tecno's Phantom V Fold.
This device takes on MediaTek's Dimensity 9000+ processor with two AMOLED panels that leverage both a 7.85 inch 2,296 x 2,000 resolution screen and 6.42-inch 2,550 x 1,080 resolution sub-screen. It also utilizes a 5,000mAh battery, which can hit a 100-percent charge within 55 minutes. The cameras aren't anything to scoff at either, as it has three rather powerful rear iterations and even two selfie cameras on the front.
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Huawei Cyber Watch
The smartwatch industry is quite large despite the seeming niche nature of the wearable space. Sure, as with US-based mobile device sales, Apple dominates in the smartwatch space too, but Huawei holds a significant foothold within the space, as well, and its new Cyber Watch from MWC 2023 is yet another example of how it is powering the wearable ecosystem to its 2028 forecasted $80 billion in revenue.
The Huawei Watch GT Cyber is a sleek icon of what wearable tech can be. The device features replaceable shells that include the straps and even the outer circle. With a 466 x 466 resolution AMOLED circular display, the GT Cyber can fold and adapt to whatever mood you're in, whether it be sports or just a night on the town. It's an interesting device that will, unfortunately, only be available in China, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Lenovo Rollable Laptop
Although making a splash at MWC 2023, Lenovo's Rollable laptop first made headwaves back in October 2022 when its design ethos proved promising. Seeing it in action is only an enhanced testament on the potential in rollable technologies - that is, of course, if you really need all of that screen real estate.
The device has a 12.7-inch display in the unextended form that sports a 4:3 aspect ratio, which can then be extended into a 15.3-inch form factor at an 8:9 aspect ratio. It's folding mechanism takes about 10 seconds to fully retract and Lenovo claims it will bear about 20,000 to 30,000 rolls in durability.
Lenovo's rollable laptop is aimed at office professionals, of which Lenovo itself describes as coders and Excel spreadsheet users, as the larger display makes it easier to view such platforms. It will be interesting to see how alternate rolling laptops can squeeze just a bit more screen real estate out as the future nears.
OnePlus 11 Concept Phone
OnePlus is no stranger to radical phone iterations, best evidenced in the 2020 collaboration it held with McLaren for CES 2020. While that phone might be pretty sleek, the firm's newest concept shown at MWC 2023 is one of immense potential for those budding on-the-go gamers looking to take some of the best titles around with them in their mere pocket.
That's right, the OnePlus 11 Concept is like a streamlined Steam Deck in the form of a mobile smartphone. It has the company's so-called "Active CryoFlux" technology, a type of liquid cooling solution that allows the device a range of promise not only for gaming, but a swath of multititasking applications.
The OnePlus 11 Concept can play with its internal temperature to benefit certain functions, like gaming, but also even charging. The firm claims the Active CryoFlux system can decrease the phone's temperature by 2.88 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce charging times by 30-45 seconds.
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