Under the slogan Converge. Connect. Create, Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona equals its all-time record of 109,000 visitors from 205 countries and 2,700 exhibitors in a 240,000 m2 venue. Among the 1,200 speakers were figures such as Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and Garri Kasparov, former world chess champion turned AI expert. The speech by Marc Murtra, Telefónica’s new CEO, who advocates integration between European operators, has also caused great expectations. The GSMA also announced a MWC in Doha, which joins the editions in Las Vegas, Shanghai and Kigali; although Barcelona will remain the main venue until 2030 and the next edition will be from 2nd to 6th March 2026. Find out about the main trends and new features of MWC 2025.
Thinner, solar and even biological devices
As usual, MWC 2025 has seen a host of new devices that use novel formats to appeal to users. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flex Ultra, with a self-repairing screen, while Xiaomi boasts the thinnest phone on the market with Mi Fold X. The GLOMO award for the best smartphone, however, went to the Google Pixel range for the second year running. The Lenovo Yoga Solar PC notebook, which has solar panels on the cover to extend the battery life, also attracted a lot of attention. The CL1 from Australian firm Cortical Labs, the first commercial biocomputer, which uses cultured neurons to process information, was a novelty.
AI and robotics become part of our lives
After several editions hearing about the enormous possibilities of artificial intelligence and with the reality check provided by the‘low-cost’ Chinese AI of DeepSeek, MWC 2025 has focused on the practical applications of AI. Most are integrated into mobile devices, such as Huawei’s software that enhances mobile photos without you having to do anything, or Google’s new Gemini virtual assistants, which adapt to each user. But we have also seen advances in robotics, such as the Unitree G1, a humanoid robot designed for household tasks, or Pepper 2.0, a robot with generative AI that can perform customer service and maintenance tasks.
A new impetus for electric mobility
As Tesla sees its sales plummet in Europe, Chinese manufacturers are rushing to take up positions with ever more technology-packed vehicles. Xiaomi is now entering the market with its first electric sports car, the SU7 Ultra, while BYD is opening a factory in Hungary and plans to launch six new hybrid and plug-in car models in Europe this year. At the same time, the search is on to make mobility more sustainable through initiatives such as EIT Urban Mobility, which has presented an interactive map of Barcelona showing in real time the impact of different delivery options in the last mile, with the aim of promoting sustainability and efficiency.
The maturity of 5G and the first steps of 6G
Although MWC 2025 is known as a great technological showcase, it is still the great global forum where the development of telecommunications technologies is planned. Ericsson and Nokia presented their new advances in 5G, with solutions that provide better energy efficiency and connectivity to continue driving the generalisation of high-speed mobile networks. Also of note is the strong growth of private 5G networks, which are dedicated exclusively to one company or sector. Meanwhile, manufacturers such as Qualcomm have unveiled their first steps in 6G technology, which will accelerate augmented and virtual reality applications, connected vehicles, smart mobility and AI-enabled robotics.
Technology for a more diverse and sustainable society
Despite the Trump administration’s questioning of Environment, Society and Governance (ESG) policies (which large tech companies such as Amazon and Meta have been quick to join), MWC 2025 continues to deepen its commitment to society. The presentations of the thematic axis ‘Our Digital DNA’ focused on how technology companies can align themselves with values such as sustainability, gender equality and social responsibility. A new edition of the Diversity4Tech (D4T) forum was also held, which highlighted that companies with greater ethnic and gender diversity are up to 21% more profitable, and proposed extending ESG policies to also address ageism and disability.
Which MWC 2025 trend catches your attention the most? Comment on social media!
Deborah Gray is Founder and CEO
