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In a while In one week’s time (26-29 February) approximately 85,000 or more attendees will descend on Fira de Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2024. Over the past few years, the show has become arguably the most important mobile event of the year. Phone makers, telcos and many other technology vendors, journalists and analysts gather to discuss what the next year will hold for the industry.
Like every other major in-person event, the past few years have been tough for MWC. In 2019, the show hit 109,000 visitors – not quite CES numbers (which reached ~175,000 that same year), but still an impressive attendance for what was ultimately a more narrowly focused show. Covid hit the show hard for a few years (join the club).
Following the withdrawal of several major vendors and weeks of wrangling, the GSM Association (GMA) canceled the 2020 event. A significantly scaled-down version of the event took place the following year, with strict limits placed on attendance. 2022 sees an expected return of 60,000 attendees, compared to 88,500 last year. Organizers are expecting similar figures for this year’s event. That number is still well below the show’s heights, but MWC still qualifies as a big show.
However, it is a little difficult to assess the current level of importance of the show to the industry. This is due to some macro trends that have influenced every tech industry trade show to a great extent. Even before the pandemic, big vendors had begun to migrate toward their own standalone events so as not to get lost in the noise. COVID only accelerated this trend, as companies were forced to explore live event streaming.
Some of the biggest industry names no longer have a major presence. Take Samsung, which announced its new flagship during the once-slow week between CES and MWC. As we head into this year’s event, I’d love to tell you that – just like CES – small, cute startups have stepped up to fill that void, but that’s not actually the case. At least it’s not close to the level we saw at the Vegas event.
MWC has a substantial startup presence, although it takes the form of its own collaborative program. 4FYN (meaning four years from now) is celebrating its tenth year of existence in 2024. Hopefully this will turn into an exciting show. This event is run by the same organization at one place. I’ve come to think of it as the Mobile World Congress equivalent of CES’s Eureka Park: a big, noisy room full of startups. Honestly the worst way to spend a work afternoon.
For companies that attend the show floor and pitch-off, this is a chance to get an audience with MWC’s large and engaged audience. For us, this is an opportunity to check out smaller companies that might otherwise have flown under the radar. The event is not exclusive to European startups, but due to proximity they tend to dominate. It’s a lot easier to go to Spain than to cross an ocean and a continent or two to wander into a deep pit of despair like Las Vegas, Nevada.
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I expect a few trends to dominate the conversation, including a continued focus on health-focused wearables, including new form factors like smart rings. Head-worn performances have always had some presence in the show. For example, this appears to be one of the bigger shows for the HTC Vive. In light of Apple’s Vision Pro launch and Qualcomm’s commitment to AR and VR, I expect to hear a lot of talk about this once the show starts.
MWC is also a fun show for concept devices. This is where Lenovo/Motorola shine. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that Lenovo is enjoying the most fun among the world’s major consumer electronics manufacturers. Expect everything to bend and/or slide. There will be some pure concepts, but Lenovo isn’t afraid to release some really, delightfully weird stuff. there is even one “Transparent Laptop” At present there is a rumor about this incident.
Speaking of rumors, Nothing’s mid-tier 2a handset is scheduled for release on March 5 (though apparently limited here in the US). Carl Pei’s old company OnePlus will also be present. Last year’s show found the company leaning toward its own line of concept devices. This year, meanwhile, the OnePlus Watch 2 is rumored to be ready for release.
More broadly speaking, expect AI everywhere at MWC, but be prepared to cut through the BS (don’t worry, we’re here to help). Samsung has broken the “Generative AI Smartphone Seal” with the Galaxy S24 line, and now it’s going to be available in full form with applications ranging from the useful to the ridiculous. I am cautiously optimistic about the proliferation of AI tools Kind pin and Rabbit R1, Like CES, I hope robots get a chance to shine at this event, although this time primarily from European companies. that’s also a thing xiaomi car,
Most of all, it is a big show for the telecom companies, and yes, talks on 6G have already started. However, before the inevitable deluge remember that we are still in the very early stages of development. No standards have been agreed upon and it will be about four years before we actually see compatible devices. However, 5.5G/5G advanced is a reality that Chinese companies in particular are pushing for. Expect to hear a lot more about this – and other things – from Huawei, which has slowly found its way back after losing access to Google and Qualcomm products over the past several years.
Wi-Fi is also likely to be very real and present at this year’s show, taking the place of Wi-Fi 6E as the latest wireless standard. TechCrunch will also be live and present at MWC.
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