It is day 2 (Monday) at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
HONOR is the star launch of today. It pulled back the curtain on Magic5 Pro with a 6.8-inch screen, 50MP triple-camera, and Wi-Fi 7 for high-speed connectivity. It also showcased the Magic Vs foldable with a 7.9-inch bendy display and superlight gearless hinge in the middle. Both these 5G devices take the fight directly to Samsung Z Fold 4, Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Apple iPhone 14. Honor is a credible smartphone brand for Europe (provided it can avoid any future US sanctions).
QUALCOMM wowed us with its Snapdragon 8 AI engine. Its text-to-image (T2I) demo is hugely impressive. Qualcomm can turn a handful of words into a work of art. For example, we asked it to draw a dragon wearing a hat — and it drew an actual dragon wearing a hat! It is like having Leonardo da Vinci in your pocket.. Expect this AI hardware and software to reach commercial smartphones from Q2 2023. No OEM smartphone partners are announced yet, but we’d expect to see Samsung, Xiaomi, and others among the early pioneers.
UNISOC gave us an interesting overview of its stand. The Chinese firm showed us their many 2G, 4G, and 5G smartphone models. Samsung is their biggest client for smartphones worldwide. It is an interesting reminder that China is more than “just smartphones”. They are also making components, too, and keen to make more.
XIAOMI showed us their (fully working) Cyberdog, a robot pet from China. It goes for a walk, stamps its feet with excitement, and holds out a paw. Kind of cute. High price, modest battery life, limited range remain a challenge. A gimmick, perhaps, but Cyberdog (or Cybercat) may one day find fans among kids, families, seniors, or even security businesses.
Finally, one comment on 5G. There is (privately) a surprising amount of negativity on 5G here at the show. Global 5G smartphone shipments have not revitalized the industry as much as expected, while carriers are struggling to monetize their expensive 5G network investments. The golden era of 5G feels this year like it has come to an end.
