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I flew 3,600 miles to see the Google booth at MWC and all I got were these french fries
I also got to touch a Galaxy Z Fold3 for two seconds
If life is like a box of chocolates in that you never know what you're going to get, trade shows such as Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, well, they're more like a sack of potatoes — for the most part, you know what you're in for. Take the Android Garden that Google set up between halls 2 and 3 at the Fira Gran Via. It's a veritable tuber showcase for apps on the Google Play Store, Android Automotive, and every bit of automation you can program from Google Home. If you've never been to one of these big conventions and want to know how these potatoes taste, then sit back and let us do the chopping and frying. No, seriously, we're having french fries.
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The OSOM OV1, an Essential Phone 'sequel', will be made of stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic
The company shares some specs and more design details for the upcoming OV1
As promised, OSOM now has more information to share about its upcoming OV1 phone now that it's MWC time. The company was able to share some specs and withheld others, but the thing I'm most excited for is that it will be made out of stainless steel, ceramic, and titanium. It's not the first Android phone to use these kinds of materials, but it's the first I can think of in a long time. Unfortunately, the phone has also been delayed slightly, with it now expected to launch in the second half of the year, though you might actually like the reason why.
Android Police is back in Barcelona for MWC 2022 and we've had a chance to go beyond the press releases, peruse the booths, and talk to some polite people in dresses and suits about their latest phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, earbuds, and more. The pool of developments is admittedly a bit shallow this year compared to others, but even as such, there are still standouts that arouse intrigue and make lasting impressions. So, between this writer and our Europe Editor Manuel Vonau, we've picked out our "Best of MWC." Shall we compare our list with yours, then?
Huawei MatePad Paper takes on the Kindle Paperwhite for E Ink tablet supremacy
Why buy just an e-reader when you could have an Android tablet?
Huawei has been doing its best to keep its mobile lineup enticing since it was forced to drop Google’s services, thanks to those notorious US sanctions. That hasn’t stopped the company from trying to keep its consumer business afloat, though, and the likes of the P50, P50 Pro, and P50 Pocket (its first clamshell foldable) are recent attempts to sustain its relevance (even as the lack of GMS makes things difficult). Now with MWC 2022 officially getting started, Huawei has announced an E Ink tablet that looks perfectly poised to take on a whole new market segment for the company.
Realme announces the GT 2 lineup and 150W super-fast charging — just not together
Along with just a whole bunch of other new hardware
MWC 2022 has begun, and following announcements from tech giants like Samsung, Lenovo, and Nokia, we've got yet another company showing off its latest hardware at the expo. As rumored, Realme has revealed a new 150W ultra-fast charging tech for smartphones, along with the global launch of its GT 2 series smartphones.
Honor Magic4 Pro hands-on: The Pixel 6 Pro dilemma
Is the Magic4 Pro too expensive compared to the Magic4?
Honor has just introduced the Magic4 series at MWC 2022, complete with a new smartwatch and its latest earbuds. The Magic4 series isn’t a drastic departure from the Magic3 it introduced just half a year ago, but it’s packed with the latest technologies like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and even more high-quality cameras. We’ve had the chance to give the Magic4 Pro a quick try at the Fira, and it’s definitely an appealing high-end device sporting the newest and best hardware — though we’re wondering if Honor can really ask for €200 more for it than for the regular Magic4.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is launching globally by the end of March
Expect more OnePlus phones this year, including its cheapest 5G phone yet
OnePlus typically launches its flagship smartphone globally in April, within a few weeks of its Chinese debut. This year though, the company announced the OnePlus 10 Pro in China right at the beginning of the year, with there being no word on its international availability. Now, at MWC 2022, the Oppo sub-brand has provided an update on the phone's global launch and shared more details on how it plans to expand its presence in India and other parts of the world.
Crazy fast 150W charging is coming to future OnePlus and OPPO phones
SuperVOOC is getting super-er, as soon as next quarter
OnePlus phones are already the fastest-charging models you can buy in the US today. Last year's OnePlus 9 Pro was able to charge at 65W using a cable, and the 10 Pro upped that to 80W (though, sadly, you can't buy one here yet). But future phones from OnePlus and Oppo will be able to charge much, much faster, as the two companies have announced today at MWC that 150W SuperVOOC charging is coming.
OnePlus calls off merger between OxygenOS and ColorOS, but they'll still share a codebase
Fans of the former OxygenOS may have room to breathe
This far, and no farther: plans for Oppo and subsidiary OnePlus devices to sport a unified Android-based UI have fallen through as both intend to continue developing their own treatments of ColorOS and OxygenOS, respectively.
Qualcomm's newest chip already supports Wi-Fi 7 because it has absolutely no chill
Along with faster Wi-Fi, next year's phones will benefit from improved Bluetooth and 5G
As it does every year, Qualcomm has unleashed a torrent of product updates that will directly and indirectly affect the components in the phones, tablets, earbuds, wearables, and connected PCs over the next year. While MWC 2022 may have flashier announcements, Qualcomm's may end up having the most impact on the devices you will one day buy.
Poco X4 Pro and M4 Pro bring some familiar-looking hardware to MWC 2022
High-refresh-rate AMOLED goodness for the masses
It's been a rough couple of years for the big smartphone trade shows, but MWC 2022 is here to try and prove that there are still launches worth getting excited about. As things get started this year, Poco is sharing word about two new phones: the Poco X4 Pro and M4 Pro. The former is the successor to the Poco X3 Pro with its unmatchable price-to-performance ratio, and the sequel looks packed to the gills with high-end specs. The Poco M4 Pro, meanwhile, is a budget-oriented option with an AMOLED display, triple-camera setup, and all-day battery life.
Honor launches the Magic4 Pro with a quad-curved display and 100W wired and wireless charging
Sharing the stage with the Magic4, new earbuds, and a smartwatch
It’s not too long ago that former Huawei subsidiary Honor was spun off into its own company, separate from its now severely hamstrung former parent company. For Honor, things couldn’t have gone better, as it still has access to Google apps and services and has been able to release a whole lineup of intriguing flagships and mid-rangers internationally. Today at MWC 2022, Honor is aiming to follow up its recent success with the Honor Magic4 series, perfecting the formula it introduced with the Magic3 before it. As such, we’re in for much of the same familiar look, but updated with the best hardware available in 2022.
The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus is a budget Android tablet that promises three years of security updates
Promising long battery life for all that work and play
Despite Android tablets never really taking off, Lenovo regularly kept releasing them over the years and managed to carve out a niche for itself with its budget offerings. At MWC 2022, the company has announced the third generation of its popular Tab M10 Plus slate with some key improvements that deliver a better user experience.
Lenovo's newest Flex 5i Chromebook aims to dethrone the Acer Spin 713
Plus, the Duet we wanted all along arrives this summer
Lenovo's expansive Windows laptops might be center stage at MWC 2022, but its upcoming Chromebooks look quite competitive. Three new Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebooks will go on sale this summer — including an updated Duet 3 and Flex 5i Chromebooks ready to battle the much-beloved Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and HP x2 11 for a spot among the best Chromebooks.
Samsung's Galaxy Book2 lineup brings S Pen support to Windows 11's Android apps
Complete with S Pen support and continuity across Galaxy devices
We may mostly focus on Samsung’s Galaxy phones and tablets around here like the excellent Galaxy S22 Ultra, but the company has a much bigger portfolio consisting of a magnitude of other products, including but not limited to laptops. After seeing wide success in the premium PC segment with 30% sales increases, Samsung is ready to reveal the second generation of its Galaxy Book lineup at MWC 2022, boasting up to 21 hours of battery life and shipping with Windows 11, 12th gen Intel CPUs, Wi-Fi 6E, and S Pen support.
TCL 30 smartphone series further expands with more affordable 4G and 5G phones
Three new tablets to go along with it as well
TCL kickstarted this year by announcing two new budget Android smartphones at CES 2022 — the 30 V 5G and the 30 XE 5G. Now, at MWC 2022, the company is further expanding the TCL 30 series with the addition of five new phones: the TCL 30 5G, 30+, 30, 30 SE, and 30 E. All these are budget- to mid-range offerings that offer a good value. The devices are all launching in Europe first, but some of them might eventually make their way to the US. Additionally, the company also launched three new tablets, with one of them featuring an e-ink-like display.
Nokia's newest Android Go phones have removable batteries and other 2014 specs
Let's party like it's the 2010s again
As an Android brand, Nokia has found its own rhythm with phones — make them cheap without looking or feeling so, make them easy to maintain, and then (try to) maintain them. It's a strategy that has helped its parent company, HMD Global, achieve its first profitable year in 2021. And it hopes to continue that winning streak with a second batch of aggressively budget-minded products for 2022.
The mobile landscape went under a pandemic-accelerated overhaul in the past couple of years. Huawei is no longer the foreign juggernaut it used to be, Honor is with new ownership, Oppo and OnePlus are in slow-motion homogenization, and LG is a complete non-factor in 2022. You'd think these developments would suck all the air out of Mobile World Congress, which is being held on-time this year as opposed to in last year's sweaty Iberian summer. Well, prepare for your breath to be taken away.
Oppo Find X5 Pro brings big sensors and beefy OIS to night photography showdown
Two can play at this 'Nightography' game
From the way Chinese phone makers are once again building and emphasizing their global presence and performance, it seems as though 2022 might be the year for a post-Huawei wave of new opportunities. In jumping the pre-MWC queue of announcements, Oppo (apart from its subsumed corporate cousin, OnePlus) is looking to strike a convincing impression ahead of an assured retail campaign targeting more of Europe. The new Find series devices — with the Find X5 Pro leading the charge — do just that with hard specs in competitive areas.