Weekend poll: What was your favorite gadget at MWC 2023?
From brand-new foldables to rollable concepts, this show had everything
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Honor Magic 5 Pro hands-on: Promising upgrades
The Magic 5 Pro stays true to Honor's flagship design all while refining it
Honor finally launched its foldable Magic Vs for international markets at MWC 2023 after it’s been available in China since November. But the company also brought its regular flagship series overseas, presenting it at the Barcelona trade show even before making it official in its domestic Chinese market. We’ve had the opportunity to go hands-on with a pre-release version of the Magic 5 Pro flagship, slated to hit European and international markets in April.
Best of MWC 2023: Android Police’s awards for the big mobile show
The best tech we've seen during MWC 2023
The world's biggest mobile phone show is drawing to a close, and while Mobile World Congress 2023 hasn't been as chock-full of announcements as pre-pandemic iterations of the show, we've seen some reveals of exciting smartphones, interesting concept devices, and other oddities.
ZTE’s latest Nubia tablet uses AI for glasses-free 3D
One of the more eye-popping announcements so far at MWC 2023
Yes, mobile devices with 3D screens have been tried before. And yes, they’ve even been done in a way that doesn’t require glasses for the content to appear to jump off the screen. Consumers haven’t exactly hopped on the 3D bandwagon, but that hasn’t stopped ambitious electronics companies from dreaming of a holographic future. The latest endeavor in this field comes from a partnership between ZTE and 3D AI company Leia that was just unveiled at MWC 2023.
Nothing Phone 2 will be powered by a top-end Qualcomm chipset
Expect the Nothing Phone 2 sometime later in 2023
The Nothing Phone 2 will sport a flagship chipset from Qualcomm. The company confirmed the news at a reveal during MWC 2023 where Android Police was present. We didn't yet hear the exact name or specs of the Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm, but we'd expect it to be the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 2. We likely won't know for sure until it's fully revealed later in the year.
The Tecno Phantom V Fold undercuts the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 by hundreds
It's not coming to the US, sadly
Honor may have dominated the folding phone sector at MWC 2023 with its Magic Vs foldable, but it's not the only company releasing a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 style device at the show. Another unlikely competitor comes in the form of the Tecno Phantom V Fold, which opts for a MediaTek processor rather than the Snapdragon chipsets we've seen in international Fold-style phones so far.
Realme brings 10-minute ultra-fast charging outside of China with the GT3
80 seconds of power grants you a 20% charge
While US residents are stuck referring to 45W charging as "fast," international companies are pushing further than ever before. At MWC 2023, Realme announced the GT3, its latest flagship smartphone headed for global availability. And just one year after debuting 150W fast-charging at last year's conference, the company has returned with a device capable of charging nearly twice as fast, reaching some seriously ludicrous speeds in the process.
Foldables might be the current obsession of smartphone manufacturers across the globe — with OnePlus most recently getting in on the fun — but there's an even more futuristic form factor on the horizon. It wasn't long ago that we seemed destined to see the arrival of commercial rollable smartphones, but LG left the market just before its expandable phone could hit shelves. Despite a late-stage prototype making its way out into the world, we've been stuck with nothing but rumors and concept phones ever since.
OnePlus's folding phone is official, and it launches this year
2023 is shaping up to be the year of the folding phones
OnePlus is the latest brand to enter the foldable phone space. The brand used the second official day of MWC 2023 to confirm it is working on a foldable phone, and we know it’ll be here by the end of 2023. Apart from a couple of teasers since August last year, this has been the first time the brand has confirmed a foldable OnePlus handset is coming.
Huawei Watch GT Cyber changes its frame as easily as most smartwatches change bands
Presto, change-o
Smartwatches are easily some of the most fashion-forward mobile devices, inviting us to make them our own by swapping out bands or trying out some new watch faces. But you've had a lot less choice when it comes to the watch's body itself, usually just choosing between two or three (if you're lucky) options that you end up stuck with. This year at MWC 2023, Huawei is rethinking that approach as it shows off its Watch GT Cyber, a smartwatch with a quick-change case.
Honor Magic Vs review: You win some, you lose some
Honor’s first international foldable surpasses Samsung in key areas, but falls short in others
Honor first revealed that it would bring a folding phone to international markets in September 2022. It then gave us a preview and hands-on experience of what we can expect in November 2022, and now, at MWC 2023, the company has finally revealed the Honor Magic Vs for its international audience — though the US is still left out in the cold.
Honor pulls flagship Magic 5 Pro and foldable Magic Vs out of its MWC hat
Seeing stars and a whole lot more
Honor is pulling a heck of a follow-through move at MWC 2023. You may still perceive this Chinese brand being overshadowed by its former parent company, Huawei, but ever since its divestiture, Honor has been working on itself. Late last year, it hit out at the foldable market in China with the Magic Vs phablet. Today, the company is not only bringing it over to Europe, but is also launching new flagship-class slabs for its Magic 5 series.
Xiaomi concept AR glasses feature ‘retina-level’ display and gesture control
You don’t need to tether the AR glasses to a PC or smartphone
AR/VR headsets are expected to be the next big thing in the consumer technology space. Apple is widely anticipated to enter the market with its mixed-reality headset later this year. While you can find AR/VR headsets from the likes of Meta and TCL, their execution leaves a lot to be desired. Xiaomi is the latest entrant to the field with the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition. The company showcased its first concept wireless AR glasses at MWC 2023 and detailed how they can be used to control your smart home devices.
Google's celebrating an early spring with new Android and Wear OS features
Annotation tools in Drive, a new widget for Keep, and some adorable tap-to-pay friendly penguins
With Mobile World Congress in full swing, Google's wasting no time unveiling some new features for Android. While Pixel users will likely have to wait until next week for the March Feature Drop, everyone can enjoy this latest round of updates — some of which start rolling out as early as today. Whether you're jumping into a video call, jotting down notes on a PDF, or you're paying for lunch through Google Wallet, there's something for you here.
Google's new eSIM switch tool makes changing phones easier
eSIM transfer capabilities is coming to Android later this year
Apple's latest iPhone series has gone all in on eSIMs for users in the United States, completely ditching the physical SIM cards we’ve all been slotting into our handsets for years. With this increased commitment, it's only a matter of time before Android OEMs rush to bring the same change to their side of the market, with Google helping to ensure a smooth transition. Today at MWC 2023, Google finally announced its eSIM plans for Android phones as the company works to streamline the experience users deal with ahead of the inevitable death of physical SIM cards.
OnePlus 11 Concept hands-on: This mobile cooling tech isn’t for sale
Maybe it’ll come along to something you can buy later
The OnePlus 11 is mostly a return to form for the Chinese smartphone maker. Our review noted how OnePlus had made the right compromises to make a worthy smartphone of the company’s original Never Settle motto after a few years of underwhelming flagship phones. The latest phone scored an eight in our review, but one of the drawbacks is the fact the design is just... fine. It isn’t particularly remarkable.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a Chromebook that won't break your back — or your wallet
A thin and light laptop that's pretty thin and really light
MWC 2023 is just kicking off, and as always, this year's show isn't limited to smartphones alone. If you're in the market for a new affordable Chromebook, Lenovo's got you covered. While it might not impress you with superpowered specs or flashy RGB lighting, the IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook looks like an excellent entry in the thin-and-light field — and all for well under $400.
Get a close-up look at how Motorola's rollable phone works
The RIZR gets detailed in photos and videos
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If you've had enough of foldables, you'll be glad to know rollable phones are set to become the hot new thing once they hit the market. But as with most cookery on the R&D stoves, it's the waiting that's always the hardest part: LG (RIP), Oppo, and Samsung have teased us with demos, plans, and expectations, but all of them have yet to get something in our hands. Well, at MWC 2023, Motorola is doing just that. Okay, maybe not your hands per se, but certainly the hands of some people outside of Lenovo.
TCL's latest 40 series smartphones look hard to beat if you've got $200
Plus, budget ANC earbuds and Android 13 tablets
TCL might have staked a nice claim to fame in the crowded television business, but it's also been trying to get people on board with its budget-focused smartphones as well. Just last month, it went old-school with the all-new Ion X featuring a microSD card slot and a removable battery among other forsaken tidbits. The company has now taken the wraps off three new smartphones, two new tablets, and a new pair of earbuds at MWC 2023.
Xiaomi 13 Pro hands-on: Xiaomi is growing up
Waterproofing, 5 years of security patches, and more quality of life features on top of a great camera
The Xiaomi 13 Pro may have been announced in China already as one of the first phones to come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Sony’s big 1-inch IMX989 sensor, but it's only now finally official for international markets. Even if today's MWC 2023 reveal doesn’t mean the Xiaomi 13 series will come to the US, this gives us a chance to take a look at what the US market is missing out on. And based on our first hands-on impressions, the Xiaomi 13 Pro might just be one of the best smartphones in 2023 you can’t get.
Xiaomi’s latest smartwatch first launched in China over a year ago
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro launched in China in August 2022
Besides its smartphones, Xiaomi is known for making great budget wireless earbuds and smartwatches. The company's accessories won't win any awards with their performance, but they always stand out with their price-to-performance ratio. At MWC 2023, alongside the Xiaomi 13 series, Xiaomi announced two new accessories: the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro and Watch 4 S1 Pro. Admittedly, none of these products are new. They launched in China in August 2022, so they are making their international debut after nearly 1.5 years.