Mobile World Congress sees the most important and finest tech corporations, the world over, collect in Barcelona to indicate off their newest, best merchandise. MWC 2026 runs March 2 to five and we count on to see a number of main telephone launches, some wild ideas and plenty of tapas. However what about merchandise we noticed in prior years?
From Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S telephones to unimaginable {hardware} from Xiaomi, we have seen some amazing devices within the years CNET has been attending the present. However we have additionally seen plenty of unusual products which have promised greater than they’ve delivered.
From idea units which are rapidly forgotten to new devices that boast revolutionary capabilities, these are the MWC tech launches that arrived with a fanfare… however aren’t essentially the place you’d count on them to be right now.
Humane AI pin
AI may nonetheless be the most important buzzword in tech, thanks to each telephone firm cramming their units with every kind of bizarre AI functions. However at MWC 2024, one firm wished to take that additional. The Humane AI pin was a wearable badge that you possibly can speak to and ask questions on your schedule, the climate or issues like sports activities outcomes. It may learn solutions out and even mission them onto your hand with a laser. As a result of everybody loves lasers.
Sounds enjoyable, proper? And the corporate’s rhetoric round how AI-based units like it will exchange telephones sounded compelling. Nonetheless, the product, properly, sucked (simply ask CNET’s Scott Stein, who spent extended time with it) and the corporate was finally swallowed by HP, with the Pin itself ceasing to perform in February final 12 months. When you have been one of many early adopters, do tell us what you have achieved with that $699(!) paperweight now.
Motorola Rizr
MWC is a good place to indicate off ideas that can excite expertise nerds like us. Motorola has a great historical past of this on the present and the Rizr is one in all my favorites. This telephone did not simply have a versatile show like we have seen on lots of right now’s foldable phones, its show may truly mechanically unroll on the push of a button, extending the highest of the display screen to offer a extra immersive show for watching movies or enjoying video games.
It was wonderful to see in individual and it was definitely a unique concept on easy methods to use versatile shows. However that is all it was; an concept. Motorola hasn’t deployed the Rizr’s mechanical unfurling into any of its merchandise, with its upcoming Razr Fold launch being simply a typical book-style foldable. The reason being apparent: The expertise is probably going costly and possibly fragile too. Three years on and Motorola hasn’t mentioned a factor about this cool idea, however I am going to nonetheless maintain my fingers crossed for this 12 months.
Xiaomi SU7 EV
Xiaomi could be higher identified for its superb camera phones, however the Chinese language agency has fingers in lots of pies, together with scooters, vacuums, air fryers and, er, water pistols. It was no shock then that in MWC 2024, the corporate showed off its first EV, the Xiaomi SU7. With modern, sporty seems to be and a promised vary of over 470 miles, I used to be excited.
I used to be excited once more when the corporate confirmed off an even more performance-focused model ultimately 12 months’s present, which had already delivered some blistering observe instances on the notorious Nürburgring. However I’ve but to get behind the wheel. Whereas Xiaomi is already producing and promoting automobiles in its native China, the corporate has no plans to launch within the UK or wider Europe till not less than 2027 and so they nearly definitely will not promote within the US in any respect.
Consequently, I really feel like I have been teased considerably with the promise of this slick, highly effective EV that may have sat completely on my driveway. In actuality, I nonetheless have an enormous wait forward of me, if the SU7 European launch occurs in any respect. Gross sales of the SU7 in China have surpassed these of the Tesla Mannequin 3, in line with a report by Automotive Information China. In the meantime, the identical story reveals that the SU7 Extremely’s gross sales have declined dramatically resulting from quite a few controversies and lawsuits across the automotive and Xiaomi’s rollout.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring made for an fascinating MWC in 2024. Right here was a brand new sort of wearable that promised superior well being and health monitoring, whereas mixing into your each day life by sitting unobtrusively in your finger. And that is what it does, with CNET giving it a wholesome 8.5 out of 10 in our full overview.
However that was in 2024, and a full two years later, I am left questioning what’s occurring with the fantastic world of sensible jewellery. Samsung has made no official remark round a follow-up, by way of rumors recommend we might even see one in late 2026 or 2027. Sensible ring producer Oura, in the meantime, has filed a public lawsuit against Samsung and different sensible ring corporations claiming patent infringement. That is probably one of many causes we’ll have to attend for a Galaxy Ring 2. Whereas different sensible rings do exist — just like the Oura Ring 4 — it is not a class that flourished after Samsung launched its ring.
There is no Google Pixel Ring, no Apple iRing and never even an LED-infused Nothing Ring (1). Most different sensible rings are made by smaller corporations, corresponding to Pebble’s recently announced $75 recyclable ring. Sensible rings could have a spot on our arms for some time but, however Samsung’s prolonged delay in launching a follow-up may recommend that it is not precisely a precedence product.
Motorola wrist telephone
I mentioned that the aforementioned Moto Rizr was “one in all” my favourite MWC ideas.That is as a result of the corporate’s flexible wrist phone from 2024 completely takes my prime spot. This candybar-style Android telephone had a completely versatile physique that allow you to to wrap the entire thing round your wrist and put on it like one thing resembling Leela from Futurama’s wrist-mounted doodad.
I discovered it extraordinarily intriguing. Right here was a telephone that does not bulge out your skinny denims when it is in your pocket, however that is additionally only a look away like a smartwatch. And in comparison with the precision engineering required for the Rizr, the wrist telephone’s expertise appeared comparatively achievable. In spite of everything, we have already got versatile shows and this did not even require any specialised tiny motors — you simply whack it onto your wrist like a ’90s slap bracelet.
However, just like the Rizr, the wrist-mounted telephone remained only a flight of fancy I skilled oh so briefly for a couple of days in Spain. And like all vacation romance, maybe it is best for me to easily keep in mind it for what it was and never spend my days pining for what may have been.
With MWC 2026 only a few days away I am excited to see new and wild merchandise present their face, and I am curious to see which ones may have endurance.
