Mwc: MWC 2023: 5 tech trends we saw at world’s largest mobile industry event – Times of India

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 is underway in Barcelona and this year’s event focussed on smartphone technology, and 5G and its use cases. We are at the event and here are the five technology trends we noticed at this year’s MWC.
MWC 2023: Foldables are the next big mobile innovation
Samsung got the head start in the foldable smartphone space and Chinese OEMs are now shifting their focus in this area.
Oppo recently announced the Oppo Find N2 Flip and it will be the first foldable smartphone that will launch in multiple international markets. Its sister brand, OnePlus has also announced the company will launch a foldable smartphone in the second half of the year.
MWC also saw the international debut of the Honor Magic Vs foldable smartphone. It was introduced in China three months ago. Another Chinese smartphone brand Tecno launched the Phantom V Fold foldable smartphone.
Xiaomi and Samsung also displayed their foldable offerings, Mix Fold 2 and Galaxy Fold 4 alongside the Galaxy Flip 4, respectively. Motorola showcased a smartphone and laptop with rollable displays.

MWC 2023: Smartphones are no longer only about raw power
This year’s MWC saw OEMs talking about smartphones’ charging, heating and, of course, cameras. OnePlus launched the OnePlus 11 Concept with Active Cryoflux technology that is aimed at reducing the phone’s temperature by up to 2.1 degrees.
Its sister brand Realme launched the Realme GT 3 with 240W fast charging technology. However, Chinese rival Xiaomi stole Realme’s thunder by announcing 300W charging technology on Weibo.
In fact, Xiaomi also launched the Xiaomi 13 series, headlined by Xiaomi 13 Pro, for global markets. The flagship smartphone gets a 1-inch sensor alongside “professional optics, emotive imaging aesthetics and full Leica experience.”
Honor Magic 5 Pro also made its debut with three 50MP cameras and 100x digital zoom capabilities. The phone also comes with two front cameras.
London-based Nothing also announced that it will launch Noting Phone (2) later this year.

MWC 2023: ‘Second wave of 5G’
GSMA, the industry body that represents mobile network operators globally, announced that MWC 2023 will be a launchpad for the ‘second wave of 5G’. MWC 2019 saw the official launch of 5G at the Qualcomm booth.
New data from GSMA Intelligence show 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years. This will be expedited by new 5G network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023.
Meanwhile, riding the ‘second wave of 5G’, several companies including Ericsson, Nokia and VMWare showcased innovations at the MWC 2023 that will enable service providers and enterprises to expand 5G capabilities beyond smartphones.
Meanwhile, Ookla also announced that India’s mobile speeds increased by 115% after climbing 49 places on the Speedtest Global Index since the launch of 5G. India was at 118th spot in September 2022 and it was at 69th in January 2023. 5G availability increased 55-fold in India, thanks to the launch of next-generation networks by Jio and Airtel.

MWC 2023: Companies hop onto AR/VR bandwagon
Science fiction movies have already demonstrated the potential of immersive technology. One of the themes at MWC 2023 evolved around breakthroughs in AR and VR space. With the global deployment of 5G, immersive technology is expected to take the centrestage with use cases in automotive, sports, work and more.
Companies like Oppo, Qualcomm, Xiaomi, and HTC, among others, showcased innovations in AR glasses and VR headsets at this year’s MWC.
MWC 2023: Digital future
MWC 2023 showfloor was full of future technology suggesting a growing market for Fintech, XR, metaverse and more for digital future. A lot of startups and companies explored what is next in tech that will change our world.
One of the most talked about points was satellite connectivity coming to Android. Qualcomm said that it is working with OEMs such as Honor, Motorola, Nothing, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi to develop smartphones with satellite communication capabilities leveraging Snapdragon Satellite.
“The technology will enable OEMs to offer global coverage from pole to pole and can support two-way messaging for emergency use,” Qualcomm told Gadgets Now-TOI at the show floor.