The best innovations we’ve seen at the show

We’re once again in Barcelona, celebrating all things mobile at MWC 2024. From powerhouse smartphones to groundbreaking new tech, the event was a showcase for the best the industry has to offer, and we were there to report on it every step of the way.

We’ve already brought you probably the most comprehensive coverage of MWC 2024 you can find online across our website and our YouTube channel. To cap it all off, we’ve selected the show’s most exciting and meaningful innovations. These are Android Authority’s Best of MWC 2024 awards.

We called the Xiaomi 14 Ultra a “video monster” in our hands-on look, and it’s not just because of the intimidating size of its camera bump. This bona fide Android flagship is packed with video features designed to allow the average smartphone user to venture where only professionals could before. If you’re interested in video production and Android, this is the phone to get. You can even get a camera grip accessory for advanced ergonomics. Other features are equally impressive, so we had no hesitation in calling the Xiaomi 14 Ultra one of the best things that came out of MWC 2024.

The first time you see Lenovo’s transparent laptop concept, you wonder for a second if it’s a real product or a prop from a sci-fi movie. We described it as “utterly, uselessly cool” and that about sums it up. The questionable usability won’t hold us from recognizing innovation, and we have to commend Lenovo for continuously pushing the envelope when it comes to presenting novel form factors.

HONOR was one of the big attractions at MWC 2024. Its new flagship phone is the HONOR Magic 6 Pro and it’s packed to the gills with flagship features, including the latest high-end SoC from Qualcomm, a massive battery, and fast charging. Like with most flagship phones these days, the highlights are in the camera department. Thanks to the 180MP 2.5x periscope camera, users will have the ability to effectively bring subjects closer with dramatic zooms. There’s a whole lot to like about the HONOR Magic 6 Pro, making it one of our highlights of MWC 2024. 

The long-rumored Galaxy Ring was first revealed at CES, but at MWC 2024, we finally had a proper look at it. Samsung’s first smart ring will surely become a serious competitor to the pioneer of this form factor, Oura. Coming sometime this summer, the ring will feature up to nine days of battery life, sleep, and health tracking, and deep integration with Samsung’s other health products. It will surely elevate smart rings when it comes to consumer mindshare, and we can’t wait to see how other players rise to the challenge.

ZTE is back with a second generation of its glasses-free 3D display tablet. Called ZTE Nubia Pad 3D 2, the tablet uses two front-facing cameras to track the user’s gaze and create a 3D effect. It’s something you have to experience to understand, but in our experience, the 3D effect was clear and convincing, and it can be experienced with any video or game. The lower resolution when in 3D mode is the main downside, so we hope ZTE can fix that in future iterations.

You’ve heard about the phones already, but you may not know that HONOR is trying to make a name for itself in the PC market. The new HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 is a powerful, modern laptop that combines advanced hardware with AI features and HONOR’s own customizations. There’s a lot to like about the HONOR MagicBook Pro 16, but the roomy display, sleek construction, and ample power are what most users will appreciate the most.

TECNO is not the best-known smartphone maker, but what the company lacks in mindshare, it makes up for in scrappy ambition. The company is making some interesting moves, including designing its own imaging silicon in partnership with Sony. Called PolarAce, the chip promises better performance in low-light conditions, which remains the Achilles heel of smartphone photography. Claiming some technical industry first, the PolarAce will be first used on the Camon 30 Premier, an attractive-looking mid-range device coming later this year.

The company making the Punkt MC02 has no illusions about selling this privacy-oriented device in high volumes. However, it still contends that it’s important to give people the option of using a device designed for privacy first, if nothing else, to raise awareness about this pressing, but little-understood issue. The Punkt phone runs Apostrophy OS, a privacy-first flavor of Android, and includes features such as a built-in VPN, a “data ledger” tracking what data apps request, and Swiss-based servers for cloud storage.

The masters of hype at Nothing have done it again, managing to get a lot of people excited about its first mid-range device. Called Nothing Phone 2a, the handset shares quite a lot with the popular Nothing Phone 2, including some of the distinctive looks. You still get the trademark Glyph lights, but it’s a toned-down version to reflect that this is a less ambitious device. We’ll have to wait until the reviews go out to tell you how good this device is, but if the price is right, Nothing might have a winner on its hands!

OPPO has been working on its Air Glass concept AR glasses for quite some time, and at MWC 2024, we got to experience the third generation. While other companies are going big and heavy (cough, Apple), OPPO is betting on the opposite approach: light, unobtrusive AR glasses that do not make you look like an absolute dork. OPPO claims the Air Glass 3 are the lightest in their class, and that’s something we can attest to. In our time with it, they felt just as light as a normal pair of glasses, while allowing for the unobtrusive projection of info in your field of view. Cool stuff — we just wish OPPO actually brought this concept to market.

OnePlus is back into the wearable game with the OnePlus Watch 2. While the first generation shunned Wear OS, the new watch combines Google’s operating system with another low-power OS called RTOS, which runs on a different chip. Because the OnePlus Watch 2 is essentially two devices in one, it can offer both the advanced capabilities of Wear OS and a battery life of up to 12 days, if you only rely on the basic functions. Is this the perfect compromise? Read our OnePlus Watch 2 review to find out.

A lot of companies are attempting to find ways to bridge the gap between PCs and smartphones. Motorola jumped into the fray with Smart Connect, a software solution that improves productivity both on your phone and your PC. You would think that such a solution would be reserved for Lenovo laptops, but company representatives confirmed that any PC running Windows 10 or up can support Smart Connect. You can see a full list of Smart Connect features here.

You hear about AI when you go to an event like MWC 2024, but a lot of it is just meaningless buzzwords. So we were happy to see Whispp, a very meaningful and touching application of AI technology. Put simply, Whispp gives a new voice to people with speech impairments, either by boosting their voice or by restoring it for those who have lost it due to various reasons. We’re always happy to see and cover this kind of idea, which is why Whispp is one of our highlights of MWC 2024.

Foldable phones have become cheaper recently, but they still command a premium compared to your average phone. ZTE proved at MWC 2024 that there’s room for prices to go even lower. Its Nubia Flip phone will cost just €599 (~$650) when it lands in Europe this spring. Of course, it makes some sacrifices when it comes to specs and features, but that price tag is still extremely impressive for a foldable device. It’s clear that the age of affordable foldables is upon us, and we’re here for it. 

A lot of the innovation showcased at MWC is not directly accessible to consumers, but it still massively impacts them. Take Qualcomm’s twin announcements of the Snapdragon X80 modem and FastConnect 7900 — these new chips will find their way into the devices of 2024 and beyond, bringing better battery life, faster and more secure connections, and even new features like support for satellite communications.

Controlling smartphones with your gaze is not a new concept, but HONOR thinks it has a better way of implementing it. To demonstrate how it works, the company organized a pretty cool demo where it had us control an actual car by simply staring at the Magic 6 Pro’s selfie cameras. AI plays a role in making it all happen, but HONOR will not share how the magic works (pun intended). Regardless, it’s a cool idea and we’re always down for new ways to interact with our tech.

And that wraps up our look at the very best innovations from MWC 2024. See you next year!