MWC26 Super Preview: AI Phone Showdown, Mobile Communications "Heading to Space"
There are less than 40 days left before the second major global tech event of this year, MWC26, kicks off. From March 2nd to 5th, 2026, leaders in the global technology and telecommunications industries will return to Barcelona, Spain, to jointly plan, discuss, and shape the future of connectivity technologies.
Since its establishment in Barcelona in 2007, MWC (Mobile World Congress) has witnessed remarkable development and its influence in the global mobile communications industry has been steadily growing. In recent years, it has kept pace with the times and fully embraced more cutting-edge technology application fields such as AI and robotics. The world's top mobile communications exhibition, relying on the large tech-savvy user base in the European market, is transforming into a world-class exhibition for cutting-edge technology applications.
At MWC25 last year, the reporting team from Lei Technology felt the strong atmosphere of AI and robotics technology applications at the exhibition. At that time, DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics were creating a wave of the "mysterious Eastern power" globally, and more Chinese technology and mobile communications manufacturers also showcased more cutting-edge technology applications and new products on the MWC25 stage.
Photographed by Lei Technology at MWC25
MWC26 this year coincides with the 20th anniversary of MWC's settlement in Barcelona. The theme of this year's exhibition is concise: The IQ Era, which translates to "The New Era of Intelligence" in Chinese.
Apparently, entering the new stage of its third decade of development, beyond the new 5G-A/6G communication technologies, MWC is embracing various new intelligent technologies with unprecedented intensity, including but not limited to AI, IoT, XR, robotics, edge cloud, and other technologies and their solution applications. As the MWC exhibition becomes more bustling, the hardware facilities of the exhibition hall are also constantly expanding. Starting from 2027, MWC will expand to new venues such as the Montjuïc Exhibition Centre and the Barcelona - Catalonia Circuit. In 2028, a brand-new Hall 0 will be opened, bringing more modern facilities to MWC.
As the longest-established, most in-depth, and most professional new media in China for reporting on technology exhibitions, Lei Technology has sent reporting teams to Barcelona for on-site full-coverage reporting of MWC for many consecutive years. At this new stage of MWC's third decade of development, the Lei Technology reporting team will also report on the new year's MWC with unprecedented intensity, just as we did at CES earlier this year.
At CES 2026, led by Luo Chao, the founder and editor-in-chief of Lei Technology, the largest-ever CES reporting team from Lei Technology carried out unprecedented high-frequency, professional, and comprehensive reporting on-site in Las Vegas. According to incomplete statistics, the members of the Lei Technology CES reporting team walked an average of 20,000 steps per day and produced a total of 85 pieces of content (including 39 in-depth observations/high-level interviews, 35 exhibition exploration news/new product reports, and 11 exhibition exploration Vlogs/executive interview videos), with the total text content exceeding 160,000 words.
Transitioning seamlessly to MWC26, the Lei Technology reporting team is now in intense preparation. Lei Technology will send its largest-ever MWC reporting team to conduct on-site, professional, and comprehensive reporting on MWC26.
So, what new technologies, new applications, and new products can we expect to see at the upcoming MWC26? The following is an exclusive preview of MWC26 compiled by Lei Technology.
AI Technology Applications Throughout the Exhibition, MWC Enters the "New Era of Intelligence"
First of all, it must be noted that compared with CES, which focuses more on product displays, MWC will offer more technology-oriented demonstrations.
However, even though the approaches are different, similar to CES this year, MWC this year will also present comprehensive and all-round demonstrations based on cutting-edge technology applications such as AI. As the organizer of MWC, Mats Granryd, the CEO of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), emphasized that AI will dominate all industries and play a "crucial" connecting role at the MWC exhibition.
Based on this, MWC26 will revolve around six major theme activities, including AI 4 Enterprise, AI Nexus, ConnectAI, Game Changers, Intelligent Infrastructure, and Tech4All. AI technology applications have become the main thread running through all the activities.
Theme of MWC26: The New Era of Intelligence (Source: GSMA)
In addition, MWC26 will host the CircuitX event shortly before the official opening, aiming to present new technologies in the field of intelligent transportation, focusing on new technologies, new products, and solutions in the fields of electric vehicles and autonomous driving.
Coupled with the traditional exhibition activity 4YFN (4 Years From Now), cutting-edge technologies represented by AI will not only permeate the entire MWC this year but also be refined and implemented in various industries, fields, and directions.
Photographed by Lei Technology at MWC25
As the Lei Technology reporting team observed at CES this year, AI is ubiquitous and no longer needs to be emphasized. By 2026, the development of the AI industry has bid farewell to the stage of macro concepts and unfulfilled promises and entered a new stage of competition in the implementation of technology applications in specific and tangible categories and scenarios.
AI Technology Applications in Mobile Terminals, Global Smartphone Manufacturers May Intensify the Competition
At MWC25, with the popularity of DeepSeek, Chinese smartphone manufacturers, which were already prominent, further enhanced their presence in Barcelona. At MWC26, it's finally the turn of smartphone manufacturers to showcase their "genuine" AI smartphones.
Photographed by Lei Technology at MWC25
It is expected that smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Samsung, Google, Honor, ZTE, and Lenovo will participate in MWC26.
Among them, Honor has already announced the release of new products at MWC26 in advance, including the so-called industry's first "robot phone" ROBOT PHONE and the world's first Honor Magic V6 large-foldable smartphone equipped with the Snapdragon 8E5 chip. According to the official preview, the Honor ROBOT PHONE integrates AI smartphone capabilities, embodied intelligence, and high-definition photography. It has an AI brain and the mobility of a robot and can also serve as the user's exclusive camera. Of course, the specific product details, especially the performance of AI and robotics technologies, can only be officially revealed at MWC.
Judging from the basic form and function information of the ROBOT PHONE, Honor has indeed made significant progress with this product, and it is also suitable for product display and technology promotion on a global stage like MWC. According to the current information, Honor's "robot phone" will be launched in the first half of this year, which is in line with the new development trend of MWC, which increasingly emphasizes the "feasibility of technology application products."
Source: The Verge
Honor won't be the only AI smartphone on the MWC stage this year. Among domestic manufacturers, the Doubao phone jointly launched by ZTE and ByteDance at the end of last year, with its AI intelligent agent technology on mobile devices, set a new paradigm of "advanced technology application" to meet users' actual operation and functional needs, triggering a new competition among domestic "true AI" smartphones. It is highly anticipated whether ZTE and more domestic manufacturers will showcase new smartphone products and demonstrate related technologies at MWC26. As the two "leaders" among domestic smartphone manufacturers in the application of cutting-edge technologies, it is also worth looking forward to whether Huawei and Xiaomi will make greater moves and progress in the application of AI smartphone technologies, and their product displays and technology demonstrations at MWC26 are also highly anticipated.
Among overseas manufacturers, what kind of smartphones and more AI technology applications for mobile terminals will Google bring based on its self-developed Gemini large model? How will smartphone giants such as Samsung respond to the more intense wave of AI smartphones initiated by Chinese smartphone manufacturers and Google? All in all, on the MWC26 stage, global smartphone manufacturers may engage in an unprecedented competition based on AI technology applications and scenario implementation.
In more mobile terminal categories, such as laptops, tablets, wearables, smart glasses, and even "big guys" like smart cars, AI technology applications are integrating into the technological application and scenario innovation wave across all categories, just like mobile communication technologies did in the past.
Among them, it is worth looking forward to the relevant technology and platform construction brought by Qualcomm, Intel, NVIDIA, etc., based on their respective roles.
Accelerated Implementation of 5G-A Applications, Space Technology and Satellite Communications Make a Comeback
Undoubtedly, MWC26 will be a crucial exhibition that fully implements the "dual mainlines" of "communications + AI" technology applications, and the in-depth integration of AI and connectivity technologies such as communications is also worthy of attention.
The large-scale application of AI technology requires the support of 5G-A or even 6G communication technologies. Especially with the popularity of large AI models and AI intelligent agents, in addition to the unprecedentedly huge demand for computing infrastructure, their multi-modal characteristics and the interaction paradigm of instant response, processing, execution, and feedback also place unprecedented demands on network traffic and basic bandwidth, which is also the problem that new-generation communication technologies such as 5G-A aim to solve.
The latest data shows that by the end of 2025, the 5G-A networks of operators had covered more than 330 cities in China, with the user base exceeding 50 million. The network speed can reach 10 times that of the existing 5G networks, better supporting cutting-edge technology application scenarios such as AI, IoT, robotics, holographic communication, and low-altitude flight. Whether in the Chinese or global market, 2026 will be a crucial year for the accelerated commercialization and implementation of 5G-A, and it will also help accelerate the development from the "Internet of Everything" to the "Intelligent Internet of Everything."
Meanwhile, the in-depth integration of AI and communication technologies will also enhance the intelligence of communication technologies themselves, leading to innovations in communication technologies such as intelligent resource allocation, improved operation and maintenance efficiency, and better energy-saving effects.
Photographed by Lei Technology at MWC25
At MWC25, Chinese telecommunications operators made a strong presence. At MWC26, it is expected that they will present more 5G-A implementation scenario demonstrations combined with cutting-edge technologies such as AI with greater momentum. Chinese telecommunications operators will also work with their global counterparts to polish the technological foundation of the new-generation communications in the era of AI and strive to play a more important role in the ecosystem during this historical process.
As for 6G communication technology, although China has completed the first-phase technical tests of 6G R & D and recently launched the second-phase 6G technical tests, as of now, institutions, operators, and ecosystem manufacturers in both China and the global market are still in the early stages of technical exploration and standard setting. Therefore, even if there is content related to 6G communication technology at MWC26, it will only be very early-stage technology or even concept demonstrations and should not take up a large proportion. However, it is certain that the 6G communication network will reconstruct the way of information transmission, processing, and cognition at the fundamental level, becoming the key infrastructure to support the "New Era of Intelligence" and the "neural network" for building the future digital society.
Lei Technology has reported on MWC on-site for many consecutive years. At MWC24, the Lei Technology reporting team felt the popularity of satellite communication technology. However, at MWC25, the presence and popularity of satellite communication technology significantly decreased.
Photographed by Lei Technology
MWC26 hasn't started yet, but the organizers have already hyped up one of the key areas of focus for this year, which is space technology and satellite communications. This is also the first time in MWC's history that it has officially entered this field.
It is reported that space technology and satellite communications will be demonstrated in two exhibition areas at MWC26. The demonstrations in the "New Frontiers" area will include technologies and practical use cases in fields such as quantum computing, physical AI, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The demonstrations in the "Airport of the Future" area aim to explore how the aviation industry and air travel will be transformed by connectivity technologies. Several leading figures in the space technology and satellite communications industries, including the president of SpaceX, will also take the stage at MWC26. Mats Granryd, the president of GSMA, said that space technology and satellite communications will play a key role in solving problems such as insufficient communication coverage.
Will Domestic Robots Participate as a Group? MWC26 Has More Highlights
At MWC25, the large crowds gathered around the small booth of Unitree Robotics made the Lei Technology reporting team realize the great curiosity and attention of Europeans towards China's "mysterious" new hardware and related technologies.
