Mobile World Congress 2026 begins on March 2 in Barcelona, promising reveals in phones, wearables and AI from companies like Xiaomi and Honor. Key themes include AI integration and early 6G discussions, with keynotes from SpaceX and Qualcomm. Pre-show events feature launches from major Chinese manufacturers.
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, marking its 20th year in Barcelona, runs from March 2 to 5. Attendees can expect a focus on new phones and wearables, alongside emerging technologies like robots. CNET reporters will cover the event live, including hands-on demos, via their blog and social channels such as Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Preceding the main show, Xiaomi holds a launch on February 28 at 6 a.m. PT, unveiling a camera-focused flagship in partnership with Leica, teased as a "new wave of imagery." Honor follows on March 1 with the Magic V6 phone, MagicPad 4 tablet and MagicBook Pro 14 laptop. The company will also demonstrate a working Robot Phone and introduce a humanoid robot.
Samsung's recent S26 series launch in San Francisco positions MWC as a showcase for its devices in Europe, while Motorola displays its Razr foldable. Foldables represent a "mature category," according to Ben Wood, CMO and chief analyst at CCS Insight. Battery innovations, including silicon carbon tech and capacities enabling 300-watt fast charging, are anticipated.
Wearables will emphasize AI, with devices like AR glasses from Meta, TCL and Oppo. Ben Hatton of CCS Insight notes a "huge number of glasses" but highlights differentiation challenges, as mass-market adoption remains distant due to limited use cases. Smart rings may feature in talks by Oura CEO Tom Hale, though no new models are expected. Laptops, tablets and concepts from Lenovo and Samsung Display round out the hardware.
AI themes build on Google's Gemini integrations, promising agents for live translation, health insights and personalization in wearables. Nvidia and Qualcomm will present hardware advancements. On 6G, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon describes it enabling faster phones and an "always-sensing network" connecting wearables, cars and robots—topics for his keynote. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell will discuss Starlink's role in satellite-enhanced connectivity, joined by major carriers.
